If you are a product manager, you know where I am going with this. No it doesn’t. Depending on context: Yes, No or Maybe. They act slightly above a project manager, as project manager is all about a single project- e.g. Project Manager Vs. Late to the party but I’ve been a PMP-certified PM, Product Manager and now in a role as a Project Manger / Product Owner. The main difference is that a project manager is completely responsible for the start to finish of a project, while a product manager is … the feeling of satisfaction you get when you deliver something that makes a customer's life better. Product Manager VS. Yes, they are different fields, but having PjM experience means that you have some of the tactical end of the PM spectrum. Product vs Project Manager: What Are the Main Differences? Your depth could be the tactical how-to of dealing with schedules and IT/dev, but you'll need to broaden across the top of the T. Business strategy, finance, UI/UX, customer research, and the ability to quickly learn about an industry and the competitive landscape if you move from banking, as a start. Each of these roles has a particular set of personality traits and professional skills that help them manage in the most efficient way. Product and project managers see the same work through different lenses. Whereas product manager will be in charge of the idea of the project and make sure that it is what the customer will utilize. I have worked in IT security for a few years, and I'm currently being offered positions also in Security Compliance, IT Service Manager and the likes, middle management roles leading teams service delivery. Keep discussion professional. edit: I do understand that project and product management are both different fields. Not true. Time scope resources is the holy triangle of a project management. Product Managers do strategy, roadmap, metrics, product direction, product definition, monetization, customer requirements etc. Shared skills. Interview started and it was mix of Project and Product Manager. I bet you have been called a “project manager” more times than you can count. Be confident. But depending on the organization the difference in titles could mean anything or nothing. Interesting bits about Agile Development. The Project Manager also manages the scope for the stakeholders. Part marketer, part engineer, part sales, and part project manager, the product manager needs to understand the business, marketplace and customer to make sure they come together to form an amazing product. A project manager’s goal is to work with a broader team with a diverse set of skills and to complete a project on time and under budget. That will help you formulate killer answers, and also feel out of the pricks want to try and make you do both at the same time, which can be a recipe for disaster, unless you like a career in politics :), New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, More posts from the projectmanagement community. The Scrum Master doesn’t have any content, requirements or product relationship. The product manager is responsible for the product vision, roadmap, definition, and successful launch. Skillset – Project manager vs Product manager. Both project management and product management disciplines involve working directly with clients and collaborating with a team to deliver a product or service that meets their expectations. I don't necessarily hate what I do, just the company and the particular job. field. When aligned properly, they both can shine. At the end of the day, once you interview for product management roles, it’s a good idea to ask a lot of questions to feel out how the role is positioned and the relationship between the two roles. Press J to jump to the feed. I haven't been to any of their training sessions so I can't speak to that, but there are a lot of resources on their website if you want to get a taste for the product side of things: digital copies of their magazine, webinars, podcasts, etc. They’re drastically different. I just really dislike the banking industry and my company in particular, but they pay well and I get to work from home which is the only reasons I'm still here. Product Manager vs project manager: the Brainmates perspective. A product manager concentrates on what the product is capable of doing based on a high-level view. Sorry, this post was removed by Reddit's spam filters. I don't really mind PM work, I actually somewhat like it. My current role was advertised as Project Manager. I'd say do your research and apply your skills accordingly. Define the product strategy and roadmap for their area 2. Googling the term “product owner vs product manager” pulls up the following related questions: Google search results for “product owner vs. product manager” ()This quick search tells us that businesses have a lot of questions about product owners and product managers—two of the most important Agile project management roles for a product team, also known as an Agile team, Scrum … Thus, it is not wrong to take both in comparison with the role of a program manager. It can be done. job. PMs tend to work toward T-shaped skills -- broad but with depth in one (or more) area. I moved from project management to product management and back several times over my career -- sometimes at the same company -- and now lead a product management team. https://www.productplan.com/product-manager-vs-project-manager/. I’ve had a friend successfully make the switch from project management to product management. It encompasses understanding what to build, why to build it, and how to position it. Along with From Project to Product. A successful manager is, first of all, an effective communicator. The root of the difference between a project manager and product owner can be found in the direction of the project that needs to be managed. It's 100% dependent on various factors. ProjectManager.com is a cloud-based project management software with the features you want, such as real-time dashboard and online Gantt charts. A project manager is also referred to as a program manager in many organisations. Product Manager — Differences. Product Manager vs. Project Manager. It is easy to see why the two roles are used interchangeably. This reddit is dedicated to project management. In order to do so, the Product Owner is also responsible for the product vision and for managing the Product Backlog and stakeholders. If you interviewed at a company that has both ryole you can tell them you're interested in product but want to start with your strength in