- Blog Categories
- Software Development Projects and Ideas
- 12 Computer Science Project Ideas
- 28 Beginner Software Projects
- Top 10 Engineering Project Ideas
- Top 10 Easy Final Year Projects
- Top 10 Mini Projects for Engineers
- 25 Best Django Project Ideas
- Top 20 MERN Stack Project Ideas
- Top 12 Real Time Projects
- Top 6 Major CSE Projects
- 12 Robotics Projects for All Levels
- Java Programming Concepts
- Abstract Class in Java and Methods
- Constructor Overloading in Java
- StringBuffer vs StringBuilder
- Java Identifiers: Syntax & Examples
- Types of Variables in Java Explained
- Composition in Java: Examples
- Append in Java: Implementation
- Loose Coupling vs Tight Coupling
- Integrity Constraints in DBMS
- Different Types of Operators Explained
- Career and Interview Preparation in IT
- Top 14 IT Courses for Jobs
- Top 20 Highest Paying Languages
- 23 Top CS Interview Q&A
- Best IT Jobs without Coding
- Software Engineer Salary in India
- 44 Agile Methodology Interview Q&A
- 10 Software Engineering Challenges
- Top 15 Tech's Daily Life Impact
- 10 Best Backends for React
- Cloud Computing Reference Models
- Web Development and Security
- Find Installed NPM Version
- Install Specific NPM Package Version
- Make API Calls in Angular
- Install Bootstrap in Angular
- Use Axios in React: Guide
- StrictMode in React: Usage
- 75 Cyber Security Research Topics
- Top 7 Languages for Ethical Hacking
- Top 20 Docker Commands
- Advantages of OOP
- Data Science Projects and Applications
- 42 Python Project Ideas for Beginners
- 13 Data Science Project Ideas
- 13 Data Structure Project Ideas
- 12 Real-World Python Applications
- Python Banking Project
- Data Science Course Eligibility
- Association Rule Mining Overview
- Cluster Analysis in Data Mining
- Classification in Data Mining
- KDD Process in Data Mining
- Data Structures and Algorithms
- Binary Tree Types Explained
- Binary Search Algorithm
- Sorting in Data Structure
- Binary Tree in Data Structure
- Binary Tree vs Binary Search Tree
- Recursion in Data Structure
- Data Structure Search Methods: Explained
- Binary Tree Interview Q&A
- Linear vs Binary Search
- Priority Queue Overview
- Python Programming and Tools
- Top 30 Python Pattern Programs
- List vs Tuple
- Python Free Online Course
- Method Overriding in Python
- Top 21 Python Developer Skills
- Reverse a Number in Python
- Switch Case Functions in Python
- Info Retrieval System Overview
- Reverse a Number in Python
- Real-World Python Applications
- Data Science Careers and Comparisons
- Data Analyst Salary in India
- Data Scientist Salary in India
- Free Excel Certification Course
- Actuary Salary in India
- Data Analyst Interview Guide
- Pandas Interview Guide
- Tableau Filters Explained
- Data Mining Techniques Overview
- Data Analytics Lifecycle Phases
- Data Science Vs Analytics Comparison
- Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Projects
- Exciting IoT Project Ideas
- 16 Exciting AI Project Ideas
- 45+ Interesting ML Project Ideas
- Exciting Deep Learning Projects
- 12 Intriguing Linear Regression Projects
- 13 Neural Network Projects
- 5 Exciting Image Processing Projects
- Top 8 Thrilling AWS Projects
- 12 Engaging AI Projects in Python
- NLP Projects for Beginners
- Concepts and Algorithms in AIML
- Basic CNN Architecture Explained
- 6 Types of Regression Models
- Data Preprocessing Steps
- Bagging vs Boosting in ML
- Multinomial Naive Bayes Overview
- Gini Index for Decision Trees
- Bayesian Network Example
- Bayes Theorem Guide
- Top 10 Dimensionality Reduction Techniques
- Neural Network Step-by-Step Guide
- Technical Guides and Comparisons
- Make a Chatbot in Python
- Compute Square Roots in Python
- Permutation vs Combination
- Image Segmentation Techniques
- Generative AI vs Traditional AI
- AI vs Human Intelligence
- Random Forest vs Decision Tree
