What are the product manager tasks and what are they not?

As a product manager, you will quickly realize what your job entails. It is varied and requires a clear definition of tasks and responsibilities. You master various tasks with your team. But what is really your job? What are you really responsible for?

We'll answer these questions by looking at what you are NOT as a product manager.

As a product manager, you are not a project manager

These two roles are often dismissed as "the same thing". The professional field of product management requires both creative and analytical skills. However, project managers manage the dimensions of budget, time, quality and timeline. Project managers have a very clear plan. They optimize the execution of the process and work through their projects in a structured manner.

As a product manager, you try to optimize the product for specific KPIs. This is about the result of the product team's work. The quality of your work is therefore determined by the KPIs - and not by whether the project is completed or not, as is the case with project managers. The KPIs here can be, for example, a higher number of customers or simply a better product.

Your goal is not always as clearly defined as the goal of project managers.

You are not a translator for product requirements

It often happens that product managers only break down the product requirements from above and "translate" them for the development team.

By definition, as a product manager - or product owner - you are a value maximizer. This is more than just passing on a briefing from your managers on the expectations from "above" to your team as gently as possible.

Are you a manager in the Product Manager job profile?

As a product manager, you are a lateral manager. In this role, you lead the team without any authority from the side. As a Product Manager, you work closely with Development to ensure that the product goals are achieved.

This is why product managers are not considered true HR managers. Nevertheless, leadership is one of your core competencies. So even without line responsibility and a classic managerial understanding, you should be able to lead.

You are not a developer in product development

To help you better categorize the tasks and roles around you, we can ask three W questions:

• Why?

As a product manager, you should answer the question of "why".

• What?

The question of the actual product goal is often only assigned to the product manager. In reality, however, you should talk about the "what" with the whole team as if you were sparring.

• How?

You should leave the task of actual implementation to the development team. Product development is a central component of the product team, but software development itself is not one of the tasks of a product manager.

Your role as a product manager does not include sticking your fingers in the gears of the development team. However, this is exactly the tendency we often see in product managers. If this applies to you, remember that technical implementation is not part of your role as a product manager.

You are not the customer

In short: Product managers are not the owners of the problems, but are responsible for solving the problems by developing and marketing products. So you are the owner of the solution to these problems. The customer is asked for the problem and not for a solution.

As you are NOT solving your own problems in product management, it is all the more important that you listen carefully to the customer. Ideally, you can test your solution with the customer so that you can be sure that the solution actually works.

You are not a fortune teller

Of course, as a product manager, you can't always know when certain things will be ready. The requirements and challenges can vary greatly depending on the industry. There are many unforeseen challenges in the field of product management. With this starting point, many product managers stress themselves out. They feel obliged to provide stakeholders with information about the completion of certain things at all times.

You can overcome this difficult situation by communicating what exactly the team is doing to solve certain problems. Part of product management is encountering unexpected problems or entering uncharted territory. Recognize this and realize that you don't have a crystal ball.

Don't make false promises that put yourself and your team under pressure. Instead, communicate what is currently being tested, tried out and what solution is being worked on. In this way, you give the stakeholders certainty about the process instead of presenting deadlines that the team cannot actually meet.

Short and sweet

You may observe some of these patterns in your own work environment. The job description of a product manager is constantly evolving and requires continuous training. We hope that this article will help you to define your own role.

Just remember these points for the future and remind yourself in your day-to-day work what you are NOT as a product manager:

1. you are not a project manager in product management

Your goal is to optimize the product, not to complete a project. What does a product manager do? They are responsible for the entire life cycle of a product, including market research, development and marketing.

2. you are not a people manager

• You are a product-related manager.
• You are a lateral manager without authority to issue instructions. Nevertheless, you should have leadership skills. Product managers are often assigned a lateral leadership role without direct authority.

3. you are not a developer

• The "how" is not your specific task.
• You are not responsible for the technical implementation.

Your main task is the development and marketing of products.

4. you are not a customer

• You are not the owner:in of the problem, but the owner:in of the solution.
• Listen carefully to your customers to find the best solution.

Understanding customer needs is crucial to the success of the company.

5. you are not a fortune teller:in

• You don't have a crystal ball and can predict completion dates.
• Instead of promising false deadlines, you can inform your stakeholders about the process. Tell them what and how the team is working on a solution.

Professional product management helps to deal with uncertainties and challenges.

‍