Update from 2024: This is very old page and content. While I still believe and practice product management I no longer maintain this page.
PRODUCT MANAGER JOB DESCRIPTION
As Product Manager, you will guide a team that is charged with a product line contribution as a business unit. This extends from increasing the profitability of existing products to developing new products for the company. You will build products from existing ideas, and help to develop new ideas based on your industry experience and your contact with customers and prospects. You must possess a unique blend of business and technical savvy; a big-picture vision, and the drive to make that vision a reality. You must enjoy spending time in the market to understand their problems, and find innovative solutions for the broader market.
You must be able to communicate with all areas of the company. You will work with an engineering counterpart to define product release requirements. You will work with marketing communications to define the go-to-market strategy, helping them understand the product positioning, key benefits, and target customer. You will also serve as the internal and external evangelist for your product offering, occasionally working with the sales channel and key customers.
A product manager’s key role is strategic, not tactical. The other organizations will support your strategic efforts; you won’t be supporting their tactical tasks.
Online Resources
- Toronto Product Managers Association
- Productmarketing.com – Pragmatic Marketing
- Association of Internation Product Marketing & Managers
- Software Pricing Overview – Softresources
- Silicon Valley Product Group
- Product Marketing Forensics
- Product Management – Wikipedia
Market Research
Glossary of Terms
MRD
Market Requirements Document. The MRD should provide details on problems and opportunities for a solution to address a given market.
PRD
Product Requirement Document. Another term for the MRD, can be more focused around an existing product/solution where a market is already defined.
ERD
Engineering Reference Document. Technical response to the MRD/PRD. Normally written to level of a developer or engineer to develop a solution to the problems and opportunities outlined in the MRD/PRD. For a more mature product it should be a delta between the functional specification of the current product and the additions planned in the MRD/PRD.
Functional Specification
Provide details and design on the product architecture. Normally written so that a develop can understand the product design without reading the source code.