As an aspiring product manager, you’ve likely heard a lot about the “hybrid” nature of the role. Product management is a job that requires you to be a jack-of-all-trades, bringing together business acumen, technical prowess, and a deep understanding of consumer needs. But, what does that mean in terms of actual skills that you need to sharpen?
1. Technical Proficiency
Why it’s Important:
Product managers commonly work closely with engineers and developers. Having a solid understanding of the technical possibilities and limitations can significantly impact your product’s outcome.
How to Develop:
- Coding Basics: Familiarize yourself with programming languages relevant to your industry. There’s no need to become a coding guru, but having a fundamental understanding of things like object-oriented programming can serve you well over the long run. Check out websites like Codecademy and/or Udemy for beginner courses in Python, Javascript, and more.
- API Understanding: Knowing how APIs work can help you manage data exchange between different software components. Be familiar with one or two API architectures, especially the common RESTful API.
2. Data Analytics
Why it’s Important:
Being able to collect and draw meaningful conclusions from data is crucial in product development and management.
How to Develop:
- Excel and SQL: Learn how to create pivot tables, use VLOOKUP in Excel, and get comfortable with SQL queries.
- Tools: Google Analytics, Tableau, and similar platforms should be in your toolbox.
3. Market Research
Why it’s Important:
Knowing your audience and how your product fits into the market landscape is essential for any product manager.
How to Develop:
- Consumer Surveys: Learn how to design and interpret consumer surveys. A helpful tip is to learn the important of how you ask questions. Generally, you want to ask open-ended questions that do not skew people to respond a certain way (e.g. you don’t want to lead them towards a specific answer).
- Competitive Analysis: Familiarize yourself with SWOT analysis and other frameworks that help assess your competition.
4. UI/UX Design Fundamentals
Why it’s Important:
A product manager needs to be able to discuss designs effectively with UI/UX designers and understand how design choices impact the user experience.
How to Develop:
- Wireframing: Tools like LucidChart or Figma can help you understand the basics of wireframing and prototyping.
- User Journeys: Learn how to map out the user journey to understand the user’s experience better.
5. Project Management
Why it’s Important:
At their core, product managers are, to a debatable extent, a manager of projects. Managing timelines, resources, and stakeholders is part of the game.
How to Develop:
- Agile Methodologies: Get familiar with Scrum, Kanban, and other agile methodologies.
- Time Management: Tools like Asana or Jira can help you keep track of tasks and milestones.
6. Communication Skills
Why it’s Important:
A product manager is often the bridge between technical and non-technical teams. Clear and effective communication is essential.
How to Develop:
- Public Speaking: Whether it’s presenting to stakeholders or conducting a team meeting, strong public speaking skills are invaluable.
- Writing Skills: Emails, product specifications, and even user guides may fall under your purview.
- Diagramming Skills: Often times, drawing things out helps remove any ambiguity about a particular topic. This holds especially true when communicating user journeys, workflows, etc.
7. Negotiation & Persuasion
Why it’s Important:
Whether you’re prioritizing features, allocating resources, or convincing stakeholders, negotiation and persuasion skills can come in handy. A large part of product management is relationship management and a successful relationship manager is someone who can understand the needs of other and influence direction through trust.
How to Develop:
- Active Listening: A good negotiator listens more than they speak.
- Emotional Intelligence: Understanding other people’s feelings and perspectives is key in persuasion.
8. Networking
Why it’s Important:
Like in most, if not all, industries, the adage, “it’s not what you know, but who you know” holds a great deal of weight.
How to Develop:
- LinkedIn: Use it not just for job searching but also for connecting with industry professionals.
- Industry Events: Whether it’s a tech meetup or a seminar, showing up can be half the battle.
Pitfalls to Avoid
As you develop these skills, beware of some common pitfalls:
- Lack of Focus: Being a jack-of-all-trades doesn’t mean being a master-of-none. Prioritize skills based on your career goals and the needs of your targeted industry.
- Over-relying on Academic Knowledge: Practical application of skills is crucial. Try to engage in real-world projects whenever possible.
Conclusion
Becoming a product manager is a challenging, yet rewarding experience. Your journey may be filled with competition, bogged by lack of experience, and/or vague due to an unclear career path. However, the hybrid nature of the role also makes it one of the most exciting, and versatile, fields to break into. Each skill you work on not only increases your market value, but also turns you into a better decision-maker and problem-solver.
Remember, one of your most valuable resources is your network. Whether it’s from school, online forums, hackathons, co-working spaces, etc., take advantage of as many platforms as you can to both learn and network. Be curious, be persistent, and never stop learning.