Different innovations and consumer experiences exist with the help of product managers.
They function as the link between engineers, corporate executives, and UX or user experience teams. They also act as the bond that binds these groups’ collective product visions.
More crucially, group product managers explain:
- The strategic vision
- Describe the success of each product
- Show how it will affect the consumer and the company’s objectives.
Organizations would struggle to navigate the diverse objectives that exist across both large and small enterprises without the presence of a group product manager.
Pointing down to the specifics, let’s look at the different roles in product management. More importantly, where exactly does the group manager lie in the chain?
Different Product Management Roles:
1. Associate Product Manager (APM)
Associate Product Manager is an entry-level position in the field of product management. They usually assist the product managers in:
- Doing their jobs more quickly and productively
- Acquiring factual product data
- Performing competitive research
- Analyzing consumer studies
- Working on new products and features
Sometimes, instead of creating whole new products, associate product managers frequently work on new features for existing ones.
They can concentrate on a particular product without becoming overwhelmed by its overall scale by:
- Working on one particular feature of the product
- Working on a collection of concepts or features of the same.
Improving the product manager’s performance and assisting the product team in any way the product manager requests are among the duties of an associate product manager.
2. Junior Product Manager (JPM)
Next up in line is the Junior Product Manager.
The junior product manager is typically the employee in charge of gathering, assessing, and ultimately articulating consumer demands to the product manager and the entire company.
This interaction is crucial, particularly with the product engineering team, who will develop and expand the product.
If you become a JPM, you collaborate with fellow product managers and product engineers to provide articulated suggestions, ideally in a narrative style.
You acquire a thorough knowledge of the consumer base and its significance through working with product developers.
The next step is to use this information to find market potential for the company’s product.
You must have a technical degree, such as one in marketing, accountancy, finance, economics, or business administration, to be an outstanding candidate.
3. Product Manager (PM)
In many businesses, the position of product manager (PM) is crucial and critical, yet it is frequently not clearly defined.
The duties of PMs differ considerably among companies and organizations. All PMs promote product creation and are accountable for those products’ performance.
Consider PMs to be knowledge-brainiacs. They use the information they learn to develop a long-term vision and design ideas for their products.
In general, this is a person that works freely, oversees the work of a team of product developers, and is in charge of a product or customer journey.
Given that it’s the most typical title, it’s crucial to consider the product they oversee.
In contrast to a product manager at a young business, they are likely more senior and experienced if they are in charge of Facebook’s newsletter, which affects billions of people.
4. Senior Product Manager (SPM)
As you climb the product management hierarchy ladder, you will find the senior product manager.
An SPM performs the same duties as a product manager but is given a senior title in honor of their accomplishments, highlighting the significance of their product, or because they help train junior product managers.
This job is a mixed one in some companies. The Senior Product Manager has certain line-management duties in addition to working directly with a product.
5. Lead Product Manager (LPM)
This is a more recent position, and the bearer is often a highly senior product manager in charge of a crucial product for the business.
This may be compared in the hierarchy from a Senior Product Manager to a VP of Product.
The distinction is that they are just great product managers who want to remain hands-on and delegate personnel administration to others rather than supervising other product managers.
6. Group Product Manager (GPM)
We’ve now reached the post of Group Product Manager, which reigns above all the positions mentioned above in the field of product management.
Where the position starts to alter is with a group product manager.
A single member who manages a product and collaborates directly with the engineering and design teams becomes a leader of other product managers who focuses on achieving coherence.
Since managing people is tougher than managing products, this is where personal attributes in personnel management become essential to the job.
Of course, the hierarchy does not end with the Group product manager. Above them exist the Head of Product and Chief Product Officer.
Group Product Manager Skills
1. Product Knowledge
A group product manager has to have in-depth knowledge of the product they are in charge of. This involves familiarity with the product’s attributes, functionality, materials, manufacturing process, and features.
Additionally, a product manager has to be familiar with the product’s market and intended audience. Making judgments regarding the product requires having this information.
2. Leadership Skills
Since they frequently serve as the team’s and the product’s spokesperson, leadership abilities might be crucial for a product manager to possess.
A group product manager may inspire their team to collaborate to develop a successful product using their leadership abilities.
They may motivate their team to produce novel things clients want using their leadership abilities.
3. Analytical Skills
The capacity to evaluate data and derive conclusions from it is known as analytical skill. To develop the greatest choices for your product, you must be able to assess data and knowledge as a product manager.
For instance, if you see a fall in sales, you must be able to evaluate the data to identify the root issue and decide what to do about it.
4. Communication Skills
You engage with many different individuals in your role as a product manager, including other product managers, engineers, salespeople, marketing teams, and customers.
Your effectiveness in this profession depends on your ability to communicate successfully. You must be able to explain difficult concepts in a way everybody can grasp.
To comprehend the demands and preferences of your consumers, you must also be able to interact with them.
5. Business Acumen
The visions and strategies of a firm link to its level of financial performance. A product manager must comprehend how their product affects the business’s bottom line.
This necessitates having a solid grasp of the business’s financials and how the product may impact them. For instance, a product manager would need to understand the potential impact of a new product on sales, profitability, and client acquisition expenses.