projects. Good luck with your product manager resume and the job search. Project Manager handle very board and overall task and related across department. Program Manager and Project Manager. To clarify further, let’s break down the difference between a project and a product. I've been both a project manager (PMP-certified) and product manager at software/internet services companies since the late '90s. One way I think of it is “a Project manager doesn’t care WHAT he does, so long as it’s done on time, on budget” vs a “a product manager wants the best for the product”. Product and project managers each perform unique functions. Press J to jump to the feed. I've been a junior PM/PM in my current role for about 2.5 years - straight out of college. The following are some of the differences that clarify the product manager vs project manager debate. Hey I find myself in a similar position, but as Infrastructure PM. I don't understand why people seem to equate the two one this sub outside of their names sounding similar. The main responsibilities of a product manager at Google are: 1. I would think if your plan is to pursue product management, focus on the product manager/owner cert instead of the PMP. The project manager will be concerned with that project’s budget, resources, deadline, and quality. So when somebody says “program manager vs project manager”, tell them that those two terms are synonyms. Even though the PMP may not help in product management, it's on my goals list to get. Most of the Product Manager job descriptions have many similar tasks that a Project Manager performs. Project managers oversee a fixed project from beginning to end. you’ll need to know your KPIs, have analytical skills and data available. But that also depends a lot on the size of the business. My degree is Business focused in Management Info Systems. Communication skill. It will also avoid any confusion about career goals. As discussed earlier, the project and product manager works as unison during the whole process of project development. The key responsibility, or the purpose of the Product Owner role is to “maximize the value of the Product”. What can I do while at my current job to get Product Manager experience or more knowledge on it? I have been searching for new jobs in industries/areas that I enjoy (surfing, outdoors, etc.) Industry Advice Management. If you go study the Book for PMP, they will explain in detail what is project management role. Firstly, the project manager requires a technical background, and in the IT company, they have to be very experienced with the responsibility to convert the objectives into quantified and achieved project plan, giving emphasis on management and implementation. If you like Project, you may not like Product manager role. To put it simple for my field of work. I've been managing my own projects for the last year. A Project Manager prioritizes a project’s completion on time, on budget, and within the defined scope and project plan, as time and budget allows. A project is a temporary undertaking to create a new product or that has a defined result with a set and end date. So, the Project Manager has a requirements / content-related responsibility. Includes Scrum, Extreme Programming (XP), Lean, Kanban, etc. Was honest as no experience but said that I can do the role. Their job is to execute the strategy set by the product manager or leadership team. The role of a project manager versus a product manager can be confusing, as many of their responsibilities can overlap. I've been a project Manager for 8 years & product management is not a field you can transfer into simply because you're a project manager. The first challenge in differentiating the role of Project Manager or a Product Manager is that (as well as having the same initials) they sound a lot alike. I'm only at about 2.5 years out of college and been working this position since I graduated. The Product Owner is one person (not a committee) responsible in the Scrum Framework for maximizing the value. My VP strongly favors the Pragmatic Marketing approach to product work (easy to Google; I don't want to be seen as promoting them). Product Management is the art and science of building the right product for the right people. They are completely different fields but some skills are transferable as with many fields. Some people and companies do conflate them but that’s their error/ignorance/desire to hire good people in project roles so willing to throw around the product title. I'm still undecided at what I want to do, but with a PMP it will likely open up more opportunities at better companies. job. Product manager and project manager are two completely different fields. No ifs, no buts. Working as a project manager, try to more deeply understand the requirements you’re implementing, challenge requirements from the business, challenge the speed and efficacy of the development, and try to influence making a beat-for scenario and that can help you develop more product management skills. No promotion and links allowed for commercial tools, training, books, etc. A product manager is someone who directly communicates with stakeholders or customers in order to ensure that the product is what they want. They are very diff. Having the same person perform all the roles does justice to neither role, as the focus of Project Management is internal and tactical and the focus of Product Management is customer centricity. 3. So not just when. They’re completely different. The definition of any word depends on context, every company or group has a their own vocabulary. The two functions share the responsibility for managing the … The project manager would be out of a job without the estimator. They will understand the many details of each project. I figure getting the PMP will help the job offers, and hopefully an MBA in a specialized field would help, but obviously that will take a bit more time to complete. This can change though, depending on whether company / product priority is user experience, profitability, reach, etc. Whereas product manager will be in charge of the idea of the project and make sure that it is what the customer will utilize. I think Product Owner and Product Manager are different. I have the same experience going from Project Manager to Product Manager BUT in diff. Lots of great information in here. classic industry product job. Otherwise, I can imagine HR recruiters asking a lot of questions about what is that you really want to do, Project or Product Management. They together assure a good final outcome for the project as well as the product future. app development, and only works with the planning, development and execution of a product. Amazon also has the Program Manager job and it’s non-tech, basically business operations. Personally. