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.