- Neural Network Overview
- Perceptron Learning Algorithm
- Selection Sort Algorithm
- Career and Practical Applications in AIML
- AI Salary in India Overview
- Biological Neural Network Basics
- Top 10 AI Challenges
- Production System in AI
- Top 8 Raspberry Pi Alternatives
- Top 8 Open Source Projects
- 14 Raspberry Pi Project Ideas
- 15 MATLAB Project Ideas
- Top 10 Python NLP Libraries
- Naive Bayes Explained
- Digital Marketing Projects and Strategies
- 10 Best Digital Marketing Projects
- 17 Fun Social Media Projects
- Top 6 SEO Project Ideas
- Digital Marketing Case Studies
- Coca-Cola Marketing Strategy
- Nestle Marketing Strategy Analysis
- Zomato Marketing Strategy
- Monetize Instagram Guide
- Become a Successful Instagram Influencer
- 8 Best Lead Generation Techniques
- Digital Marketing Careers and Salaries
- Digital Marketing Salary in India
- Top 10 Highest Paying Marketing Jobs
- Highest Paying Digital Marketing Jobs
- SEO Salary in India
- Brand Manager Salary in India
- Content Writer Salary Guide
- Digital Marketing Executive Roles
- Career in Digital Marketing Guide
- Future of Digital Marketing
- MBA in Digital Marketing Overview
- Digital Marketing Techniques and Channels
- 9 Types of Digital Marketing Channels
- Top 10 Benefits of Marketing Branding
- 100 Best YouTube Channel Ideas
- YouTube Earnings in India
- 7 Reasons to Study Digital Marketing
- Top 10 Digital Marketing Objectives
- 10 Best Digital Marketing Blogs
- Top 5 Industries Using Digital Marketing
- Growth of Digital Marketing in India
- Top Career Options in Marketing
- Interview Preparation and Skills
- 73 Google Analytics Interview Q&A
- 56 Social Media Marketing Q&A
- 78 Google AdWords Interview Q&A
- Top 133 SEO Interview Q&A
- 27+ Digital Marketing Q&A
- Digital Marketing Free Course
- Top 9 Skills for PPC Analysts
- Movies with Successful Social Media Campaigns
- Marketing Communication Steps
- Top 10 Reasons to Be an Affiliate Marketer
- Career Options and Paths
- Top 25 Highest Paying Jobs India
- Top 25 Highest Paying Jobs World
- Top 10 Highest Paid Commerce Job
- Career Options After 12th Arts
- Top 7 Commerce Courses Without Maths
- Top 7 Career Options After PCB
- Best Career Options for Commerce
- Career Options After 12th CS
- Top 10 Career Options After 10th
- 8 Best Career Options After BA
- Projects and Academic Pursuits
- 17 Exciting Final Year Projects
- Top 12 Commerce Project Topics
- Top 13 BCA Project Ideas
- Career Options After 12th Science
- Top 15 CS Jobs in India
- 12 Best Career Options After M.Com
- 9 Best Career Options After B.Sc
- 7 Best Career Options After BCA
- 22 Best Career Options After MCA
- 16 Top Career Options After CE
- Courses and Certifications
- 10 Best Job-Oriented Courses
- Best Online Computer Courses
- Top 15 Trending Online Courses
- Top 19 High Salary Certificate Courses
- 21 Best Programming Courses for Jobs
- What is SGPA? Convert to CGPA
- GPA to Percentage Calculator
- Highest Salary Engineering Stream
- 15 Top Career Options After Engineering
- 6 Top Career Options After BBA
- Job Market and Interview Preparation
- Why Should You Be Hired: 5 Answers
- Top 10 Future Career Options
- Top 15 Highest Paid IT Jobs India
- 5 Common Guesstimate Interview Q&A
- Average CEO Salary: Top Paid CEOs
- Career Options in Political Science
- Top 15 Highest Paying Non-IT Jobs
- Cover Letter Examples for Jobs
- Top 5 Highest Paying Freelance Jobs
- Top 10 Highest Paying Companies India
- Career Options and Paths After MBA
- 20 Best Careers After B.Com
- Career Options After MBA Marketing
- Top 14 Careers After MBA In HR
- Top 10 Highest Paying HR Jobs India
- How to Become an Investment Banker
- Career Options After MBA - High Paying
- Scope of MBA in Operations Management
- Best MBA for Working Professionals India
- MBA After BA - Is It Right For You?
