Role of a Product Manager
There is an increased demand for product managers in the mobile app development industry. In fact, the increase is five times more than the combined increase for various other roles. The growth in demand for suitable candidates for mobile product management can be attributed to the fact that the line dividing marketing and product development functions is becoming very thin. Furthermore, enterprises are prioritizing customer experience. While some brands are moving the responsibility of ensuring mobile app experience to marketing from product development, others are not only merging the two functions but also encouraging the departments to work together to ensure the best customer experience.
Responsibilities of a Product Manager
In a small company, the CEO takes on the role of product manager as well. The main responsibility of a product manager is planning. The product manager has to plan the next release of the software, to bring together the elements that enable the proper development of the mobile app and the success of the app in the marketplace. In addition, the product manager is responsible for:
Laying down a product strategy roadmap
Keeping a tab on competitors, customers, and the market to decide how to position the product
Creating requirements documents for the subsequent releases
Supporting the developers in building the product and sales in marketing the product
Overseeing and enabling the creation of user documentation; organizing training; supporting outbound marketing; providing product support; and handling support services, which include release management and quality assurance.
The product manager also acts as a buffer between the mobile app development team and other functional departments in an organization. In a meeting between a customer and a developer, they often become frustrated rather quickly, because the former will often be a non-technical person, while the latter is often a technical person. Besides, both of them speak their own languages. The involvement of the product manager makes it easier for the company and customer to close a deal.
Benefits of Hiring a Product Manager
Product managers will have a clear idea as to what works and what doesn’t. Therefore, the benefits of hiring product managers as part of mobile app development teams are:
As strategic thinkers, they create a clear development and marketing roadmap for products
They enable the development of great products as they know what customers are actually looking for
They often aspire to create great user experiences
They are good at understanding the right metrics, the current baseline, and achieving the goal
Building a mobile app is a collaborative effort, and product managers are experts when it comes to coordinating team activities
Advantages of Agile Product Management
The Agile process redefines the thinking of product managers with respect to planning and building products. Unlike traditional software planning and development, Agile enables a flexible approach. In the Agile approach, products are created in short increments. This enables product managers to adjust the plan accordingly. Having said that, some of the benefits of employing agile product management principles are:
Learning from customers throughout the life cycle of a product
Continuous adjustment of the near-term roadmap to meet customer needs
Delivering value to customers
Responding quickly to changes and new requirements
Collaborating with engineering to deliver work faster
Individuals that want to pursue a career as a product manager in a software development company can enroll in a product management course in India.
Skills Every Successful Product Manager Needs
Product managers need certain skills to be successful in their jobs. They must possess both technical and soft skills. Having said that, the top skills that are expected of product managers include:
Communication skill is essential to interact effectively with team members and various departments
Product managers handling software and app development should possess basic technical knowledge
A basic understanding of business competencies is essential to effectively perform their duties
They need to do extensive market research and determine the type of products their consumers are looking for
Product managers must have analytical skills to effectively interpret data collected through marketing research
Interpersonal skills to effectively influence and lead team members
They must possess good marketing skills to promote the developed products
Delegation skills are important because development teams often include multi-functional team members
Strategic thinking helps them understand the market and decide when and how to launch new products
Product managers must have the ability to prioritize jobs to successfully complete tasks and achieve goals and deadlines
About Zartek Technologies
Zartek Technologies is one of the top mobile application development companies in India. We design and develop mobile and web applications that contribute to enhancing the user experience and help individuals and organizations grow their businesses. In addition to supporting individuals and companies in the development of state-of-the-art products, we help them market them to their target audience.