How new people learn to be product managers)

How new people learn to be product managers

To be honest, I do not think I am a qualified product manager, but I have seen many enthusiastic colleagues who have never experienced in products, I have summarized my experiences in Internet products and management over the years, hoping to help you.

 Find the target and find the Method

Before doing anything, if we can clarify our goals, we will achieve very good efficiency. We also need to do the same for our products. First of all, we need to clarify the purpose of participating in product manager training, what is our purpose? I think there are two types
1. Make products ready
2. Develop your own products and management capabilities for future development.
There are basically no conflicts between the two goals. Therefore, I regard "do a good job in products and cultivate my own capabilities in products" as a common goal.

Then we need to find a good method.
Everyone has their own needs, their own ideas, and the company has their own ideas. The good way is to achieve a win-win situation, and the company has developed its own value. In my opinion, the methods cannot be as highly unified as the goals, the impermanence of troops, and the impermanence of water. Everyone has their own methods for each problem. How can they find the most suitable method, it is a very important thing. I also want to talk about my experience in this area.

First of all, we are still clear about what we are going to do and the responsibilities of the product manager. Some people have systematically summarized this work. In the 2nd class, ruijiang also systematically explained this aspect (Http://download1.csdn.net/down3/20070615/15100724511.ppt), Each worker needs to understand the system. This structure is very important to fully understand the meaning of work. I think the product manager should do four jobs in the simplest way.
Market: product models, user demand analysis, business plans, and profit models. Emphasize market analysis and planning capabilities
Production: Progress management, quality management, and function implementation. Emphasize the process management capability. We need to understand the technology in practical use.
Operation: Operation and Maintenance enables products to achieve our planned goals and solve user problems
Sales: make the product generate value in the end. In our company's actual situation, this step is not a major task, but a good product manager is also very important.

Secondly, we need to analyze our own characteristics. Each person has his own character and ability characteristics, and we cannot do what we want? What should I do? Method
For example: passionate, persevering, technical, sales, good at communication, good at finding problems, etc.
They also have their own understanding of the way they do things, such as the Taoist method, the Confucian method, the western precise management method, or the mixed method. Find out your own characteristics, you can find them by yourself, or others can help you find them. I think this method is suitable for myself. For example, I think I have rich experience and technical background, but I am not technically competent. I am passionate about doing things. I am a matter of principle. The methods I have determined for myself are:
1. Find the target and find the method (this is the earliestJiang TaoI suggest you do this. I find this method is the most suitable for me)
2. gradually modify
3. strengthen communication, Learn presentation skills, and use management skills to solve problems

 My suggestions for newcomers
(All my suggestions belong to practical teams. Everyone should think about or try to see if my suggestions are suitable for you.
For personal development planning, you need to find better methods. For those with high understanding, academic content may be more suitable for you)

1. for trainee product managers, first make a good job and then use theoretical knowledge
The four abilities of the product manager are not developed in one day, nor can they be mastered by one person. First, they are good at and reasonable.
Use your strengths to learn more about your weaknesses.
For example, technical personnel are transferred to product managers. Generally, technical personnel have meticulous Logic Thinking and often ignore the features of user experience,
The operation of technical personnel is relatively easy, but there are serious problems in planning. If you are still doing technical work,
We should start with product planning, rather than product operation. Because of our habits of thinking, we are not very proficient in operation, but planning.
Capacity is severely insufficient. Find the highest leverage ratio to change your method.

2. Everyone must learn how to operate and manage themselves.
Manage your own time
Manage your habits. habits should be one by one, behavior habits, and thinking habits.
I think good habits:
Clear work summary and plans, and frequent todolist
3. Basic Capabilities of product managers
Very familiar with your products
Familiar with competitor products
Understand the purpose, user object, and value of your product
The method to verify this result is very simple, that is, to list the three largest competitors, sum up 10 rules, and score yourself and your competitors according to the 10 rules. If you give the result easily, that is, work is done at home.

4. the simplest and most effective method
Continuous use
Constant comments
Constantly communicate with other product managers/developers, how to implement and how high the modification cost is.

5. Show yourself
Express your thoughts
Express your score
Express product features
Introduce your product to others so that others can use your product.
Then introduce the product to everyone so that everyone can use your product.
If we cannot sell products to the people we are most familiar with, how can we sell them to everyone?
If we cannot introduce our ideas and achievements to our boss, how can the boss recognize you?

6. Principles for operating Products
Reply to user questions
Priority should be given to content security issues
Stability and speed are the most basic
Do not report program errors for the product

Finally, I would like to say to you, don't be too demanding on yourself. The higher the expectation, the higher the disappointment, the more gradual things.