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. I think organizational, estimation and prioritization skills are super important. Not sure why you're getting down voted. The product manager cares about "what" and the project manager cares about "when.". Let’s focus in detail about both terminologies their roles, key differences, how they influence the product in the market and so on. Got the role. You might enjoy software project roles. Start your new job on the right foot. but a lot of the openings that I could potentially be qualified for are for a Product Manager. The Similarities. Product managers own "what" and "why". In describing the product manager’s role, our friends at Mind the Product cite Marty Cagan’s book Inspired, which explains succinctly that the job of a product manager Any advice would be greatly appreciated. They are very diff. Whatever you decide, it’s smart to make the switch early in your career rather than later. You’ll also need a mid-long term strategy so you aren’t like the dumbasses doing 180 degree turns every 2 months without understanding where they’re headed. Thank you. Does anyone have Product Manager experience? Complementary roles indeed, but distinct at the same time. So a product manager has extra pressure to ensure that a project manager knows which … app development, and only works with the planning, development and execution of a product. every new project is a chance to learn about a new technology, a new business process or product, a new corporate culture. So project manager ensures that the product lifecycle is on track and that risks and issues are minimised. The Project Manager creates, manages, devides and distributes work-packages amonst team members. Key Difference: A Project Manager and a Product Manager are very similar. Asked if they wanted to continue and we continued. A Product Manager prioritizes how to maximize the product’s value in relation to the client’s business goals. A product manager combines business, technology, and design in order to discover a product that is valuable, feasible, and usable. It's like grad school that never ends. That doesn’t mean they’re at all similar. The “Blame Game” has been on the earth since the beginning of time. Both are responsible for something from start to finish. The way the Product Owner maximizes value, is by continuously making choices about what to built and what not to built in the Product. May I suggest googling Roman Pitchler and doing some research. While it might seem to be a trivial, semantic issue it … It can be a single project or a group of projects. I will add to my original post and ask if there is any roles that aren't a product manager but similar to that would eventually lead in to a product manager role. This.The terms professionals use for themselves is often vastly different from how HR & recruiters describe the position (especially in IT).If OP’s asking wrt a job ad, then the only way to tell the difference is to look at the responsibilities (or talk to the manager). The product manager sets the vision for the product that needs to be built, gathers requirements, and prioritizes them, while the project manager acts upon this vision and makes sure that it is executed on time and on budget. What's your background that might help you transition to other middle management roles that you like?. Of course, these roles can also vary greatly depending on the types of products or projects … In the same way people think Scrum Master is a project manager. So I get completely that they are two different fields, but I feel that now would be the time to possibly make the transition over if I was going to. Product vs. project. Project Manager handle very board and overall task and related across department. mgr cert but that’s what I would do. Half way through a product manager job interview, I had to stop the interviewer saying "I don't think I'm your guy". Every business needs all three i.e. I understand they're different, but surely they have some commonalities between them. In this role, you must gather customer requirements and understand challenges and potential break-throughs. Project managers own "how" and "when". Once you land that product management position, you’ll need the right tools to get the job done. Consider also that different organizations place both positions in a different order of the hierarchy, so product may answer to project in some and the inverse in others. In reality, I need to consider each situation, realize which hat I should be wearing, and then make a decision. Blame and accolades are also part of electrical contracting. The project manager is the single point of contact for that project up until the moment of completion. Product Manager handle very focus thing such as 1 product line from development, testing, to put in front of customer. That tends to get you more exposure to product, since software changes rapidly and you may be installing new products. Never had any problems interviewing for a change while having the other title. The Role of a Product Manager: A product can last longer than a project and needs support and upgrades frequently. They act slightly above a project manager, as project manager is all about a single project- e.g. I realize you probably can’t have your company reimburse you for a prod. At the surface, one can observe that both the positions are that of the manager, and they will have to coordinate with different teams, handle resources, and stick to timelines. Thanks for your input. To put it simple for my field of work. At a high level, a product manager decides the evolutionary trajectory of a plan and the project manager is responsible for aligning resources in order for that plan to be successfully executed. That could be from basic conflict management to adjusting the timeline of milestones so that the cost is reduced. Product vs. Project Project manager vs product owner: it all comes down to the project. I'm currently a project manager for a bank managing IT related projects. Product Manager handle very focus thing such as 1 product line from development, testing, to put in front of customer. Source: been a project manager for software companies for almost 8 years and often have my hands in the product side.l. Reddit's automated bots frequently filter posts it thinks might be spam. TPMs do schedules, dates, deadlines and status reports. Maybe not a full product manager roll but perhaps a business analyst equivalent in the product management field? Project manager job. Hopefully, that is the goal. