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.

Outlines

00:00

💼 Introduction to Product Management Skills

Liam, a product manager with experience at Google and Microsoft, introduces the video's focus on the technical, business, and UX skills required for product managers. He emphasizes the need for a foundational understanding across UX, business, and engineering, despite not requiring mastery in each. Liam discusses the common misconception that product managers need three master's degrees and instead advocates for a well-rounded knowledge base. He provides a basic definition of a product manager's role and sets the stage for a deeper dive into the necessary skills, promising to cover specifics within the next 10 minutes.

05:00

🛠️ Technical Skills for Product Managers

The segment delves into the technical skills necessary for product managers (PMs). Liam asserts that PMs should understand the feasibility of technology, the effort-impact curve, and be able to answer fundamental questions about internet工作原理, data types, and APIs. He suggests that PMs should be familiar with popular programming languages and their applications, understand the differences between web and native apps, and have a basic comprehension of servers and latency. Liam also advises PMs to collaborate with engineering teams to break down problems and to own the metrics that will gauge product success, recommending against chasing vanity metrics like daily active users.

10:02

📈 Business and Economic Understanding for PMs

This part of the video script addresses the business acumen required for product managers. Liam covers the basics of business economics, including revenue, costs, profit, and EBITDA, and stresses the importance of understanding pricing strategies and monetization models. He also talks about the need to analyze competition and to develop a deep understanding of the market landscape. Emotional intelligence is highlighted as a critical skill, with a recommendation for PMs to be empathetic and to possess strong EQ. The paragraph concludes with advice on storytelling and writing in business presentations, the importance of leadership and influence, and the significance of understanding marketing messages and go-to-market strategies.

🎨 UX and Design Skills for Product Managers

In the final paragraph, Liam discusses the UX and design skills that product managers should possess. He suggests that a basic ability to use tools like Sketch and Figma is sufficient, with the main goal being the ability to create rudimentary app layouts. Understanding UX and UI terminology is emphasized, as is the importance of asking non-biased questions during user research. Liam advises product managers to have a basic understanding of psychological principles and to prioritize empathy. He also stresses that while product managers should be clear on the functional requirements, they should trust designers with the execution of the design, refraining from being overly opinionated on specific design choices.

Keywords

💡Product Manager

A Product Manager is a professional responsible for guiding the development of a product from its inception to its market launch and beyond. In the context of the video, Liam, a Product Manager at Google, emphasizes the multifaceted role that includes understanding business, user experience (UX), and technical aspects. The video discusses the skills required for Product Managers to excel, highlighting the importance of balancing technical knowledge with business acumen and UX design understanding.

💡UX (User Experience)

User Experience (UX) refers to a person's emotions and attitudes towards using a particular product, system, or service. In the video, Liam discusses the necessity for Product Managers to have a basic understanding of UX, including terminology and concepts like affordances and user-centered design. He suggests that Product Managers should be able to use tools like Sketch or Figma to create basic wireframes and understand the user interface (UI) elements.

💡Engineering

Engineering, as discussed in the video, relates to the technical aspects that Product Managers need to grasp. This includes understanding data types, APIs, programming languages, and server functions. Liam mentions that while Product Managers do not need to be engineers, they should be able to communicate effectively with engineering teams and comprehend the technical implications of product decisions.

💡Business Skills

Business skills are essential for Product Managers to understand market dynamics, competition, and monetization strategies. The video outlines the need to comprehend basic business economics, such as revenue, costs, and profit, as well as to develop an understanding of pricing strategies like freemium, ad-supported, pay-to-play, and subscription models. These skills are critical for making informed decisions about product direction and strategy.

💡API (Application Programming Interface)

An API is a set of rules and protocols for building and interacting with software applications. In the video, Liam explains the importance of Product Managers having a basic understanding of APIs, including what they are, their structure, and the need for authentication keys. This knowledge helps in understanding how different software components interact and the technical feasibility of product features.

💡Data Types

Data types refer to the classification of data items, such as integers, strings, and floating-point numbers, which dictate what operations can be performed on the data. The video script mentions that Product Managers should have a basic understanding of data types to communicate effectively with technical teams and to grasp the technical implications of data storage and manipulation in product development.

💡Programming Languages

Programming languages are the languages used to instruct computers to perform specific tasks. Liam suggests that Product Managers should be aware of popular programming languages and their applications, even if they do not need to code themselves. This knowledge helps in understanding the technical constraints and possibilities when developing software products.

