Product Vs Project Management

Okay, how many times has this happened? Someone asks you what you do and you tell them you’re a Product Manager and they say, “Oh, so you manage projects?” Grrr, that’s really not fair, the two disciplines don’t really have anything in common. Well wait a minute, maybe they will. No, no, they really are different. Dammit. What is the difference between the two?

Much of the confusion stems from the simple fact that the two works share many things in common. Fear not though, they really are completely different no matter what your friends or boss tell you. In a nutshell, the differences fall into three different categories: scope, execution, and results.

Scope: A project manager has the somewhat enviable benefit of hoping that there are clear boundaries that define what he is responsible for. They are responsible for a project that uses resources, has a schedule, and a clear set of deliverables. A successful product manager, on the other hand, has a less defined job of creating a successful product. The product will be driven not so much by a set of requirements, but rather by a customer need that can be fickle and change over time. A product manager must be able to see through the requirements and determine what the root cause of the customer’s problem is and create a product that solves it.

Execution: The project manager is basically responsible for reporting on the status of the project and has a host of tools to do so. However, the product manager is not responsible for product design. In fact, the product manager does not have to be a subject matter expert: he can manage projects where he knows nothing about the underlying technology. A product manager, on the other hand, desperately needs to know everything about how the product works. They need to know the motivation behind each design decision so they can explain it in non-technical terms to a client. A product manager will need to be able to sell (something a project manager never has to do) his product to others, both internally and externally.

Results: How is a project manager judged? If a product follows a set schedule, delivers what is requested when promised, and does not exceed its budget, then it is considered a success. Basically, the less attention a project attracts, the more successful it is considered to have been. On the other hand, the product manager is expected to have built a product efficiently (similar to a project manager’s project), but has the added burden of having to succeed regardless of whether it is delivered to an internal or external customer. . If the product is a resounding success and receives a lot of vocal praise from the customer, the product manager is considered to have done a good job.

Yes, there are many similarities between the works. However, with all due respect to both project managers and product managers, you can’t change them and expect success. Product management really does require a special set of skills – it’s an art, not a science.