Product Manager and Product Owner
No matter if you’re new to the industry or have been working for a while, it is common to see professionals confuse the role of Product Managers and Owners. That may happen because both positions work around a common goal: guaranteeing the success of a product. However, they have essentially different tasks, and, in the right context, can work in harmony to achieve a company’s objectives.
Product Managers are responsible for the big picture. They work closely with other company areas to look at the market and find out what consumers want and need, using those insights to build a roadmap for development. For example, if the company introduced a new feature, but users aren’t using it, Managers pair with the marketing department, to try to find out why –do people not know how to use it? did it not fulfill their needs? or are they simply not interested in it?-- From there, they redesign the roadmap of the next product version so it better speaks to consumers.
Managers’ main tasks include defining priorities, budgeting, supporting sales and overseeing customer care. In order to do so, they also spend much of their time doing initial research for products, conducting user interviews, getting feedback and looking at data. Ideal personal skills for such a position are being well versed on product design and user experience, working well with data –especially when it comes to key performance indicators–, being a good strategic thinker, communicator and negotiator, staying on top of industry insights, and having a basic business understanding.
In contrast, the responsibilities of Product Owners are much more technical. They focus on the development of the product itself, taking care of the deliverables. Some of this role’s tasks include leading and coordinating teams involved in different parts of the process, participating in testing, speaking with clients and ensuring product requirements are ready to be worked on. They also create user stories and organize demos. The work is usually accomplished using teamwork optimization frameworks –such as Agile and Scrum–, which help to foster collaboration among members.
Somebody looking to get into this position should practice their team communication, management, collaboration, strategic planning and analytical thinking skills. They also shouldn’t be intimidated with the idea of speaking to stakeholders, making decisions under pressure, and should be open to feedback.
When working together, Managers and Owners are in constant communication. The Owner serves as the link between the Manager’s team (which oversees the big picture, long-term planning) and the technical team (which works hands-on, directly developing the product).
While the Manager tells the Owner “we are going to work on a new feature because our clients are interested in x, y, z”, the Owner coordinates the technical team to deliver a feature that fulfills those interests. To do so, they need to understand very well the details and priorities that the Manager’s team sets. This way, they can answer the technical team’s questions and help with any challenges that appear, ensuring the product is delivered efficiently and with quality.
But how do you know when to have a Product Owner, Manager, or both?
That depends on your team’s needs and the product’s phase of development. If all you have is an idea on paper, a Manager’s guidance should be enough, as they will help you draw a roadmap to envision long-term development and think about how to make your idea marketable. On the other hand, if you already have a prototype, a mix of Manager and Owner can be more helpful as you will need more technical guidance to physically develop it.
It’s important to note you don’t necessarily need two people, one entitled Manager and one entitled Owner, to get development done. Rather, you need to make sure members of a team are accomplishing the tasks commonly associated with these positions so development is efficient and of good quality. For a team that works better with a decentralized approach, dividing those tasks among multiple people will probably be the best answer.
If your company needs any help creating these roles or implementing a harmonious and efficient workflow between team members, feel free to contact us at hello@vinoly.tech. We are a fully remote team that specializes in Project and Product Management delivery operations.
