PRODUCTIVE Day in the Life of a Product Manager working in TECH

Summary

In this video, Parker, a product manager, takes viewers through his day during the COVID-19 pandemic. He shares his morning routine, discusses the importance of tackling the most challenging task first, and emphasizes the value of communication with his engineering team. Parker also highlights the significance of time management techniques like the Pomodoro and time boxing. He addresses negative reviews by turning critics into brand advocates and showcases his design process using Figma for a potential partnership. The video offers insights into the life of a PM, balancing strategic planning with creative problem-solving.

Takeaways

• 😀 Parker is a product manager who creates apps and websites and shares his daily life during COVID-19.
• 🕒 He starts his day around 7 AM, focusing on the most important tasks first, which he refers to as 'eating the frog'.
• ☕ Parker emphasizes the importance of hydration and taking vitamins before having coffee in the morning.
• 📝 He spends time journaling and brainstorming, which leads to a new video idea about using Rome Research templates.
• 🔗 Parker mentions the value of a quick video to explain features, showing his enthusiasm for sharing knowledge.
• 🤝 He discusses the importance of building strong relationships with his engineering team, including remote engineers.
• 🗓 Parker uses Asana for project management and emphasizes clear communication with different departments about project priorities.
• 📊 He conducts metric analysis using tools like Amplitude, Google Analytics, and Power BI to measure the impact of new features.
• ⏱ Parker advocates for time management techniques like the Pomodoro Technique and time boxing to stay focused and efficient.
• 💬 He addresses negative reviews constructively, aiming to turn critics into brand advocates by being responsive and accommodating.
• 🎨 Parker jumps into design work using Figma when the designer is out, highlighting the versatility required of a product manager.
• 📝 He discusses the process of creating a product requirement document (PRD) and the importance of clear communication with designers.

Q & A

What is the profession of the speaker in the video?

The speaker is a product manager working in tech, responsible for making apps and websites.

What is the first task the speaker mentions doing after starting their day?

The first task mentioned by the speaker is 'eating the frog,' which means doing the most important task on their mind first thing in the morning.

What is the significance of having a huge bottle of water before coffee according to the speaker?

The speaker emphasizes drinking a large bottle of water before coffee because coffee is a diuretic and can lead to dehydration.

What does the speaker do after receiving an email from the founder of Rome Research?

The speaker decides to make a quick video explaining how they use the new feature mentioned in the email from the founder of Rome Research.

What is the role of the engineering meeting at 10 AM according to the speaker?

The engineering meeting serves as a kickoff to discuss and prioritize what will be worked on for the remainder of the week.

How does the speaker describe their team size and structure?

The speaker describes their team as tiny, with three engineers on-site (John, Mark, and Kale) and a few engineers off-site.

What is the speaker's approach to handling negative reviews on their new app?

The speaker takes a positive approach by responding kindly, agreeing with the feedback, offering credits, and making personal efforts to fix the issues.

What time management technique does the speaker find helpful for their work?

The speaker finds the Pomodoro technique and time boxing helpful for managing their work effectively.

What is the speaker's strategy for turning negative feedback into positive outcomes?

The speaker aims to 'kill them with kindness' by empathizing with the users, agreeing with their points, and showing personal effort to resolve their issues.

What design tool does the speaker use for creating mock-ups and specs?

The speaker uses Figma for creating mock-ups and specs, rather than Photoshop.

How does the speaker approach problem-solving in product management?

The speaker starts by writing and living in the problem space, then moves on to designing solutions and collaborating with designers and engineers to implement them.

Outlines

00:00

😀 Morning Routine and Product Management Tasks

Parker, a product manager in tech, starts his day with a discussion with his friend and engineer Kale. He outlines his daily routine, which includes checking emails, planning, and research tasks. Despite being on Christmas break, Parker finds himself occasionally checking his inbox. He emphasizes the importance of tackling the most challenging task first thing in the morning, a strategy known as 'eating the frog.' After completing this task, he gears up for a meeting with the engineering team, highlighting the importance of staying hydrated and taking vitamins. Parker also shares his excitement about a new feature from Rome Research and his plan to create a video explaining its use. The summary ends with Parker preparing for an engineering meeting, emphasizing the value of personal connections with his team members.