💡Metrics

Metrics in the context of product management refer to the quantitative measurements used to track the performance and success of a product. The video emphasizes the importance of Product Managers understanding and owning the metrics that are relevant to their product's goals. This includes distinguishing between health metrics, success metrics, and progress metrics to effectively measure and communicate product performance.

💡Competition

Understanding competition is crucial for Product Managers as it helps in positioning the product in the market and identifying areas of differentiation. In the video, Liam talks about the importance of analyzing competitors, such as Apple Maps and Bing Maps for Google Maps, to understand their strengths and weaknesses and to develop a competitive advantage.

💡Emotional Intelligence

Emotional Intelligence (EQ) refers to the ability to recognize, understand, and manage both one's own emotions and those of others. The video underscores the significance of EQ for Product Managers, as it is vital for effective communication, empathy, and leadership. Liam suggests that having a high level of empathy is a key trait for success in product management.

💡Storytelling

Storytelling in product management is the art of presenting information in a way that engages and persuades others. The video mentions the importance of Product Managers being able to create compelling narratives around product features and strategies. This skill is crucial for influencing stakeholders, securing buy-in, and effectively communicating the product vision.

Highlights

Product managers need a blend of technical, business, and UX skills.

Understanding the basics of the internet and data types is crucial for PMs.

Product managers should have a basic understanding of APIs and programming languages.

Knowing the differences between web apps and native apps is important.

Product managers should be able to break down problems into high-level solutions.

Understanding and tracking the right metrics is key for product success.

Always stay curious and learn about technical trends.

SQL knowledge is essential for product managers to query and analyze data.

Avoid using buzzwords without understanding their context.

Product managers should be able to draw basic system diagrams.

Business skills include understanding revenue, costs, profit, and EBITDA.

Knowledge of pricing strategies and monetization models is necessary.

Understanding competition and developing substantial advantages for your product is vital.

Emotional intelligence and empathy are critical for product managers.

Storytelling and writing skills are important for presenting product ideas.

Leadership and the ability to influence without authority are key traits for PMs.

Product managers should understand the marketing message and go-to-market strategy.

Basic UX and design skills, such as using Sketch or Figma, are necessary.

Understanding UX terminology and concepts is important, but execution should be left to designers.

Product managers should ask non-biased questions during user research.

Having empathy for users and collaborators defines a great product manager.

You don't need three master's degrees to be a great product manager; this video provides a comprehensive guide.

Transcripts

hi everyone my name is liam i'm a

product manager at google i was a

program manager at microsoft and i've

founded a few startups in the past so

today we're going to be talking about

what technical business and ux skills do

product managers need let's dive into it

so let's start with a refresher what is

a product manager right like let's just

go back to the basics quickly and just

do a quick recap

so a product manager is three parts

right you have ux business and

engineering and pms are the little

purple spot in this diagram that are

smack in the middle pms are here

and i've had this conversation way too

many times right so so this is the

conversation that i get with my friends

with people that are interested in

becoming product managers my linkedin

inbox is it goes exactly like this right

so

so you're saying i need three master's

degrees in each category ux business and

edge that seems like too much and my

reply is like well no not really but you

need to know each category pretty well

um and then the immediate reply is well

liam that doesn't really help me i need

specifics how deep do i need to go in

each one of these categories

to be a very good product manager and

that's we're going to talk about today

so let's take the next 10 minutes or

less ideally less and dive into the

technical business and ux skills

required to be a great product manager

so what technical skills does a pm need

let's start with the tech side right you

need to know what's possible you need to

kind of have a basic understanding of

the impact to effort curve in your head

so i'd say you need to be able to answer

these questions right like how does the

internet work at a high level can you

diagram it and here's a crude diagram

that i just quickly drew up on my ipad

of how the internet works when you type

in www.whatever.com

it's going to the wi-fi router which

goes to a comcast switch which goes to a

dns lookup to convert to an ip address

which goes to amazon blah right like

something like this go google it you'll

find a much better version of this but

this is kind of what you're looking for

and you should be able to do also an

understanding of how deed is stored at a

high level right like what are some data

types what's a string integer double

floating point file types and here's a

quick diagram of maybe some types right

so i'll be able to to kind of list

things out of what's an integer well

it's like 10 or 1. it's not like 2.7

right the decimal point there uh what

scenario would you use each of these in

for example an integer maybe you'd store

how many views this video got hopefully

it's a lot

a double is like a 2.7 2.5 you have a

decimal maybe it's at the average star

rating for your favorite restaurant

google maps a slight bias because i work

on that product right but a string right

like that that would be my name on that

would be your name that's the first name

of a user just understanding these

concepts and these data types is super

important and i've already given you a

head start here i would try to

understand what an api

is right i'm not going to spoil it for

you go google it application programming

interface what does it look like what

does it do why do you need a key to

authenticate with an api just a basic

understanding of what that is i would

also try to understand a few programming

languages not how to build with them but

what they're used for right like you

would not use swift to write an html

front-end web page uh you would not use

java to write an iphone app right like

there's kind of

there's specialties for programming

languages i would try to see what the

top programming languages are i'm going

to link below the stack overflow

developer survey for 2022.