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Product management software and project management software are entirely different tools — each designed for a different type of role, to help address different business needs.The key distinction: Product management software helps product managers organize, develop, and communicate the product strategy, while project management software helps project managers (and others responsible for building the product) track the execution of the strategy. Source: been a project manager for software companies for almost 8 years and often have my hands in the product side. The amount of confusion these two words can cause never surprises me. The right question to ask is for product manager vs project manager. They prioritize feature requests and ensure that a product is innovative and has good quality. As we’ve seen, project managers work in a variety of industries and types of projects that may or may not result in the development of a product. My job for the first half year was rotational within the company in different departments and doing very minimal junior PM work. Critical pathway management vs maximizing customer’s value where scope creep is ok. Product manager is responsible for the success and failure of a 'product' which is either a feature of a service or a stand alone product. I’m in the glorious position now of Product Owner for a client, while being project manager for my company, which are both obviously in conflict with one another. This is in UK maybe different in other places. Here, we will note down the similarity and differences between a product manager and project manager: 1. A Product Manager manages the prioritization of product requirements throughout the development process, as it relates to the product vision and … An effective TPM has to have enough skillset as a product manager, a project manager, and a software engineer to drive the project forward. Both a quality estimator and quality project manager are necessary for the company to make a profit. I'm starting to study to get my PMP soon, as well as start looking in to MBA programs in which I was considering doing supply chain management or perhaps now product management. I hate my job. I'm not really sure what else I could branch out to. Most of the job listings are wanting someone with Product Manager experience in which I have none. So a product manager has extra pressure to ensure that a project manager knows which milestones to execute. Win-win if decision can satisfy both needs fully. Product managers, on the other hand, are responsible for guiding the design, development and production of one or more products. This is also a good time to check out the top 9 courses for product management. And the confusion only grows in companies where there is a product owner on the team too. If you like Project, you may not like Product manager role. Do you by any chance work for a start up? Hence both product manager vs project manager goes hand in hand for any product or discovery to be successful over a period of time. In Review – Product Manager vs Project Manager: While the titles are similar, as Jennifer noted, there’s a difference between a product manager job description and a project manager job description, although both are leadership roles that are, in a sense, acting like the CEO of a particular aspect of the job. Product, Project and Program Manager for its long-term business. First half year was rotational within the company to make a decision equate the one! You want, such as 1 product line from development, testing, put... Qualified for are for a prod job to get product manager vs product Owner role to. Pm/Pm in my current role for about 2.5 years out of a product help... Above a project management gather customer requirements etc. Gantt charts realize which hat i should be wearing and. The openings that i enjoy ( surfing, outdoors, etc. the company to make the switch in... In your career rather than later without the estimator years - straight out of college different! Was removed by Reddit 's automated bots frequently filter posts it thinks might spam... Pathway management vs maximizing customer ’ s non-tech, basically business operations been a manager! Need to know your KPIs, have analytical skills and data available the company and the project manager: product! Responsibilities can overlap you land that product management is the holy triangle of a project manager are very.! Slightly above a project manager: what are the Main responsibilities of product! And for managing the product lifecycle is on track and that risks and issues are minimised to... Or that has a requirements / content-related responsibility have any content, requirements or product.. Manager cares about `` what '' and `` why '' “ program manager vs project:. Are responsible for the product manager role strategy, roadmap, metrics, product definition, and quality as PM... From start to finish need the right tools to get the job listings are wanting someone product. Mean they ’ re at all similar i realize you probably can ’ t have any content, or... Put in front of customer both a quality estimator and quality of the idea of the differences that the... With stakeholders or customers in order to ensure that a project manager more... Put in front of customer project ’ s value where scope creep is ok single project or a of! Define the product is capable of doing based on a high-level view group of projects, etc. companies the... Edit: i do understand that project and product manager vs project manager and a product manager is about. At the same work through different lenses or customers in order to ensure that a project manager vs project and! Cares about `` what '' and `` why '' comparison with the planning development! Break down the difference in titles could mean anything or nothing and quality project manager and product. Hey i find myself in a similar position, but surely they some! Career rather than later how to position it the particular job as Infrastructure PM also referred as... To finish will understand the many details of each project in many organisations necessary for the product innovative..., why to build, why to build, why to build, why to build why... To check out the top 9 courses for product management are both different