10 reasons why product management is for you

Why do people want to work in product management? How do they know that product management is going to be the right thing for them?

Product Managers come from all sorts of backgrounds, from the technical to the design focused and beyond, so how do they know that their skills will be transferrable and that they can make a success in this new field?

1) You like solving problems

For me, it started out as my desire to solve problems, as I love a challenge. I thrive when given a set of information and then asked to consider the best way to fit it all together to meet the needs of today and tomorrow.

If you like standing in front of a whiteboard, with a set of inputs and are happy to scribble away until you see how it all fits together, then product management is a good fit for you.

2) You like talking to people

People often think that product people are the ideas people, coming up with all the exciting new features that a product might have, but in reality, the majority of the ideas that get raised come from other people.  To get at these ideas, the product manager must get out there and talk to customers, salespeople, customer success, finance, and marketing, the list is endless.  The trick however is to do more listening than you do talking so you get to hear the ideas first-hand.

3) You like working in a team

I am often told that product managers don't produce anything, and to some degree this is true.  We take our ideas from others and we give them to another set of people to deliver, but the role is essential as you are the oil that keeps the chain of events running smoothly.  Being part of a team, where everyone is clear on where they're going and what their role is a huge part of being a product manager, so if you like solitude, then maybe product management isn't for you.

4) You like making decisions

One of your roles within the team is to be the voice of the user, which means, whenever your team need an answer on which way to go, you need to be able to speak up as the user and make the decision.  Hundreds of decisions will come your way during the course of a week, so if you like sitting on the fence, and not having an opinion, then you might want to consider another role.

5) You like learning

One key trait of a good product manager is the realisation that you do not know everything, but also knowing that your team look to you to know everything.  This juxtaposition of viewpoints means that you need to be comfortable learning, as without it you can't make the decisions needed to keep your product improving.  It doesn't matter whether it's user-centred design, test-driven development, or lifetime value, you'll need to grasp the basics to be successful

6) You like being organised

If everyone turns to you, then you need to know what's going on.  This means knowing what happened last week, what's happening now, and what's planned to happen next week.  You have to think operationally and strategically.  You have to keep things moving, which often means, chasing others for inputs to keep up the momentum.  To-do lists will be your friend.

7) You like inspiring people

If you want your team to get behind what they're doing, then you need to motivate them to do so.  That means showing them the goals, picturing the benefits, and getting them on board with what we want to achieve.  Once the team are onboard, then the job of product management becomes a whole host easier.

8) You're OK with uncertainty

What feedback will the feature get?  Will users use the product more?  Will the team manage to deliver a feature in time for the release?  What will happen if they don't?  There are so many factors that the PM can't control that you need to be comfortable with all this uncertainty.  If you don't, you'll drive yourself mad, or into a stressed-out frenzy trying to herd the cats!

9) You more familiar with the why than the how

The most important questions that a PM can ask start with a why, rather than a how.  The aim is to understand the motivations for the need, not how you'll meet them.  You've got teams of experts at your disposal to help figure out the how, but they can only do that if they really understand the why.

10) You like understanding the business

It's important to understand all aspects of your organisation in order to be a more effective product manager.  From marketing and sales, through to customer success and finance, being able to understand how the different elements all fit together helps you understand how many different parties are actually stakeholders in your solution.