10 Top Technical Product Manager Skills

Falling under the umbrella of project and program delivery but worthy of a separate callout is risk and issue management. Due to their technical acumen, a TPM can manage risks and issues on a technical project better than someone without a technical background. This is because they likely have experienced risks and issues first-hand in the past and can better predict and manage problems on heavy technical projects or programs.

Once this resource is completed, the product manager should share it with the rest of the development team. If you’re working in scrum development, then the technical product manager would pass the roadmap along to the scrum master. The scrum master would then make suggestions for overcoming potential roadmaps and where they could be more efficient. As we learned in the sections above, an effective technical product manager does not just perform a typical PM’s role. They also have to understand the product’s technical aspects and the audience they serve well. The technical product manager works closely with development teams, system analysts, and technical architects.

User-focused

The research has to be customer-centric and, it’s often the only aspect of a technical product manager’s job that requires them to think outside of the development sphere. At times, market research may suggest one thing while customers might want another. At this point, technical product managers have to devise a solution that appeases both sides while making sure the product vision isn’t compromised. While market research may sound like a job for the product marketing manager, it’s also an essential part of a technical product manager’s job. Technical product managers have a variety of career options and end positions available to them. Depending on preferences or personal goals, technical product managers stay on the technical side of things.

  • The technical product manager role not only needs to understand digital products to create product roadmaps and features but also marketing, pricing, and competitors.
  • He also teaches product and design topics at multiple institutions like Pluralsight.
  • Therefore, a technical product manager must excel at working with engineers, architects, and designers.
  • VPs or vice presidents of technical product management teams are also leaders.
  • Try to understand all the tech components and their lifecycle in building your product.

This includes counseling teams on modifying features to save future expenses and time use. Technical product management is a hybrid role that requires the expertise of https://wizardsdev.com/en/vacancy/product-manager/ an engineer, marketer, and researcher all in one person. It’s a challenging role that requires you to constantly learn new things and stay on top of industry trends.

Lead Product Manager, Supply

Time Management – Time management is intrinsically linked with productivity, which is a default requirement for any workplace. The manager needs to be a good time manager also, both for personal and team performance. They should understand how to make the best use of the team’s time while traversing project milestones and weekly progress updates.

Technical product managers do not step into full positions at first in most cases. As they acquire skills and experience, they rise to acquire more responsibilities and higher salaries. BuiltIn reports $120,149 as the average annual base salary in 2023 for technical product managers. However, relying solely on these individuals may neglect some key areas of product management, ignoring key business, and go-to-market issues. But there are some general demarcations between the two roles relatively common across the profession. A technical product manager (PM) is a product manager with a strong technical background that is typically focused on the more technical aspects of the product.

What Does a Technical Product Manager Do?

A Technical Product Manager is a specialist who manages the technical functions of a product and employs strategic decision-making for ensuring that the product can compete in the open markets. In the traditional sense, product marketing only includes selling the product to the audience, increasing the number of users by presenting the product in an interesting light. Technical writing involves breaking down complex, jargon-heavy product details into easy-to-understand concepts that the board of directors or senior management can understand. However, it’s vital for technical PMs, since they need it to support their hypotheses and projections. A product manager has to explain the product to various people and convince them to sign off on it. PMs in the software development space use tools such as Unbounce and Optimizely to run multiple home page variants, visuals, messaging, CTAs, and more.

The aforementioned SQL will help you collect data from multiple sources according to pre-set filters. After that, it’s just a matter of using tools such as Amplitude and Tableau to convert raw data into engaging visuals. Data competency is an umbrella skill that includes all aspects of handling data. However, in some cases, collecting data to support product-related arguments is a skill in itself. A/B testing is where the managers find the real-world viability and effectiveness of the product. These include Proto.io and Invision, both of which let you create interactive and feature-rich prototypes.

Risk and issue management

UX, UI, and Design Abilities – UX/UI is part of the front-end or the interface design process. The manager must be able to participate in the prototyping phase and create wireframes for the product. All kinds of products begin with a pencil sketch and eventually proceed towards an MVP (Minimum Viable Product). Data Analysis Skills – The manager must be able to think data-wise and make data-backed decisions. It entails understanding data processing, finding relevant patterns, and monitoring defined KPIs for a product.

technical product manager

And, depending on your product management style, operations may come to a halt until the problem is resolved. Becoming a TPM helps if you have an academic background in a technical field like software engineering or have prior experience as a data analyst or developer. However, not having specialized knowledge or prior technical expertise shouldn’t deter you from your aspiration to become a TPM. At a high level, product managers focus on business issues and strategy, worrying much more about what the product should do and the needs it is trying to fill.

However, technical product managers may also work with QA, software development, marketing, sales and customer support to ensure the successful development and performance of a product. One of the key responsibilities of a technical product manager is to communicate technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders, such as executives or customers. They must be able to articulate the technical aspects of the product in a way that is understandable to those without a technical background. Technical product managers must also have a strong understanding of the market and customer needs, as they are responsible for ensuring that the product meets those needs and is competitive in the marketplace.

technical product manager

The technical product manager role can be considered an external-facing role. That isn’t only true for technical product management roles, but also for general product management roles. However, technical product managers usually possess computer science and software engineering skills that allow them to manage engineering and software development teams directly. The technical product manager role not only needs to understand digital products to create product roadmaps and features but also marketing, pricing, and competitors. The job description also entails internal and customer training, as well as technical expertise.

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