From the yes! Product Manager to learn what the product manager should do

When the "side" of the end, on the third day, I received the Eyoung company asked me to call the second-round exam.

It can be seen that they are really looking to find product managers, and certainly hope to be able to recruit as soon as possible, but in the bubble individual view, the most likely reason is that I in the "side" to HR sister left a deep and beautiful impression, so, Let HR sister in front of the second interview to me is greatly appreciated a lot, so just make the second interview responsible person can't wait to see this is called the life of the bubble is a mule? Or a horse?

　　in front, A bubble mentioned, generally speaking, the first try actually retreat, and the second interview is pragmatic, because the first try is usually to complete the HR, so the problems involved are basically around the resume, so roughly is three stages , and the question of the second interview will generally go beyond the scope of the resume, but relatively speaking, the pertinence will be stronger, because the interviewer is likely to be your future leadership, and for him, He certainly wants to be able to pick out the most suitable employee from HR candidates by relying on his own good vision.

If the goal of the initial examination is "excellent", then the goal of the second interview is "appropriate".

Therefore, the principle of our interview is: in the eyes of HR, to show that you are the best, in the eyes of the second-interview person, to show that you are the most appropriate.

Therefore, I usually think that the second interview is not much need to do homework, because you do not know how the interviewer will investigate you.

There is a quantitative assessment, give you a test paper, let you answer a lot of questions;

Have a talk review, and you talk about a few more professional questions, look at your ideas;

And the next set of assessment, through the interview a small scene to see your quality.

In short, enterprises are trying to do everything possible to torture job seekers, and job seekers if they want to do homework to deal with all kinds of expected and unpredictable assessment, I think it can only be trouble, less.

The only way is: quo, on-the-spot play, to give.

So I went for an interview, just show-wise myself instruct clean, full of spirit on the line, I will not eat rice, whether it is in the morning or afternoon, because the bubble that after eating will make people tired, the face often can determine the survival of the one, I can not in any detail on the negligence.

The most objectionable form of the second-round exam is two kinds:

1. Let the interview product manager do a question

If this is the form, I can tell you that this company 90% basically do not know product management and product Manager is what, if you have a good temper, give each other face, you can endure to finish the problem, after walking out of the company, to the door of the company waved, "Goodbye you!"; If you have a bad temper, do not want to give each other face, you can write a sentence on the paper, get up and leave, this sentence is: Your family is also used to select the CEO of the examination papers?

2. Let the product manager provide documents that have been done

It is not ruled out that some companies do this in order to understand the interviewer's skills through these documents, but it can be said responsibly that most of the companies that do so are definitely not the interviewers but the documents.

If you are unlucky enough to have this situation, you can tell the company directly: Sorry, I have no right to provide any information about my personal past work to the company that has not yet signed the labor agreement.

Of course, the bubble is lucky, at least the second interview did not appear in both cases.

Why do you say that, the root cause is: Not I know more, but the person who interviewed me understand too little.

Hit him a door, I immediately see this person is to do technical origin, the reason is very simple, shirt buckle all buckle dislocation, he still unaware.

He came in and shook my hand and said, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I've just dealt with some things, I'm late", yes, I'm sure it's a technical one, even the interviewer's pomp and the wrong outfit.

This I rest assured that before the fight, your opponent has been exposed to the foundation, anyway in the interview experience in the bubble is the first time, rare, rare.

Carefully look for someone, the age of a small, not high, not fat, not thin, is in the face of the cheeks distributed a lot of low-lying areas, like the bombing of the crater, is ordinarily his age is already over the top of the years, ah, can be sure, endocrine disorders.

To do the rest of the law, diet irregular, a number of endocrine disorders.

The first meeting let a bubble feel very relaxed, environment relaxed, psychological relaxed.

Relaxed environment is very easy to get results, sometimes I think, if the work station are designed to be half a meter wide sofa, put on easy music, plus beautiful hrmm walk around, is not a company can enter the top 500?

I am not good at this point.

Introduction to the process of each other.

"My name is a bubble, in the product manager before doing 2 years of development, starting from 2003 to do product managers, responsible for the products have ..."

The other side listens and records on my resume.

After reciting the resume for the second time, the other person spoke.

"My name is Zhou, is the company's newly established product department in charge, in fact, now I am a person, commander one." He smiled sheepishly and then went on: "I'm like you, I was in the research department last month, and I'm going to start building a product department for the company this month." To be honest, now I'm in charge of the construction of the product department, I really have no idea, although also looked up some information, but still feel some lack of thinking, because the relevant information is really too little, there is less value, the second is because all kinds of statements have, also do not know what kind of statement is appropriate. ”

"You're right, this is the situation. I hastened to show that the other party had done a good job before seeing me, oh, it should be Zhou, manager Zhou.

