Product Manager, Smadeandsmight.
If you’re like me and have recently graduated from school or are now enrolled but aren’t sure what professional path to take, then this article on ‘why product management’ might be for you. But don’t take my word for it; read on to make your own judgment.
What is Product Management?
Well, there are many definitions but before I lay out a somewhat standard definition, allow me to whisper in your ear a little secret, come closer don’t be shy, “You’re already a product manager”, stay with me now, this isn’t some Jedi mind trick or some Zen attempt at motivating you, although how cool would that be, the reality is everyone is a product manager on some level, now permit me to drop a few definitions so you know where I’m going with this.
Product management is essentially taking an idea(vision) and making it a reality. Of course, this is done while making judgments about products based on consumer feedback. There are other things involved, but that is the core concept.
Let me elaborate with an example, Let’s say you’re at home on a Friday night and you’re craving some homemade tasty jollof, so you set out and get the ingredients (requirements) you’d need and then you prepare this dish (the product) and it has that bright orange color that we all love(user interface) and it tastes amazing(user experience) and you eat up and you’re filled(product objective).
Let’s also say your neighbor pops by and has a taste, loves it, and showers your cooking with compliments(user feedback), you have essentially been the product manager of that jollof(product).
Now back to why everyone is a product manager, if you have ever prepared a meal, planned a trip, or even attempted to develop yourself in any shape or form which most people just call LIFE, that’s a form of product management.
Now that you have some basic understanding, let’s take a look at why product management might be tailor-made for you.
Product managers, in general, have specific characteristics that help them excel at their jobs. Aside from the job being very fulfilling and exciting, I’ve noticed that most product managers have a couple of other qualities that help them excel at the job. They include being a leader, an observer, a problem solver, having the ability to see opportunities and just generally being an entrepreneur, so if this sounds anything like you, I have to ask, what are you waiting for?
If you still have doubts, here’s some motivation for you, and no this is not any of that ‘aspire to Maguire’ nonsense. If you’ve ever considered starting your own business, whether in technology or elsewhere, Product Management provides valuable experience in product and business decision-making as well as skills you might need to start or manage your own company. However, don’t take my word for it, there are quite a few CEOs who were first product managers. Jeff Bezos is one of them, you might have heard of him. He was once a product manager at Bankers Trust and legend has it that he went on to become the CEO of Amazon, a couple of others include Marissa Mayer of Yahoo and Kevin Systrom who Co-founded Instagram, so if you’re looking to start or manage your own company one day I doubt you could be in better company.
About qualifications, let’s say you don’t necessarily need any special qualification to pursue a career in product management, surely a degree in computer science, computer-human interaction, or management might be helpful but they are not necessarily a prerequisite to get started.
In summary, a product manager’s job is to solve problems for people, which you probably already do anyway, so why not get paid for it? It doesn’t require any specialized qualifications to pursue and a role in product management would look good on any resume. Plus, you get to garner experience with minimal risks which will be of great value if you plan to start a business or company someday. I honestly don’t know why you’re still reading this. You should be on job sites searching for internships already (lol), Best of luck in your chosen path.