If you are a product manager, be a product manager. More importantly, don’t be an “AI product manager”, or a “cloud product manager”, or a “data product manager”, or a “crypto product manager”, or a “VR product manager”, or a “digital product manager”, you get the point. Just. Be. The. Product. Manager, which usually boils down to:
# Deeply understand customers, how they view success, and what problems come in the way. Not all problems are worth solving.
# Actively build shared understanding within your XFN team/org of above. Shared documents != shared understanding.
# The engineering team is a precious asset. Be judicious about prioritizing one-offs and trade-offs. Continuously build shared understanding up, down, sideways.
# Influence comes from credibility. Credibility comes from repeated trust-building behavior.
# Learn to market and sell your product, even though you are not in marketing or sales. Don’t outsource the demo.
# Know how success is measured for what gets shipped.
# Know the business of the product. Talk to finance people. They know the business of your product.
This in a nutshell. Many great experts and thought leaders have expanded in good detail about every aspect and more. Keep learning from them.
Yes, it is important to understand the tech so you understand the impact of the tech, the trade offs and choices in how the product is built, and you can be credible with engineers and customers.
Yes, a company will advertise roles with these monikers, but don’t get sucked into defining yourself in that manner.
On Product Leadership 