05:00

🔍 A Day in the Life of a Product Manager

This paragraph delves into Parker's day-to-day activities as a product manager. He discusses the kickoff meeting with his engineering team, emphasizing the importance of setting clear priorities for the week, especially given the short workweek due to the holidays. Parker also talks about the necessity of communicating effectively with other departments to ensure everyone is aligned on the project's direction. He then moves on to discuss his approach to metric analysis, using various tools to assess the impact of product features on user behavior and revenue. Parker also mentions his use of time management techniques like the Pomodoro Technique and time boxing to stay productive. The paragraph concludes with Parker responding to negative reviews on a new app, adopting a positive and empathetic approach to turn critics into brand advocates. Additionally, he touches on his role in designing mock-ups for a potential partnership, showcasing his versatility in product management.

Keywords

💡Product Manager

A product manager is a professional responsible for guiding the development of a product, from its initial concept to its launch and ongoing improvement. In the video, the narrator identifies as a product manager, and the script revolves around their daily activities, such as planning, research, and communication with engineering teams.

💡Engineering Meeting

An engineering meeting is a gathering where engineers discuss the technical aspects of a project. In the script, the narrator mentions preparing for and attending an engineering meeting to discuss the work plan for the week, emphasizing the importance of clear communication and empathy in understanding customer needs.

💡Rome Research

Rome Research appears to be a tool or platform mentioned in the script, possibly related to market or user research. The narrator discusses receiving an email from the founder of Rome Research about a new feature, indicating its relevance to the product management process.

💡Eating the Frog

The term 'eating the frog' is a metaphor for tackling the most challenging or unpleasant task first thing in the morning. The narrator uses this concept to describe their approach to starting the day by immediately working on the task that's foremost in their mind.

💡Pomodoro Technique

The Pomodoro Technique is a time management method that involves breaking work into intervals, traditionally 25 minutes in length, separated by short breaks. The narrator mentions this technique as a helpful tool for time management during their workday.

💡Time Boxing

Time boxing is a project management method where time is allocated for specific tasks or activities. The narrator refers to time boxing as a strategy for allocating dedicated blocks of time to various tasks, ensuring focused and efficient work sessions.

💡Amplitude

Amplitude is a tool used for product analytics, helping to track user behavior within applications. In the script, the narrator mentions using Amplitude for metric analysis to understand the impact of product releases on user engagement and revenue.

💡Google Analytics

Google Analytics is a web analytics service that tracks and reports website traffic. The narrator includes Google Analytics in their metric analysis toolkit to assess the performance of product features and their effect on user behavior.

💡Power BI

Power BI is a business analytics service by Microsoft that provides interactive visualizations and business intelligence capabilities. The script mentions Power BI as part of the narrator's process for analyzing data and making informed decisions about product development.

💡PRD (Product Requirement Document)

A Product Requirement Document is a detailed report outlining the features, functions, and requirements of a product. The narrator discusses creating a PRD as part of their work to communicate the vision and specifications for new product features to the engineering team.

💡Multi-Menu Support

Multi-menu support refers to the capability of a system to handle multiple menus or sets of options, often used in the context of food ordering platforms. The narrator describes a solution to a client's need for multi-menu support as a way to enhance the user experience and meet the requirements of various restaurants within a marketplace.

Highlights

Introduction to the daily life of a product manager during COVID-19.

The importance of staying away from work emails during breaks but checking in occasionally.

Using the 'eat the frog' technique to tackle the most pressing task first thing in the morning.

The necessity of staying hydrated with water before consuming coffee.

Incorporating journaling to generate new video ideas and staying organized.

Engaging with the founder of Rome Research and exploring new features.

Preparing for and conducting engineering meetings to discuss weekly work plans.

Building friendships with team members and the value of personal connections in a remote work environment.

The significance of clear communication across different departments in product management.

Utilizing tools like Asana for task management and coordination.

Analyzing metrics using various tools to assess the impact of product features on business outcomes.

The Pomodoro Technique and Time Boxing as effective time management strategies.

Addressing negative app reviews by turning critics into brand advocates through empathy and responsiveness.

The role of a product manager in designing solutions and collaborating with designers using tools like Figma.