i i forget which year it was that shows

the most popular programming languages

that developers are using right now i

would understand what they're good for

what is an app

right this is such a

hypothetical thing but what is a client

what are the trade-offs between web apps

versus native apps and i'm giving you

again a nice little diagram a little bit

of a cheat sheet i keep pointing this

direction but it's actually going to be

over here so you can see there's a

native app you use swift it's downloaded

on the device as opposed to a web app

which is a cached react maybe html you

know type of thing that you just you

pull as soon as you type in www.x.com

they all connect to an api and the api

is using some node.js service

potentially in the back end right so

understanding these concepts and what

i'm talking about here is going to be

super important and it's easily

googleable right so just search on the

internet what these words mean if you

don't quite understand them read the two

first sentences on wikipedia and you're

done and finally i'd also try to

understand what a server is what what is

servers what do they do what is latency

how do you build servers right where do

you rent them what do they cost right so

these are kind of the questions i would

be asking and just have that general

curiosity for the topics that i just

laid out also i'd recommend for the

technical side to be able to break down

you know with help from your engineering

team a problem into smaller high-level

solutions right so breaking down

problems into smaller things that's very

basic thing i would recommend having the

ability to own which metrics you're

going to track and fully understand the

difference between a health metric

success metric progress metric whatever

it is but my advice and rule of thumb is

it's never daily active users that's

never your answer don't go after that

look for specific metrics that'll

actually help you achieve your goals

as a product manager metrics are the way

you're going to track success and you'll

be graded upon those metrics as well so

you should really understand how they're

calculated and how to calculate them

yourself finally always be learning

always be curious about technical trends

read tech news sites go on stack

overflow just look around for answers

and questions see the most popular repos

on github what's the open source

community doing maybe you even take an

intro to a computer science course

online only do a free one there's a

bunch by harvard and stanford great

universities that are linked below and

like my rule of thumb is don't pay for

this stuff there's so much free content

like this on the internet you need to

understand why a technical decision was

made and you can talk to your engineers

to learn more about the specifics but

you should be able to understand the

trade-offs that you made to come to that

decision while you don't need to know

any programming languages i will say the

one thing you should understand is sql

or aquarian language that's equivalent

to it you need to understand how to get

your own data sometimes your data

science team your analyst team won't be

available you need to be able to query

it and get your hands dirty i don't know

the expression whatever to figure it out

yourself i would also avoid unicorn

thoughts right i call them unicorn

thoughts i don't know what the right

word is but buzzwords

don't use ai blockchain ml if you don't

know what they mean or they're not

actually useful in this context it just

looks very bad don't do it

and like the diagrams that i've been

showing be able to draw those diagrams

with some confidence right be able to

draw the boxes that point to the other

boxes and and see how it all works

together you don't need to know the

specifics on how each box works but know

the diagram and the architecture you can

have an opinion on long-term features

but i would really say don't have an

opinion on specific technologies right

your job as a product manager is

determine why we're doing it and kind of

what we're doing but not how we're going

to get there specifically leave that to

the engineers they're the experts

honestly my rule of thumb is you've gone

too far if you're considered to be the

best engineer while you're being a

product manager i would say you've gone

way too technical right so just do what

i've outlined here and i think that is

more than enough all right so enough

with the technical that was the longest

section what business skills do you need

as a product manager so you need to

understand the basics of business

economics right what is revenue what are

costs what is profit what is ebitda

here's a cheat sheet that shows you all

of those definitions but you can also

google them just knowing these basic

definitions and what they do is super

important i would also try to understand

pricing strategies and monetization

right freemium ad supported pay-to-play

subscription here a couple notes that i

took right like freemium we're thinking

clash of clans or after light one of my

favorite like photo editing apps ad

supported we're thinking instagram it's

google search there's ads and that's how

they make money pay-to-play that's just

a one-time upfront fee like procreate or

when you buy like a license of windows

and then subscriptions thinking you know

netflix spotify things like that where

you're paying every month

for as long as you use the service you

need to understand competition and you

need to develop substantial advantages

to your product and understand how and

why your competitors succeed or failed

for example i'm a product manager at

google i work on google maps so i'm

looking at apple maps i'm looking at

