Unraveling the Product Management Career Journey
An overview of the role and responsibilities of a product manager, the career ladder and resources recommended by Colab to help you.
Published on February 24, 2024
In this article, I aim to distil insights garnered from my own journey as a Product Manager, coupled with the feedback I’m receiving through the conversations and interactions I have with other product professionals during my Product Management career journey. I am here to provide an overview of the evolving role and responsibilities of a product manager, the career ladder, the growth of specialised PM roles, and helpful resources recommended by Colab to help you.
For those not acquainted yet, I’m Adam Davis, Co-founder & CEO of Colab Cohorts and with 10+ years in Product at companies like Trade Me, Hootsuite, Rightmove and Productboard.
Brand new to Product Management? John Bowker, lead facilitator for our Product Management Fundamentals Cohort, explains what a Product Manager does in this video.
Product Management Roles and Responsibilities
As we navigate through the nuances of each role, let’s explore the overarching responsibilities that define product management at every level. From product ideation to strategic execution, understanding these responsibilities is key to thriving in the diverse and constantly evolving world of product management. Dive into this resource for an in-depth look.
How do we distinguish Product Manager and Project Manager roles? Sabah Zdanowska, lead facilitator for Product Management Fundamentals in the London timezone, talks about it here:
Breaking Down the Product Management Career Ladder
Let’s delve into the different roles within the product management hierarchy and the corresponding skills required for success:
- Product Manager
- Skills Needed: Understanding how to work with diverse people, organisational skills, strong work ethic, pragmatism, and effective communication. For a deep dive into working with diverse teams, explore this resource.
- Senior Product Manager
- Skills Needed: Enhanced organisational skills, a pragmatic approach, and heightened communication effectiveness. Brush up on advanced organisational skills with this course.
- Group Product Manager
- Skills Needed: Deeper strategic thinking, leadership capabilities, and pragmatic decision-making skills. Learn about strategic decision-making in product management here.
- Director of Product
- Skills Needed: Exceptional leadership, strategic vision, and the ability to align product efforts with broader business goals. Check out this leadership mastery course for insights.
- VP of Product
- Skills Needed: Mastery of strategic planning, executive-level communication, and driving innovation at a company-wide level. Explore this guide on strategic planning.
- CPO (Chief Product Officer)
- Skills Needed: Holistic understanding of business operations, visionary leadership, and shaping product strategy at an organizational level. Dive into organizational strategy with this resource.
Summary: The Universal Traits of a Great Product Manager
Regardless of the stage in your product management journey, certain universal traits contribute to success. One of them is to advocate for the user. Sabah Zdanowska offered a webinar on the matter, see it in full:
More Product Management knowledge
We love to share free resources we have on Product Management. Follow us on Linkedin, see our full webinars on our YouTube channel and join our Slack community. Stay tuned for a deep dive into the skills and responsibilities that will propel your success as a Product Manager.
Colab Cohorts is a community for product professionals to learn, share, and grow. We combine participation in cohort-based programs with access to content and community to help you supercharge your career, get promoted, and scale your organization’s impact. At Colab, we have programs with weekly online live sessions designed to help you move into a career in product, develop new skills and learn from exceptional peers. Get to know our courses and apply now.