- Best Online MBA Courses India
- MBA Project Ideas and Topics
- 11 Exciting MBA HR Project Ideas
- Top 15 MBA Project Ideas
- 18 Exciting MBA Marketing Projects
- MBA Project Ideas: Consumer Behavior
- What is Brand Management?
- What is Holistic Marketing?
- What is Green Marketing?
- Intro to Organizational Behavior Model
- Tech Skills Every MBA Should Learn
- Most Demanding Short Term Courses MBA
- MBA Salary, Resume, and Skills
- MBA Salary in India
- HR Salary in India
- Investment Banker Salary India
- MBA Resume Samples
- Sample SOP for MBA
- Sample SOP for Internship
- 7 Ways MBA Helps Your Career
- Must-have Skills in Sales Career
- 8 Skills MBA Helps You Improve
- Top 20+ SAP FICO Interview Q&A
- MBA Specializations and Comparative Guides
- Why MBA After B.Tech? 5 Reasons
- How to Answer 'Why MBA After Engineering?'
- Why MBA in Finance
- MBA After BSc: 10 Reasons
- Which MBA Specialization to choose?
- Top 10 MBA Specializations
- MBA vs Masters: Which to Choose?
- Benefits of MBA After CA
- 5 Steps to Management Consultant
- 37 Must-Read HR Interview Q&A
- Fundamentals and Theories of Management
- What is Management? Objectives & Functions
- Nature and Scope of Management
- Decision Making in Management
- Management Process: Definition & Functions
- Importance of Management
- What are Motivation Theories?
- Tools of Financial Statement Analysis
- Negotiation Skills: Definition & Benefits
- Career Development in HRM
- Top 20 Must-Have HRM Policies
- Project and Supply Chain Management
- Top 20 Project Management Case Studies
- 10 Innovative Supply Chain Projects
- Latest Management Project Topics
- 10 Project Management Project Ideas
- 6 Types of Supply Chain Models
- Top 10 Advantages of SCM
- Top 10 Supply Chain Books
- What is Project Description?
- Top 10 Project Management Companies
- Best Project Management Courses Online
- Salaries and Career Paths in Management
- Project Manager Salary in India
- Average Product Manager Salary India
- Supply Chain Management Salary India
- Salary After BBA in India
- PGDM Salary in India
- Top 7 Career Options in Management
- CSPO Certification Cost
- Why Choose Product Management?
- Product Management in Pharma
- Product Design in Operations Management
- Industry-Specific Management and Case Studies
- Amazon Business Case Study
- Service Delivery Manager Job
- Product Management Examples
- Product Management in Automobiles
- Product Management in Banking
- Sample SOP for Business Management
- Video Game Design Components
- Top 5 Business Courses India
- Free Management Online Course
- SCM Interview Q&A
- Fundamentals and Types of Law
- Acceptance in Contract Law
- Offer in Contract Law
- 9 Types of Evidence
- Types of Law in India
- Introduction to Contract Law
- Negotiable Instrument Act
- Corporate Tax Basics
- Intellectual Property Law
- Workmen Compensation Explained
- Lawyer vs Advocate Difference
- Law Education and Courses
- LLM Subjects & Syllabus
- Corporate Law Subjects
- LLM Course Duration
- Top 10 Online LLM Courses
- Online LLM Degree
- Step-by-Step Guide to Studying Law
- Top 5 Law Books to Read
- Why Legal Studies?