bing maps i'm looking at competitors in

other countries that's what's really

important to me and understanding the

landscape of competition also i want to

emphasize emotional intelligence it's

super critical to being a product

manager having a lot of empathy having a

lot of eq i'm going to put a youtube

video below that summarizes this very

well i will do a very bad job of

summarizing it but just look into that

it's very important to be a great

product manager so here are two words

that as a product manager you're thrown

out a lot especially on the business

side is storytelling and writing so do

your presentations like each slide have

a purpose so does your story have a

problem solution landing launching right

do you get people excited when you talk

about a problem it would look at all of

those things to gauge if you're good at

storytelling and writing so and honestly

i don't know what the exact definition

is and i feel like most people just make

up the definition but i would look at

those as being a gauge of doing good at

that you need to be a leader and have

the ability to convince others that the

problem that you found is worth chasing

and it is the biggest of the problems

right the influencing without power is

by definition being a product manager

and it just is a good thing in general

to practice you need to understand the

marketing message and potential go-to

market of your product how are consumers

or business people or companies going to

take the message of why your product is

the best product in the world i would be

thinking about the marketing side of

things early on and how you're going to

position it and honestly this is like

really high level kind of buzzwordy

stuff like how to position yourself in

the market uh you can google it to find

better guides on this but just think

about like are people going to resonate

with what you're saying and what you're

producing that's kind of it and again to

reiterate where you should be

opinionated and where you should kind of

back off i would say here you should be

very opinionated on the strategy and the

long-term vision that is your job as a

product manager that's what people are

looking to you for in terms of specific

skills like legal skills finance the

marketing and advertising folks on like

buying facebook ads or whatever it is uh

they're gonna know best i wouldn't push

against them too hard now to what ux and

design skills does a product manager

need we're almost there we're almost to

the end here you should be able to use

sketch and

probably figma now

at a surface level the rule of thumb is

if you can make gray boxes look somewhat

like an iphone app then i think you're

doing fine that's exactly what you need

to do i wouldn't go any more high

fidelity than that you need to have a

basic understanding of terminology in

terms of user experience and ui what's a

button what's a label what's a text box

what's a menu uh again google all these

things and in terms of like what does

the sketches look like you can either

hand draw them you can use boxes on

figma but this is kind of the the

fidelity level that i think we're

looking for here as a product manager

this is google maps right it's a search

bar and a map being able to understand

what a button is a text box a label um a

menu right kind of this terminology

that's gonna be very helpful but if you

can draw this stuff i think you're doing

pretty good so i would understand these

kind of ux slash design concepts uh

again just google them what is an

affordance what what is kind of

user-centered design what is a critical

user journey understanding the concept

behind it and the rationale for it super

critical but you don't need to go too

deep another thing that i see a lot of

product managers

and just people in general is to ask

non-biased questions to people using

your product uh right just know how to

conduct decent user research um don't

push what you want to be right

understand what happens kind of the

basics of that uh maybe you know you

could do some googling to try and figure

out what are actual good questions to

ask users having a basic understanding

of psychology and just focusing on

empathy and having empathy for other

people and your users and your your

partners and your collaborators whoever

it may be that's pretty much the

definition of being a great product

manager is having an incredible amount

of empathy i can't stress this enough go

look this stuff up and as a great

product manager i would suggest not

being opinionated on much here great

designers will likely know the best way

to build something they're going to

understand how people work the flows

that people go through

the buttons that people use whatever it

may be the actual execution of that

design better than anyone else so i

would kind of leave your opinions on the

table here you can be opinionated on the

requirements uh from the functionality

and the feature set but the execution of

how that's going to look and manifest i

would stay away from that and let your

incredible designers do their best work

so finally to answer the question of do

you need three master's degrees in all

three of these categories to be a great

product manager the answer is no you

just need to watch this video

and now i can reply to all of your dms

saying well here's the video share with

people that are asking the same question

we've gone over today the engineering

skills the business skills and the ux

skills required to be a great product

manager and hopefully you found it

useful

thanks again subscribe share this out to

people that are asking the same question

and thank you so much for watching today

it means so much to me

have a great day