The Product Manager’s Guide to Extraordinary Project Series
Since September of 2007, I have been working on a five part series entitled “The Product Manager’s Guide to Extraordinary Projects”. We’ve had some great feedback on each of the articles and it seems that people really appreciate our insight in regards to managing projects from start to finish. We hope that you find this series exciting and informative. If you like it, speak up and leave a comment with your thoughts.
Below are the five articles in the order that they were published with a brief overview of what you can expect in each:
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First encounter of the client kind
Deciding if a client is a match for your company is not always an easy task. Many companies take anyone and everyone that comes their way. I can understand that, we all have bills to pay. However, if you want to ensure a successful and pleasant work experience for everyone involved, you might have to take a more judicious approach.
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With this contract, I thee web…
At times contracts and contract negotiations can seem tedious and lessen the energy level going into a project, however they are crucial to its success and help protect you and your company if things take a turn for the worst during the project.
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You got the client, now you need a plan
Developing and maintaining a schedule is the single most important function of a Product Manager’s job and plays a HUGE role in the success of a project.
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Back to your future projects
If you want to have extraordinary projects and run a successful business, tracking the time it takes to do project-specific tasks will help you better plan and prepare; not only for this project but for those still to come. Make sure to check out the popular time sheet download as well!
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When things go wrong
A project’s success depends on constant and clear communication between your company and your client. If either party hasn’t properly set expectations it can lead to a lot of confusion and frustration on both sides which can negatively impact the outcome of the project.
Beautiful template!
Interesting and informative articles, but I find it curious that you refer to this as Product Management. In my experience, the type of work you describe is that of a Program Manager or Project Manager. Some of what you talk about even crosses into Account or Relationship Manager territory.
Understand your background as co-owner of a small Web/design shop vs. a working at a product company, but as a Product Manager myself I don’t do almost any of the tasks you discuss. My focus is on understanding customers and competitors and then defining product strategy, functional scope, pricing and market positioning to address customers better than competitors and then tracking progress against appropriate performance metrics.
I work closely with Program Managers, Project Managers and Account/Relationship Managers throughout this process, but they actually have most of the responsibilities you attribute to Product Management.
Not that job titles matter that much as long as you’re successful…
BTW I recommend http://www.pragmaticmarketing.com/ as a good resource for the product management profession.
Excellent advice… very informative!