Careers in Product Management - Different Aspects of Product Management

Different Aspects of Product Management

Product management is a fairly nuanced field, and the role of a PM varies across industries and companies. For instance, being a product manager is very different between a startup and a well-established corporation. The job requires different approaches in a B2C environment and a B2B environment. An outbound PM is quite distinct from an inbound PM. Lastly, a program manager has a role that is completely different from a product manager.

You need to be clear on all the above-mentioned scenarios to fulfil your role competently. Let’s understand them in detail.

The role of a product manager varies according to the context of the product.

1. At a large company, you have a more specialised role, while in a startup, you have to put on various mantles, such as designer or project manager, to launch your product successfully.
2. For a B2C product, you can get direct user feedback to improve your product, whereas, for a B2B product, you need to spend time in the B2B environment to understand pain points and workflow issues.
3. A program manager has no authority over the product; he/she works only on particular offerings. On the other hand, a product manager has authority over, and is responsible for, all offerings of the product.
4. An outbound PM shapes the product communication across all marketing channels, whereas an inbound PM is responsible for all communication with the internal teams.