The Technical, Business and UX Skills Every Product Manager Needs

Summary

In this informative video, Liam, a seasoned product manager with experience at Google and Microsoft, discusses the essential technical, business, and UX skills required for product managers. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the basics of the internet, data types, APIs, programming languages, and server functions. Liam also highlights the need for business acumen, including knowledge of economics, pricing strategies, and competition analysis. Furthermore, he stresses the value of emotional intelligence, storytelling, and leadership in product management. The video serves as a comprehensive guide for aspiring product managers, offering insights into the multifaceted role and the balance between technical know-how and strategic vision.

Takeaways

• 😀 A product manager (PM) is at the intersection of user experience (UX), business, and engineering, serving as a bridge between these domains.
• 🔍 PMs should have a foundational understanding of technology to comprehend what's feasible and the effort required, without needing to code.
• 🌐 Technical skills for PMs include knowing the basics of how the internet works, data types, APIs, and server concepts.
• 💡 PMs should be able to break down problems into high-level solutions and understand the metrics that will track their product's success.
• 📈 Business acumen is crucial; PMs should understand revenue, costs, profit, and EBITDA, as well as pricing strategies and market competition.
• 🧠 Emotional intelligence is key for PMs, emphasizing the importance of empathy and effective communication.
• 📝 Strong storytelling and writing skills are necessary for PMs to effectively communicate their product vision and strategy.
• 💼 Leadership is a must for PMs, who must influence teams and stakeholders without direct authority.
• 🎨 Basic UX and design skills are important for PMs to understand user experience terminology and be able to sketch basic app interfaces.
• 🤔 PMs should ask non-biased questions during user research and should have a basic understanding of psychology to empathize with users.
• 🚫 Avoid being overly opinionated on specific technologies or design execution; trust the experts in those fields and focus on product strategy and requirements.

Q & A

What are the three main areas a product manager should be knowledgeable in?

A product manager should be knowledgeable in three main areas: User Experience (UX), Business, and Engineering.

Why is it important for product managers to understand technical skills?

Product managers need to understand technical skills to know what's possible, have a basic understanding of the impact to effort curve, and be able to communicate effectively with engineering teams.

What does the speaker suggest as a basic requirement for understanding how the internet works?

The speaker suggests that product managers should be able to diagram the basic process of how the internet works when a user types in a URL, including the role of a Wi-Fi router, a switch, DNS lookup, IP address, and the destination server.

Why is understanding data types important for a product manager?

Understanding data types is important for a product manager to know how to store and use data effectively, such as knowing when to use integers, doubles, or strings.

What is the significance of APIs for a product manager according to the speaker?

APIs are significant for a product manager because they are the interfaces that allow different software applications to communicate with each other, and understanding them is crucial for integrating various services and platforms.

How does the speaker recommend product managers approach learning about programming languages?

The speaker recommends that product managers understand what programming languages are used for, rather than how to code with them, and suggests looking at the Stack Overflow Developer Survey for popular languages.

What is the speaker's advice on the level of detail product managers should have regarding technology?

The speaker advises that product managers should have a high-level understanding of technology and be able to break down problems into smaller solutions, but leave the specifics of implementation to the engineers.

Why is emotional intelligence emphasized as a critical skill for product managers?

Emotional intelligence is emphasized because it involves having empathy and understanding others, which is crucial for collaborating with teams and understanding user needs.

What is the speaker's opinion on product managers being opinionated about specific technologies?

The speaker suggests that product managers should not be opinionated about specific technologies but should focus on the 'why' and 'what' of a project, leaving the 'how' to the engineering team.

What basic business skills does the speaker believe are necessary for product managers?

The speaker believes product managers need to understand basic business economics, pricing strategies, competition, and have strong emotional intelligence and storytelling abilities.

How should product managers approach UX and design skills?

Product managers should have a basic understanding of UX and UI terminology and be able to use tools like Sketch or Figma at a surface level to create simple wireframes, but they should rely on designers for the execution of design.