Product Management is the art of understanding the user archetypes, the personas within archetypes, each of their pain points and linking this data with market reality and technological capability to be able to predict and deliver the products and services these users will be using in the future.
A one liner definition would be,
the one who knows what would be the future and delivers products for that future
Some key skills that would make someone great in the art of product management,
- Ability to understand the users: may it be humans, machines or any other living forms that can “use” (👽 too!)
- Ability to simplify users into personas, be able to think to the root
- Be able to transform themselves into the user and see through their perspectives and behaviours - analytically as well as philosophically - to identify the pains and joys
- Be able to relate the findings and explorations of user and their wants with the complex mesh of markets (markets are not individuals but bunch individuals - the products have to fit into this mesh)
- Be able to convene and convince people to deliver on what you planned - this includes understanding the technology and culture of people who you wish to build with