Types of Product Managers

In the product world, there are various types of product managers. What role you fulfil would be mainly based on your background and understanding of products. Let’s go ahead and learn about the various kind of product managers that exist across various industries.

The five key product management profiles are as follows:

1. Engineer Product Manager

        Profile: You would transition from an engineer’s role to a product manager role

• Pros
  • You would be technically sound and would build a great rapport with the tech team
• Challenges
  • Used to being individual contributors, you may face some challenges while working in a team
  • You may need to brush up your written communication skills to communicate clearly

2. Design Product Manager

        Profile: You would transition from a design role to a product manager role

• Pros
  • You would have a great understanding of user experience
  • You generally think of delightful solutions for users’ problems
• Challenges
  • You may lack an understanding of business

3. Business Product Manager

        Profile:  You would transition from a business or an MBA background to a product manager role

• Pros
  • You generally have the ability to see the bigger picture
• Challenges
  • Given that you generally look at the big picture, you may miss out on the details
  • You would have to develop an understanding of design and user experience

4. Data Product Manager

        Profile: You would transition from a BI, analytics or consulting background to a product manager role

• Pros
  • You possess strong analytical skills
• Challenges
  • You rely too much on data and may not look at the bigger picture
  • You should also develop the ability to conduct user research

5. Growth Product Manager

         Profile: You would be involved in various stages of growth in a company

• Pros
  • You would have the ability to take quick decisions based on data
• Challenges
  • You should keep track of product progress even after launch and set a long-term vision of the product
  • You need to understand users

To read more on different types of PM roles, click here.