5 Things To Know Before 'Product Management' Internship By Rinku Stephen

Who is a Product Manager ?

"Product Manager" is one of the hottest jobs of the 21^st Century.  A product manager is the CEO of the assigned product. He decides the what, why and how of the product.  This is a cross functional role and requires working with Engineers, analysts, marketeers and just about everyone in the Organization.

Product Managers Execute and Research!

Product Managers are required to be present across the entire life cycle of the product - ideation, design, implementation, testing, deployment to end users and maintenance. This requires long periods of brainstorming, researching and quiet times just thinking like a potter who takes time to think what he wants before moulding the clay. The stronger your research and ideation, more detailed and less ambiguous will be your product. This will make it easier for the Engineers to develop. However, the duration of your internship might not be long enough to be there for the entire duration but research is the foundation and most important.

Product Management is NOT about Extracting Work from Others

While a product manager has to be a leader in order to keep the team motivated and the project on track, he is  not required to be a "Cowherd" or a "Shepherd". He has to be willing to do the work, come up with creative solutions  and show the team how the work is done. Articulation is very important.

Work hard and Work Harder!!

Nope. A product manager is highly organized and plans their work. It is important for the team and the Manager to balance work and life. Yes, "deadlines are sacrosanct" but by paying attention to details from Day 1 and scheduling with buffer time, the product manager will be able to mitigate risk and manage. This will also ensure that the team is motivated and you're not seen as a nag.

So.. What are you waiting for? Go nab that role of a Product Manager.. Have the coolest job of the century and party hard..!!