"Turn" Product Manager career: Find your starting point, fulcrum and growth point

China Internet 10 years, decided that the Internet Product Manager is a young job, so many pm in groping will have a lot of doubts, wavering, in the Product Manager (hereinafter referred to as PM) positioning on the same.
According to the understanding of the Internet PM, there is the following sketch, wherein:
1. The blue arrow points to the object that represents PM in the process of working.
2, the Blue arrow to the PM as the center, pointing to the surrounding departments, indicating its communication and coordination in the process of playing an active role.
3, green arrows represent, the Internet enterprises, PM most often by which types of change.
4, the whole figure is the shape of the person, head, arm, feet, heart.

This figure can only be said to be representative, not universal, because different enterprises, departmental organizations, different management models have decided that PM in the work process has differences. Today I hope to use this diagram and we discuss the PM in the career of the starting point, fulcrum, growth point.

First, the product manager's starting point
There are three green dashed lines, pointing to the PM, indicating that these three departments or the three types of jobs most likely to develop as PM, they are responsible for product marketing departments, responsible for product operations of the Department, responsible for product realization of the department.
In charge of product marketing department and market contact the most, the demand for the market will gradually better understand, and a product starting point lies in the market demand. So as long as the market needs to express, and let the product implementation of the Department to implement, this is already the beginning of the PM. From the market to the PM personality is very bright, strong communication skills, strong expression ability, strong adaptability, but after all, is still in the transition stage, the direction to learn is the management and operation of products, such as the design of product functions and make product preliminary prototype, describe product logic and so on.
The department responsible for product operation can be said to have a wealth of industry resources, they have BD, PR, customer service and other types of jobs. They know the industry and know the history and status of similar products and even minor changes. Using the online game industry to give examples, Shanda is a typical game operators, perhaps they do not need to develop their own games, just to make others do a good game products to operate on the line, but once they decided to develop a network game, they can be implemented quickly, Because they are operating products at the same time accumulated a large number of product experience and market experience. So the job in this department is also very easy to convert to PM.
Responsible for product realization of the Department, which is now the PM of the Huangpu Military Academy, it can be said that 80% PM is from this department came out. This department is most familiar with the function, usage logic, data structure, information structure, etc. of the product. They hold the "shape" of the product. Plus now a lot of companies will be responsible for the development of the project manager, responsible for product design of the demo is called PM.
There is a special phenomenon, that is, a lot of business owners or CEOs, are also in the role of PM this job.
Crossing, do you belong to the above departments in the business? If it is, then you can try to go to the PM direction to develop OH.

Second, the fulcrum of product manager
If you want to go to PM direction, or now gradually into the role of PM, then need to have what fulcrum to support the development of PM this position?
Have a thick skin
At the beginning of the article, the graph shows that the blue arrows are centered on PM and point to different departments. Demonstrate that it plays an active role in the process of communication and coordination. PM there will be a lot of unplanned things in the process, such as adjusting the page, changing requirements, meeting the needs of the market, and so on. It is impossible to do anything in the various departments of the plan, then in other than the schedule of things, PM how to implement it? Looking for leadership to coordinate? What do you need pm to do if everything is like this? That is thick-skinned, open-minded, are emotional animals, there is no coordination of things. Lose face is small, delay things that would be a big trouble.
In addition, PM in the product management process, will encounter a lot of temporary communication, do not dare to ensure that each communication pm can understand, can remember, need pm more ask more understanding, if PM itself posture too high, then very likely because of not attention and problems. As for other fulcrum or PM should have skills, there is an article that is very comprehensive, including communication skills, no authorized leadership, learning ability, business sensitivity, love products, attention to detail, daily product management capabilities, etc., recommend you see "product manager should have the ability."
Mind
As a successful PM, in addition to these capabilities, there is a necessary fulcrum, that is the mentality, work 1-5 years is the ability to exercise a person, 5-10 years more is in the exercise mentality.

Third, the growth point of product Manager
How long pm can do, where to go, and how to be fascinated.

First of all, PM in an enterprise because of the most extensive contact areas, so need to learn the most things, do not need to become a professional, but at least it must be a generalist. So PM is a constant accumulation of occupation, even if one day you lose this position, then the accumulation of things others are not taken away.
Secondly, it is said that PM is actually the CEO of this product, then after the PM out of their own entrepreneurship at least can be relatively fast into the state, can take a few detours.
Third, since the PM is bundled with the product, then the product market should also be related to PM, product performance is also required as part of the PM assessment, the product sold well, PM take a lot of salary, did not meet the market expectations of the deduction pm salary, then PM can actually be a well-paid job.
Four, whether the Internet industry or traditional industries, PM are interlinked, cross-industry is not difficult.
It is not easy to do a product manager well, but once in this line has achieved, really is the former (money) way immeasurable Ah!

Extended reading:
6 aspects of a product manager's work
Career planning for Internet product managers: You have to know what to do every day.

"Turn" Product Manager career: Find your starting point, fulcrum and growth point