The Product Manager Toolkit
When I hire Product Managers, of any level, I use this toolkit to assess their strengths - and potential - in a number of areas. This helps me benchmark, share my view of “what good looks like”, and create longer term development pathways for team members. I share it here in case it’s useful for you as you build and develop your own Product team.
Strategic vision and planning
Developing and communicating a clear product strategy aligned with business goals, OKRs, and mandated deliverables ESSENTIAL
Creating a product roadmap that outlines the product's evolution over time - up to 12 months ahead, in detail that empowers execution ESSENTIAL
Prioritising feature development based on strategic objectives, coaching the wider business on “yes” and “no” decisions ESSENTIAL
Market understanding
Conducting thorough market research to identify opportunities, ensure threats are understood, and define PMF (Product Market Fit) ESSENTIAL
Staying informed about industry trends, competitors, and customer needs through conducting customer / user interviews, undertaking detailed competitor analysis, and monitoring market trends IMPORTANT
Being part of, and contributing to, the wider Product community in order to bring external learnings in to the business, Product team, and your product’s development life cycle DESIRABLE
Balancing customer-centric and product-centric
Prioritising customer feedback and incorporating it into the product development process - whilst being able to play the role of arbiter, knowing what good looks like, making decisions that are defendable long term, and ensuring product integrity ESSENTIAL
Advocating for a user-centred design approach that enhances customer satisfaction, user experience, and UX / UI best practices (including accessibility) IMPORTANT
Living and breathing your user - everything from knowing exactly who they are (interviews), exactly what their attributes are (personas), and exactly what they need (research) ESSENTIAL
Cross-functional collaboration
Working seamlessly with Development, Marketing, Revenue, and Customer functions to both evangelise your product and engage non-Product colleagues in the ways of working within Product ESSENTIAL
Effectively communicating product requirements and priorities to cross-functional teams, including driving problem solving best practices and delivering knowledge through sophisticated Product Enablement approaches ESSENTIAL
Taking the whole business with you / your product on the journey of transformation in an aligned and on-strategy way that builds cohesion and delivers clarity ESSENTIAL
Communication skills
Clearly articulating the product vision, strategy, and goals to both internal teams and external stakeholders ESSENTIAL
Constructing strong narratives and focusing on compelling storytelling that drives changes, supports transformation, creates convincing use cases, and builds awareness of the “why” behind your product as much as the “what” ESSENTIAL
Adapting your messaging for multiple stakeholders and audiences - including through documentation, resources, knowledge sharing with Product Enablement, and desire creation with Product Marketing ESSENTIAL
Data-driven decision making
Utilising data analytics to make informed decisions and measure product performance ESSENTIAL
Defining and tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) for the product you manage, reporting on how they relate to the overall Product OKRs / business goals ESSENTIAL
Demonstrating a clear ability to pivot, change, and re-plan; all whilst staying on-strategy and true to the product vision ESSENTIAL
Operating with a ‘dashboard first’ mentality at all times - becoming the one-person command centre for your product IMPORTANT
An ambassador for Agile
Implementing product development methodologies to iterate quickly and respond to changes - including being able to coach others on the methodology you’re applying at any point ESSENTIAL
Breaking down large initiatives into smaller and more manageable tasks and sprints whilst remaining focused on the bigger picture simultaneously ESSENTIAL
Working to established frameworks and operational models at a level high enough to teach and coach others IMPORTANT
Contributing to, leading, and refining ceremonies / rituals / tasks i.e. standups, showcases, retrospectives, sprint planning, backlog grooming, etc ESSENTIAL
Technical aptitude
Possessing a solid understanding of the technical aspects of your product and the underlying technology IMPORTANT
Bridging the gap between technical and non-technical stakeholders ESSENTIAL
Participating in technical discussions, translating technical concepts for non-technical teams, and leading the conversation around what good looks like ESSENTIAL
Problem solving skills
Proactively identifying and addressing challenges in the product development process ESSENTIAL
Developing creative solutions to complex problems ESSENTIAL
Defining / refining strategic solutions to meet customer, user, or internal stakeholder challenges ESSENTIAL
Troubleshooting swiftly in a way that adds value both now and in the future - with an eye on ensuring product vision and product strategy are never diluted with short term fixes ESSENTIAL
Knowing when (and how) to switch between tactical problem solving and strategic problem solving ESSENTIAL
Adaptability
Thriving in a fast paced and dynamic environment - whilst being able to adapt to changing priorities and pivots ESSENTIAL
Oscillating between driving methodical product feature development and championing big picture innovation thinking ESSENTIAL
Creating - and embracing - an environment where change, transformation, and ‘new’ are the status quo ESSENTIAL
Financial acumen
Understanding the financial and commercial implications of product decisions ESSENTIAL
Developing and managing your product’s budget effectively - including creating revenue generation capability and commercialisable productisation ESSENTIAL
Analysing cost-benefit analysis in order to know what to say “yes” to and, critically, what to say “no” to too ESSENTIAL
Continuous learning
Staying updated on industry best practices, emerging technologies, and new tools IMPORTANT
Seeking opportunities for professional development and growth IMPORTANT
Attending conferences, participating in workshops, engaging in continuous learning, and immersing yourself in the world of product management as a profession DESIRABLE
Being a coach and mentor to others - from both within and outside of Product IMPORTANT
Time management and prioritisation
Prioritising tasks effectively and managing time efficiently to meet deadlines ESSENTIAL
Working to a fast pace and with a strong capacity for ‘new’ in order to maintain momentum and deliver ambitious plans ESSENTIAL
Applying productisation methods to your own efficiency - including things like timeboxing, prioritisation scorecards, decision making toolkits, etc IMPORTANT
Risk management
Identifying and mitigating potential risks to the product's success, launch plans, or delivery cadence / velocity ESSENTIAL
Developing contingency plans for unforeseen challenges, technical obstacles, and roadmap delivery issues ESSENTIAL