Creating mock-ups and product requirement documents to communicate solutions effectively.

Identifying win-win solutions that benefit both the client and the broader user base.

Balancing work with personal activities like playing soccer to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

The commitment to producing regular video content and engaging with the audience for feedback.

Transcripts

spent the last five minutes arguing with

one of my best friend engineers kale

i don't care

hey i'm parker and welcome to the

channel i'm a product manager working in

tech which means i make apps and

websites for a living so today i'm going

to be recording and editing the day

in my life of a product manager during

coven

new type of series for me where i

attempt to do some version of what

ali abdal does so bear with me start off

my day around seven

this is my first day back on the job in

over a week we've been on christmas

break

and i've tried really hard to stay away

from my inbox

but of course i checked in occasionally

because i'm a freak and i know that

before i even got here that there's a

few things that i need to get done today

in order to get back on track

there's some planning i'm going to do in

rome research and

before i really get the day going i have

a project in mind so i'm just going to

knock that out

this is called eating the frog weird

right but it's where you immediately do

whatever's on your

mind first thing in the morning and now

that that task is complete

i'm ready for my meeting with

engineering at 10 and i can reward

myself with a nice

coffee now i always always force myself

to have a huge bottle of water before i

have any coffee coffee is a bit of a

diuretic which means it dehydrates you

anyways i'll throw back some vitamins

after that and

now it's about 7 41 so i'll spend the

next 45 minutes going through my journal

and it actually turns out that i came up

with a good video idea

so i end up going ahead and doing that i

just got an email from the founder of

rome research which explained a new

feature i thought was super interesting

now being the nerd that i am i decided

to jump into

final cut grab the camera and make a

quick video explaining how

i use those templates if you're

interested in that feel free to watch

i'll link it in the notes

and after that i get ready for my

engineering meeting i know that that

time is gonna be very important it's a

quick kickoff meeting where we'll

discuss

what we're gonna be working on for the

remainder of the week we only have

wednesday and thursday this week we were

out monday and tuesday or at least i was

and friday is the day after new year or

the actual new year's

day so we won't be in the office so i'm

spending some time here

getting on the phone with a couple of

the engineers because i've actually

grown

great friendships with all the folks

that i work with we're a tiny team

there's only three engineers on site

john mark

cale and myself and we have a few

engineers off-site that we've partnered

with as well

if you want to learn more about how to

partner with engineers off-site leave a

comment below i'd love to make a video

and share that experience with you it

truly is amazing being able to work with

different folks

across the world so once i get a couple

of the guys

on before the actual meeting starts then

i can kind of catch up with them

understand how their break went and

really just have a nice chat with them

before we jump into strictly business

hey look only a small percentage of my

viewers actually

subscribe to this channel so if you like

the video consider subscribing

it's free and you can always undo it

got a lot done that kickoff took way

longer than usual just because

we ended up chatting about holiday and

all that stuff but

what was good is now everyone has

priority on exactly what needs to get

done over the next couple days because

it's a really small amount of time just

two or three days

this week because we started late it's

important that directions provided but

you're not

overbearing you're not micromanaging

you're kind of explaining what we're

doing and why

and bringing in notes about what

customer issues are going on

so that way the engineers can be

empathetic

towards what they're doing and they

really know

why they're doing it now they need to

figure out how next i'm going to go and

communicate that across to all my other

departments

operations sales accounting project

management

and let them know hey this is what we're

doing right now

expect these bugs to roll out on this

date we're still good for

this launch date it's kind of

communicating because that's a big part

of the product management roles

getting that that word out so once i

complete that in asana

i'll go ahead and jump into some metric

analysis

so that's looking at amplitude it's

looking at google analytics

it's looking at power bi it's using some

spreadsheet exercises to

understand how did those releases work

out

so if we launched a feature that

includes photos for

food or photos for restaurants did that

affect the average

subtotal did that affect the conversion

rate for the folks ability to get

through the funnel and order

food was it a positive or a negative

trend how many dollars in revenue did

did it shake out so that's going to be

the exercise i'm going through over the

next probably hour and a half

two hours one thing i wanted to call out

