In order to master product management, you need to leverage data to your advantage so that you can make informed decisions and remove any guesswork. Whether it’s discovery or post-release analysis, data ultimately guides your choices and sways your stakeholders. However, data isn’t always as straightforward as it seems.
To make sure that data works for you and not the other way around, ensure that it has the right structure, can be accessed quickly, and that you have the tools you need to catch any inconsistencies. Sounds complicated? It certainly can be!
Because of the importance of data though, a new kind of PM has emerged who focuses specifically on owning this aspect of the business. But who are those PMs, really? And also, what is the key to being a successful data PM?
All this, and more, in today’s piece!
A data product manager (DPM) is a type of PM who specializes in managing products that are heavily reliant on data. They focus on product data management, which involves the collection, organization, storage, and sharing of data within an organization and the stakeholders, including other product managers.
This type of PM holds a deep understanding of the product’s funnels and which data needs to be utilized to make the right, or least risky, product decisions. Thus, a DPM uses data analysis and data science techniques to empower feature-level product management decisions.
Key responsibilities of a DPM include:
You might be thinking, “Wait, wouldn’t this set also apply to a role called “data analyst?” Well, not quite. Let’s compare the two.
Although these two professionals work in the same area of the product, they certainly differ in scope and responsibilities.
A data analyst is more of a tactical role that focuses on collecting, processing, and analyzing data to support decision-making. They use statistical techniques and tools to interpret data and identify trends and support the product team by defining product tracking specifications and data in the needed form, like a dashboard or an Excel file.
They will also work towards the best possible (easy-to-read) data visualizations. Another way of saying this is that they make the data as available and actionable to the product team as possible.
On the other hand, a data product manager is focused on the strategic aspect of data management. They prioritize data tasks, as well as any data-related development. Alongside this, they work on maximizing the value that can be gained from data, while at the same time trying to reduce data-related costs.
Of course, nothing stops them from doing some of the product analyst work (and vice versa), but a DPM doing those would be like a regular PM splitting a user story into small technical tasks for the development team. This still requires skill, but it’s a waste of time that could be spent on more high-level, strategic actions.
With those basics out of the way, let’s shift our attention to learning how you could become a data product manager.
A data product manager requires a combination of different skills to excel at the role. Some of them will include:
Ok, say you believe you hold those skills. What now?
Landing your first product manager job is a challenge for anyone, especially since entry-level and junior positions are rather rare and there always seems to be a horde of candidates. Companies will always look for a data product manager with several years of experience. That said, how can you break the conundrum and land the position?
If you already hold a product manager position, the journey should be relatively easy. You need to disclose your intentions to your manager and see where you can go from there. If you have the growth support, you’ll receive a development plan to slowly move on to a new, data-focused position.
That means that on top of your regular PM duties, you’ll take on additional data-related tasks until the company is ready to label you as a DPM. Alternatively, you might just want to act as an unofficial DPM and once you have a lot of successful initiatives to demonstrate, ask for a different job title and official data-focused responsibilities.
Of course, you may also hear a rejection, which means you need to either try again in some time or look for a company that’ll support your chosen career path. However, there’s also an alternative path where you don’t need to start as a PM.
Here things are pretty similar, however, you at least have an entry-level position at the start. Junior data analyst positions are quite common in the tech world. Also, there are obvious university courses that prepare you for this job, by teaching the right mathematical and analytical approach. Often, those courses come with internships in real companies, thus giving you some job experience before you graduate.
Before you can move from a junior data analyst to a DPM, you obviously need to drop the “junior” part of the first title. As naive as it sounds, this’ll happen in time if you simply work, try your best, and meet your goals.
From there, you do the same as with the PM to DPM transition: Talk to your manager about your chosen career direction and hope to receive a development plan towards this goal. Probably the development plan will be different in the two cases, but they should be always crafted individually for a specific person’s skills and what the company requires from its data product manager.
Product Managers come in various different forms and skill sets. However, as a PM, you also need to find a product that makes you happy and motivated. Some will enjoy working with users “directly,” while others will enjoy playing with data and changing them into actionable insights.
The latter of the two should steer towards a data product manager position and hopefully, this article has made it easy to realize the benefits of this position and how to get this job.
Good luck with your career and come back soon for more product management content!
Featured image source: IconScout
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