- In organisations, Product Managers are there to “join the dots”.
- The tasks and skills required significantly differ between tech and non-tech.
- Process and methods are key in tech versus commercial acumen makes or breaks a non tech Product Manager
17. 10 things a tech PM does
1. Research the market and monitor competitors
2. Listen to customers and stakeholders
3. Define the roadmap and (re)prioritise features
4. Define and test hypotheses
5. Refine the product vision
6. Drive development of capabilities: write features and stories
7. Collaborate with UI/UX
8. Support the engineering team i.e. architecture decisions and BI to groom backlog
9. Be involved in development process (Scrum ceremonies)
10. Remove engineering blockers
18. Agenda
1. What does a tech PM do?
2. What does a non-tech PM do?
3. 3 similarities
4. 3 differences
5. Bottom line.
20. 10 things a non tech PM does
1. Monitor sales: volumes and revenue/costs
2. Monitor market, competitors and coordinate market/consumer research
3. Gather continuous feedback from retail and franchises
4. Develop and propose yearly budgets: annual revenue, costs.
5. Define and update pricing
6. Define tactical roadmap and budgets: campaigns, advertising and incentives
7. Define promotions and campaigns to consumers
8. Define incentives for retail network and franchises + rollout
9. Manage SKU’s and other ERP specifics when appropriate
10. Manage procurement when appropriate
21. Agenda
1. What does a tech PM do?
2. What does a non-tech PM do?
3. 3 similarities
4. 3 differences
5. Bottom line.
22. Similarity #1
Focus is on outcomes: customers, revenue and profit.
Responsibility of the PM to improve the product operation and solve
any product problem to deliver on the OKR’s.
28. Difference #2
Product is (in)tangible
Effort needed for experimentation
SKU’s, forecasts and price lists need care: risk and opportunity
—> What can possibly go wrong?
29. Difference #3
Product Maturity
Tech product see continuous
innovation and always in
introduction/growth phases.
Non tech products tend to be
have short growth phases and
have long maturities.
31. Difference #3
Tech products focus on
introduction/growth phases.
→ Continuously releasing and
testing to improve product/market
fit. End of life management low
priority.
33. Difference #3
Non tech products tend to behave as
in permanent maturity
● Focus is on leveraging maturity:
many revenue levers other than
volume: price, loyalty…
● When product is replaced, VW
Golf, soap & fmcg… reference is
the success of the previous
model.
35. Agenda
1. What does a tech PM do?
2. What does a non-tech PM do?
3. 3 similarities
4. 3 differences
5. Bottom line.
36. At the end of the day Product Manager’s
solve similar things in organisations.
➔ Product Managers always “join the dots”. Information is our raw
material and it is critical.
➔ The tasks and skills required differ significantly between tech
and non-tech.
◆ Methodology is key in tech: test, deliver, improve. And
ability to convey hard facts to facilitate decisions
◆ Commercial acumen makes or breaks a non tech PM.
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