- Pursuing a Career in Law
- How to Become Lawyer in India
- Career Options and Salaries in Law
- Career Options in Law India
- Corporate Lawyer Salary India
- How To Become a Corporate Lawyer
- Career in Law: Starting, Salary
- Career Opportunities: Corporate Law
- Business Lawyer: Role & Salary Info
- Average Lawyer Salary India
- Top Career Options for Lawyers
- Types of Lawyers in India
- Steps to Become SC Lawyer in India
- Tutorials
- C Tutorials
- Recursion in C: Fibonacci Series
- Checking String Palindromes in C
- Prime Number Program in C
- Implementing Square Root in C
- Matrix Multiplication in C
- Understanding Double Data Type
- Factorial of a Number in C
- Structure of a C Program
- Building a Calculator Program in C
- Compiling C Programs on Linux
- Java Tutorials
- Handling String Input in Java
- Determining Even and Odd Numbers
- Prime Number Checker
- Sorting a String
- User-Defined Exceptions
- Understanding the Thread Life Cycle
- Swapping Two Numbers
- Using Final Classes
- Area of a Triangle
- Skills
- Software Engineering
- JavaScript
- Data Structure
- React.js
- Core Java
- Node.js
- Blockchain
- SQL
- Full stack development
- Devops
- NFT
- BigData
- Cyber Security
- Cloud Computing
- Database Design with MySQL
- Cryptocurrency
- Python
- Digital Marketings
- Advertising
- Influencer Marketing
- Search Engine Optimization
- Performance Marketing
- Search Engine Marketing
- Email Marketing
- Content Marketing
- Social Media Marketing
- Display Advertising
- Marketing Analytics
- Web Analytics
- Affiliate Marketing
- MBA
- MBA in Finance
- MBA in HR
- MBA in Marketing
- MBA in Business Analytics
- MBA in Operations Management
- MBA in International Business
- MBA in Information Technology
- MBA in Healthcare Management
- MBA In General Management
- MBA in Agriculture
- MBA in Supply Chain Management
- MBA in Entrepreneurship
- MBA in Project Management
- Management Program
- Consumer Behaviour
- Supply Chain Management
- Financial Analytics
- Introduction to Fintech
- Introduction to HR Analytics
- Fundamentals of Communication
- Art of Effective Communication
- Introduction to Research Methodology
- Mastering Sales Technique
- Business Communication
- Fundamentals of Journalism
- Economics Masterclass
- Free Courses
8 Key Skills Required For Product Manager
Updated on 25 November, 2024
9.37K+ views
• 8 min read
In functionality, Product Managers are similar to a microwave (We don’t intend to imply that they’re grilled a lot)
No, but in all seriousness, a microwave can cook, grill, heat – according to what you want it to do. Likewise, product managers are generally found to be extremely diverse in their skill set. Right from technical to interpersonal, managerial to working in a team – these highly talented individuals have most, if not all, of it under their cap.
Apart from being masters of all trades, a product manager is also required to keep himself updated with all the recent happenings of the market. Whether it’s related to the latest technological trends, or regarding the new tools in the market – a product manager has to generally keep his eyes open and thinking caps on at most times.
The product manager is like the constant (C) in an indefinite integral. You think of eliminating it, and you’ll fail the laws of Mathematics (or of productive business, in this case). Product managers, more often than not, are an active part of product development throughout the pipeline – from inception, designing, developing, to finally launching it in the market.
Though the work description and names differ from time and scenarios, for a product manager, the one thing which stays the same is the product success. They all need to deliver a great product, but things don’t turn out to be that way all the time as some fail, some struggle, and some survive.
Check out our management programs to upskill yourself.
That should tell you all about the skills required to be a product manager, correct?
No?
Of course not. That was a very vague (but accurate) description of a product manager’s skills.
Worry not, if you’re with us, we’ll take you through.
Getting to the point.
What are the skills required to be a product manager?
#1 Strategic Thinking
After setting the product’s goals and key initiatives, the product manager needs to realize the higher-level vision. This starts with asking the right questions and then understanding the market and competition. This is where the product managers need to establish what they want to achieve and how they would reach there – the product roadmap building. All the above formulation and strategy making also requires prioritizing data and having good depth of knowledge over Beta Testing, marketing, audience segmentation, SWOT Analysis, and more.
#2 Excellent Oratory Skills
Keeping a lot of people in the loop, adjusting their language as per the audience – from customers and sales personnel to marketing and finance – product managers coordinate with both the internal and external stakeholders throughout the product life cycle. This requires a higher level of expertise in multiple fields. For example: even if the product manager isn’t an engineer, he needs to have just the right knowledge to understand the product’s design, composition, and applications. He also needs to work with the marketing specialist to extract valuable insights from the market data and predict the costs of the product. To achieve all of this, the oratory skills of any product manager needs to be extremely lucid.
#3 Neat Negotiation Skills
As discussed earlier, a product manager works with teams, both internally and externally, of varied domains. Tech, Marketing, Sales, HR – the product manager is generally found shaking hands with each of them. Since he’s the manager, he needs to get work done. To get that done efficiently requires good negotiation skills.
Whether it’s about finding the cheapest solution to a problem or hiring the cheapest agency/freelancer to get some work done – a product manager is expected to seamlessly handle all of it. Without knowing the proper way of dealing with things to get work done, a product manager will face certain challenges along his journey. It gets smooth if you know how to negotiate your way through the potholes!