that is super duper helpful for time

management is not only the pomodoro

technique which is working in 25 minute

blocks but

time boxing i know today that i have a

certain amount of things that i need to

get done

as you can see i'll just go ahead and

throw them all on google calendar box

out different blocks of time because i

know

okay cool if i need to do metric

analysis it's going to be an hour and a

half or maybe an hour

or if there's a pitch that i need to

write or a product requirement document

it's probably going to take longer than

that but at least i'll assign like 90

minutes

to it so that that session is dedicated

i also think that there's some power to

working in smaller blocks of time

because if i just say like oh cool five

hours to write a pitch

it's gonna suck like i won't get as much

done parkinson's laws i

think what it's called but yeah try time

boxing so i just spent a few minutes

just responding to negative reviews

on our new app that we dropped so we

dropped a new app in the ios store

it had like 11 new features but then a

couple that were not in there from the

previous version when you look at

negative feedback you don't take it

personally it's actually fuel for your

product

going through all of them trying to

actually flip those haters

into brand evangelists so that they'll

be your biggest fan and the way i'm

doing that is just saying i'm trying to

just kill them with kindness but also

like agree with them and be like hey can

i give you a credit in the meantime i'm

going to fix this for you and make it

personal

um because if they feel like they

actually had impact on it then they're

probably going to order from us again

like imagine if you left a negative

review and you're like hey you should

add this and then they added it

you'd probably go to use that brand

[Music]

all right quick check in uh spent the

last five minutes arguing with one of my

best friend engineers kale on uh

how to empathize with the user it's

really important to empathize with the

user

i don't care

[Music]

that's not what you want to hear 130

designers out of town for holidays

it's a good thing i know how to design

jumping into figma putting together some

some specs there's a partnership that

we're trying to land national

non-national partnership but a really

good partnership so we did the numbers

on it's worth uh

worth it for us to design some custom

stuff for us so

i'm in figma it's been a minute i i have

a designer that i partner with to do

this stuff usually

but we're gonna do like a quick and

dirty set of mock-ups

let's go

okay so for this pitch i just did up all

the

mock-ups myself some drawings now we're

getting the technical solutions

of what actually needs to get coded

what a whirlwind of a day 410 now i got

about two more hours of work than

playing soccer

because that's good for it now it's fun

i have a lot of fun doing it

and yeah so i spent a good chunk of my

day

basically coming up with mock-ups using

figma don't use photoshop

using figma and mock-ups are basically

screens

different solutions that you could have

so it starts in written format

where you're coming up with the solution

you're writing you're really living in

that

problem space so this problem is we

don't have

a good website interface for ordering

food

from a marketplace downtown so this

marketplace has like 20 different

restaurants within it

right now on our app and our website it

doesn't have multi-menu support

so that was the solution that myself and

our lead engineer came up with was to

have multiple menu support so we not

only fulfill the need of that

one big client but also

every other single restaurant that we

have so you want to look for those

win-wins

and yeah i just spent a lot of time kind

of writing up that

document that prd or that pitch and

then designing out what the flows would

look like they're not pixel perfect but

it's really important as a

pm to be able to work with the designers

and give them something

better than like you know scribble on a

notepad not only will it be more helpful

for them

and yourself but you're going to gain

respect from them they're going to say

oh he put this effort in

and then they'll be inspired to take it

to the next level now

i have a call in a few minutes and then

probably just spend the rest of the day

continuing working on

those pitches and i have a video i think

on how to write a pitch if i don't i'll

i'll make one soon that's the day in the

life of a pm

i can wrap this video up and say that

you should have learned a lot or you

could have learned a lot or i hope you

learned a lot in this video

still have a lot to get done like i

mentioned but i won't make you stick

around for it i'm excited to continue

producing

two to maybe even three videos maybe

even three videos a week make sure you

stick around

like the video if this was helpful for

the youtube algorithm there's some pm

somewhere at youtube

that's working on that algorithm and the

like count

helps so every like counts thank you and

then make sure you subscribe to the

channel if you have any questions

send me an email at me at parkerx.com

it's just my name with the word me in

front of it

and shoot me an email i'm gonna start

adding questions to the end of every

single episode i think that's a good way

to

kind of help everybody out and i'll see

in the next video

you