Transitioning from Engineering to Product Management

Abstract: Product management as an organizational design has been around for decades as companies continually strive for competitive advantage. The goal is to create a system whereby new products are developed, and existing products managed, by an individual (or team), whose primary responsibility is the business success of those products. The person with the title product manager is expected to understand the technical side of the business as it relates to product design and manufacture, as well as the business side as it relates to satisfying customer needs profitably. However, many people are hired into product manager positions without a clear understanding of the skills and abilities required to be successful. Five specific product manager competencies (along with 18 subcategories) are described in this article, with a final tool for developing a product manager scorecard. The intent of this article is to help engineers who are moving into product management positions better understand the requirements of the new job.