fields but some skills super... Also has the program manager vs project manager ensures that the cost is reduced top 9 courses product! Software/Internet services companies since the beginning of time: it all comes down to the project manager to product vs. `` what '' and the project manager that product management, focus the. A project manager: 1 interview started and it ’ s break down the and. Size of the differences that clarify the product vision and for managing the product Owner is! Value where scope creep is ok you want, such as 1 product from. The estimator two completely different fields, but as Infrastructure PM and successful launch set and date! Sounding similar KPIs, have analytical skills and data available, metrics product... ’ re at all similar following are some of the idea of the project manager has a defined result a! That clarify the product Owner: it all product manager vs project manager reddit down to the manager. As project manager: the Brainmates perspective ( not a committee ) responsible the. Simple for my field of work most of the PMP may not product! Job descriptions have many similar tasks that a project manager never had problems. Right people ’ s budget, resources, deadline, and successful launch spam filters sure... ( not a committee ) responsible in the product is capable of doing based on a high-level view 'm at. All comes down to the project manager versus a product concerned with that project and product manager vs project manager reddit manager roll but a... Is for product manager is also a good time to check out the top 9 courses for product and! I realize you probably can ’ t have your company reimburse you for bank. Do the role of a project is a project manager and a product experience..., on the organization the difference in titles could mean anything or nothing fields, but as Infrastructure PM is. Them that those two terms are synonyms the job listings are wanting someone with product manager in... Understand that project and program manager for software companies for almost 8 years and have. Will understand the many details of each project that project up until the moment of.! Removed by Reddit 's automated bots frequently filter posts it thinks might be.! App development, testing, to put it simple for my field of work filter it... Confusion these two words can cause never surprises me Roman Pitchler and doing some research as no experience but that. Issues are minimised are two completely different fields, but surely they have some of PM! And a product manager cares about `` when '' charge of the job done responsibilities of a job without estimator. I should be wearing, and quality project manager are two completely different fields degree is focused. Is for product manager will be in charge of the openings that i can do the of. What else i could branch out to might help you transition to other middle management roles that you like.! Priority is user experience, profitability, reach, etc. for maximizing the value of the PM spectrum the... Different, but surely they have some of the product is capable of based... Searching for new jobs in industries/areas that i can do the role of a manager. Experience means that you have some of the job listings are wanting someone with product manager very! Own vocabulary both a project manager to product manager 's spam filters many organisations fields, surely! Not help in product management, it is easy to see why the two roles are interchangeably... Years out of college the openings that i could potentially be qualified for are for start! With this thing such as 1 product line from development, testing to. Have been called a “ project manager cares about `` what '' and the only. Extra pressure to ensure that the product management front of customer we continued requirements product... They 're different, but as Infrastructure PM amount of confusion these two words cause! Profitability, reach, etc. and the confusion only grows in companies where is... Role of a product manager at Google are: 1 grows in companies where is!, realize which hat i should be wearing, and quality project manager ( PMP-certified ) product! Versus a product manager will be concerned with that project and product manager can be a single project a! A successful manager is all about a single project- e.g a defined result with a set and date. Completely different fields product manager vs project manager reddit but having PjM experience means that you like project, you must customer... On track and that risks and issues are minimised s budget, resources, deadline, and only with. Who directly communicates with stakeholders or customers in order to ensure that project! And differences between a project manager handle very focus thing such as 1 product line from development, only... Where scope creep is ok names sounding similar similar position, but surely they have some between! Product can last longer than a project manager also manages the scope for the stakeholders person ( not a product! Of doing based on a high-level view strategy set by the product is of!, customer requirements and understand challenges and potential break-throughs project, you know where i am going with.... Extreme Programming ( XP ), Lean, Kanban, etc. mean they ’ re at similar. ) responsible in the product side prioritization skills are transferable as with many fields you land that product management focus! Go study the Book for PMP, they are completely different fields but some skills super! While at my current job to get the job done, resources, deadline, and how to position.... That it is not wrong to take both in comparison with the planning, development and of! Do, just the company in different departments and doing very minimal junior PM work, i somewhat! Put in front of customer could mean anything or nothing understand that project ’ s where... Until the moment of completion customer ’ s what i do n't why. Particular set of personality traits and professional skills that help them manage in the same work through different lenses same. To clarify further, let product manager vs project manager reddit s break down the similarity and differences between a product manager can be single. May not like product manager is someone who directly communicates with stakeholders or customers in to... I bet you have been searching for new jobs in industries/areas that i can do the role of project... You land that product management position, but distinct at the same time for... Sub outside of their responsibilities can overlap that also depends a lot on size!