Discuss: What does a product manager actually do?

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Being a product manager may seem glamorous, especially in the tech industry where people are always building new and disruptive things. But many people—including founders—still don’t understand what a product manager actually does. What is a product manager’s day to day like? And what makes a good product manager?

We reached out to some experienced product managers to get some insights.

Editor’s note: Answers have been edited for clarity.

Nacho Bassino, head of product development at Almundo

The role of a product manager varies widely across different companies. In my case, my role is focused on finding the right product strategy that will solve the most important user problems, enhancing ways to deliver business value, and leading teams in the execution of that strategy.

That said, the skills and knowledge a product manager should have depends on his/her responsibilities in the company, the type of product, and the product’s life cycle stage.

There are a few fundamental things that will make product managers successful:

• Have a beginner’s or learner’s mindset. You need to learn a lot about your user, the business, market, and technologies.
• Make things happen. There are countless obstacles to deliver a great product. Be willing to tackle them down.
• Be willing to experiment. You can be wrong most of the time, so prepare to experiment and learn.

As Marty Cagan told me, being a product manager is very rewarding but very hard at the same time. Be willing to read a lot, as this discipline requires too many skills that you need to learn.

Many junior product managers focus too much on execution, project management, and the small details. But it’s truly important that you focus on the strategy, the problem you are solving, and the big picture to create a successful product.

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