#4 Analytical & Resourceful
Product managers are valued for their meaningful analysis, problem-solving with holistic approaches. These mini-CEOs can guide the direction of content, UI, development, marketing, as well as visualize the outcomes at both macro and micro scales. There are several industry leaders who have revealed that they hire product managers who have a substantial background in Design, Marketing, Engineering, Statistics, Sociology, Psychology, etc. to make the entire team understand when to pay attention to matters and when to leave it alone and when to wait it out for self-correction in the system.
upGrad’s Exclusive Product Management Webinar for you –
How to craft GTM Strategy for a Product?
#5 Practicing Empathy
As a product manager, you need to be at ease as you meditate through varied skill set like data analysis, communication, the psychology of the users, market research, etc. At each step, you’d need to understand and weigh down the opinions of the stakeholders and the customer’s requirements. Even though these customers are absent during the entire process physically, they are the biggest virtual stakeholder whose opinions hold high relevance for the product to come out successful. Such long sightedness requires empathy as it helps in identifying and analyzing the views expressed by both the creators and the users of the product to deliver exactly what the world needs from your product at that time!
#6 Amazing Attention to Detail
A good product manager can spot the possibilities where others would have seen it nothing more than a wasteland. For the continually changing vision due to the feedback and its responses received by the client/team members, the product managers are responsible for all the intricacies and accepting all the information that may go against his assumptions. Product Managers have an art of interpreting and visualizing data like an expert. They assemble their observations after listening carefully, observing keenly without prejudices and figuring out the most effective way to address everything one step after another.
#7 The “fight, not flight” outlook
To be a successful product manager, you need to have the conviction to say NO many times instead of succumbing to the scenarios. As products are built with limited resources, time and a barrage of ideas, the product managers are inherently tied to the success of the products and can deliver more than anyone else. Therefore they need to keep looking for ideas and the product strategy and users should determine what features would come next.
#8 Long-sightedness
A good product manager can forecast the approximate benefits of the product and could easily do so by applying past experiences and leveraging comparable benchmarks. They also help to measure interest once projects are launched and factor those learnings into future prioritization and forecasts. The product manager sets the vision, and through profound observation, derives meaningful products that can solve real-time customer problems.
Study Product Management Courses online from the World’s top Universities. Earn Masters, Executive PGP, or Advanced Certificate Programs to fast-track your career.
Conclusion
This list touches on the significant roles that a product manager fills in the value that a product manager brings into an organization and to be one of the 10% of product managers. To achieve the same, the product manager needs to be master of each skill category and requires an immense amount of unique focus and expertise right from the beginning of the product’s lifecycle – from creation to sunset.
If you are highly intrigued by what you read, you can enroll in the Post Graduate Certificate in Product Management offered by upGrad. The certification program delivered by experts will help you kickstart your career to be a successful product manager.
Explore our Popular Management Programs
Top Management Skills to Learn
Our Top Management Articles
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Should a product manager know how to carry out testing?
The chief duty of a product manager is to make sure that clients are delivered the right quality and value through products that are undergoing development under their management. To ascertain the best quality, the product must undergo rigorous testing, for which organizations have dedicated teams. Product managers are not usually involved in testing from the very start of the phase. They are required for involvement during acceptance testing that takes place right before the product goes live. However, in some instances, product managers might be needed to take part in testing throughout the development cycle. This helps save last-minute surprises or delays in launching products.
2. What does the daily work schedule of project managers look like?
Project managers are engaged in myriad work activities daily that mainly involve dealing with different teams across the organizational hierarchies. A project manager has to go through a daily agenda of monitoring and tracking the progress of different projects, attending meetings with various stakeholders, and resolving blockages that hinder work progress. They have countless meetings to attend and must also be proactive in deciding action plans for the project teams they supervise. Project managers have to scan through hundreds of emails every day and address them. These are the primary tasks - there are many other activities that they also have to accomplish daily.
3. Should a product manager know how to design a product?
It is not mandatory for product managers to learn how to design. However, they must be able to appreciate the fundamentals of product design. While it is optional for them to have deep expertise in design aspects like color theory, they should understand how color codes influence user experience. Preferably, a product manager should have a basic design intuition, understand design techniques, and offer feedback whenever necessary. This will also help them prepare inclusive workflows and help them appreciate business goals better.
RELATED PROGRAMS