Illuminate the Product Manager's Skillset: Project Management

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The product manager role in the internet industry has a relatively low entry barrier. With a clear mind and strong logical skills, one can start working within a few months after training. It differs from research and development work as a superficial understanding can be achieved after only six months of training.

Nevertheless, the low entry threshold does not imply that anyone can be a product manager. Particularly, the division of labor for product managers is becoming more refined, and the job requirements are becoming clearer. It is essential to possess demand analysis and project management skills and have a certain level of understanding of the industry and users.

1. The Importance of Project Management for Product Managers

During dinner with colleagues from various companies, I often heard complaints about the lack of cooperation with the research and development team and the scarcity of testing resources. Developing a version was like fighting a battle, causing anxiety for everyone involved. Conversely, the research and development team found their job to be relatively easy. After the product manager reviewed the requirements, everyone worked well together, fulfilled their duties, and smoothly completed the project within the scheduled timeline.

Why were there two entirely different outcomes?

While there may be numerous reasons, one crucial factor that should not be overlooked is project management.

In the past, teams had a dedicated project manager who would take over the responsibility of project management after the product manager reviewed the requirements. However, as agile development became the industry standard for internet companies, more and more product managers took on this responsibility themselves.

Firstly, let us clarify the concept of project management within internet companies: project management is a management skill implemented to ensure that products can be launched in accordance with expected quality and quantity. By utilizing a series of tools or systems, the team can improve its work efficiency.

2. Reasons for Product Managers to Manage Projects

Product managers set goals for any job, including project management. What is the product manager's objective for the project? What are the benefits of having a product manager manage a project?

I have summarized it in three key points:

2.1 Align Team Goals

Product managers initiate projects, and product goals should be defined before project development. The product manager has the deepest understanding of the requirements, making it easier to achieve goals. Project management aims to ensure that the team can reach its goals. Since the work of product managers is closely linked to the project, they naturally become the project owners.

2.2 Control the Process to Achieve Results without Deviation

Different people may have different understandings of the requirements, leading to differences between project results and expectations. For versions with a cycle of more than 2 weeks, product managers should organize the team to test and review, ensuring unity of ideas.

For example, after a review meeting, product managers may explore new requirements. But during the acceptance process, they may find that the results are different from the product goals. They may become frustrated and ask developers why they did not follow the requirements. Developers may respond by saying that they achieved the result in a different way. Then, product managers may ask testers why they did not find the problem. Testers may say they did not have enough time to cover everything, and they achieved the desired result.

Without project management, everyone may think what they are doing makes sense. However, there is no process management, and no one is responsible for the results. Product managers should not be mere observers. Depending on the size and complexity of the version, they can organize regular meetings to synchronize progress and review test cases to unify everyone's thinking and language, thereby achieving requirement understanding without deviation.

2.3 Building a cohesive team

In addition to setting goals and controlling processes, product managers also need to build a cohesive team to achieve the product's value. Project management plays a crucial role in enhancing the team's cooperation and understanding. By running the project management, the cooperation between the product manager and the developers becomes more cohesive and effective. This helps to ensure that everyone is working towards the same goals and that the project is completed successfully.

3. How does a Product Manager manage a project?

After completing the requirements review, a Product Manager transitions from being a Product Manager to being a Project Manager. This shift involves moving from defining goals to managing the process of achieving them.

What does a Product Manager need to do to manage a project?

3.1 Set up a project schedule (define clear goals and unify ideas)

The first step in project management is to determine the start and end times and the timeline for each stage.

Establishing a clear schedule allows designers, front-end and back-end developers, and testers to work together in accordance with a set rhythm. If everyone is aware of the schedule, there is less panic during the project.

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3.2 Clear delegation of tasks and responsibilities

When there are more than two developers, it's important to split tasks and assign clear roles to team members to better stimulate a sense of ownership. The project manager's main task at this stage is to ensure that tasks are delegated in a reasonable manner.

Risk control is another crucial aspect of project management. Some team members may keep their progress and problems to themselves until the last minute, leading to project delays. Therefore, project managers should pay attention to key milestones, regularly communicate with team leaders, and reduce project risks.

Tools such as Jira, Tapd, and Teambition can be used to aid project management.

3.3 Establish rules and procedures

Project management is not about supervising everyone's work but rather unifying everyone's communication language and code of conduct to reduce project risks. The project manager should focus on two key elements: requirement changes and test case reviews.

• Requirement change process

  During project development, requirement changes are inevitable. Whether it's a copy update or a logic adjustment, it should be synchronized with all team members to ensure transparency, clear rules, and timely synchronization of changes. The project manager can establish a synchronization mechanism based on the team's characteristics, such as requirement document annotations and email notifications, to ensure that information is synchronized and product managers think carefully.

• Test case review process

  Most of the time, the test case review is a one-man show by the tester, and the product developer is listening nervously. This can lead to a negative impact, especially for larger projects. To avoid this, a process can be developed:

  You can develop a process:

  • Complete the xmind diagram of the test case and send it to the product manager and developer for preliminary review.
  • Refine the test case and determine its priority.
  • Review high-priority test cases in a formal review.

• Organize project summary

The project summary is divided into two parts: review and effect synchronization. Reviews can effectively solve problems in project cooperation, which is a rapid promotion method for product managers. After the version is launched, the product manager, as the project manager, should collect effect data and synchronize it with team members to let them know that their hard work has paid off, which can stimulate a sense of achievement and generate greater cohesion.

4. The purpose of project management

The purpose of project management is to ensure that the project is completed in line with the goals, quality standards, and quantity, in order to maximize the value for both the company and its users. Product managers are responsible for making critical decisions regarding products that impact their value for users or customers. Project management is not just about defining goals, but also about ensuring their achievement, increasing the sense of responsibility among product managers.

Effective project management facilitates the creation of a productive and efficient team, and promotes a sense of mutual understanding and cooperation among team members. A competent product manager should be capable of setting appropriate goals, building a strong team, and leading them to success. Ultimately, a good product manager will help define the goals of the product, build a strong team, and lead the team to success.