Zhou continued: "So ah, I said to HR, I recruit product Manager on a request, is really product manager, is a product, with the team." I listen to Guo Jie (originally that HR elder sister Guo, wow ka ka) said your first Test score is very good, so this second interview, we are casual chat, see how we put the company's product department up. ”

See, what is charm, this is the charm, just heat up the field, has become "we", has completely put me as a front of the comrades.

If you want to talk, then talk.

"I've been trying to figure out what the product manager should be doing, but I don't feel very detailed enough to know what the product manager should be doing on the Internet."

I said: "Well, various industries have the knowledge of various industries, that they are engaged in is the product manager to do, some elephant meaning." ”

"Yes, yes, I also feel this way, all kinds of statements have, I also confused, you say your opinion." ”

For this problem, I was prepared early, because in the previous company, I was also responsible for the Department of New training, made a summary.

In fact, the product manager's work is summed up as three things:

1 know what to do;

2 know how to do;

3 Let others do it. ”

"Well, you're very interesting, but you don't mind, my feeling is that this is also a bit too stream of consciousness, it can be more specific." ”

In fact, I am more disgusted with others when I speak to interrupt. I just hang your appetite first, and you can't get over it? But who makes him likely, and is likely to become my leader, I first endure.

"Well, I'll elaborate on what these three things are."

First look ' know what to do '.

Many product managers don't really know what to do, all day passively coping with the work arranged above, once the work of the Duandun, you will feel idle, even more people will feel nervous, doubt what is wrong, but, as a qualified product manager, how could this happen?

Know what to do, not that you do according to the company defined work to do, to tell the truth, how many of those jobs, the real value of the job is the product manager to work through their own initiative to tell the enterprise in which direction to do is the bright road, rather than confusedly to lead the enterprise astray, or follow a muddled business to the wrong path.

Give me a simple example.

This year, for example, the company plans to make new products then as the product manager of this product, you need to know why to expand the product line, the value of this product, if the horse, whether it will affect the existing products, is positive, or negative, if the impact, what should be done, is to cut existing products , or to stop the new product, or the combination of products, etc., which is what we often say product planning, product planning is not what we understand the design of a new product so simple, product planning, including the development of new products and the optimization of existing products, work is the product mix, The goal is to plan the best market profitability of the product portfolio.

In fact, in this job, the product manager only needs to do three things:

1 Find the problem;

2 Find opportunities;

3 Innovation products.

The first thing to solve is to know what the market needs, for product managers, the problem of the market actually contains endless market demand.

The second thing to solve is how we can find a niche for ourselves, in fact, the problem competitors in the market will also see that they will also be able to tap the demand and how to meet the demand, and we have to do is to find suitable opportunities for our development, as far as possible to reduce the risk of competition and market resistance.

The third thing is based on our own position in the market and the resources of the enterprise to develop this product development ideas, that is, to understand what they can do to meet market demand, solve user problems.

This work can be summed up in a word, is ' product strategy formulation '.

I have a foreigner product manager friend said well:

It's decoupled to does a few things right than a technologists things.

It is better to do the right thing than to do 1 million pieces of uncompleted.

In fact, in our Chinese proverb, it is:

In this work, the product manager should better do the direction of the turtle, nor do the wrong direction of the rabbit.

Of course, if you can do the right direction of the rabbit is better. ”

"Yes, yes, plain and easy, you go on." "It seems that Zhou to my point of view, identify with the good, that I answer the form and content are quite his appetite."

"Look at the second thing: know what to do."

This contains two meanings, the first is the product manager to know how to do some of their own work, the second is to know how to do product team work.

First look at the 1th.

Also take the example of the product portfolio above, for example, now you need to cut the product, as a product manager, you know should be deleted Which?

What do you think? Experience, high level of willingness, or simply lottery?

One of the most direct indicators is to see the profitability of each product, through the product profitability assessment to determine the product cut.

But how many product managers know how to make a profit assessment?

Profit and Loss statement, cost accounting, Sales report, product Manager to evaluate a certain amount of data can be more objective to produce results.

Even so, it is not entirely through the outcome of the assessment to make a decision, but also to see the product life cycle, assuming that the cut, the direct fixed cost of the product will affect the profitability of other products, and so on.

In short, after the objective and subjective analysis, after a qualitative and quantitative assessment, it is possible to arrive at a more reliable conclusion.

This is what product managers need to know about their work.

Look at the 2nd and know how the product team works.

I think that the product manager in the 1th should be professionals, in the 2nd is a generalist.

Because after all, a product from scratch, the link and the staff is really too much, it is unrealistic to expect a product manager to be proficient in the skills of each business segment, but as a product manager must understand, preferably familiar with the knowledge of each business link.

As a simple example, the company will be the annual sales target forecast, it is not exaggerated that this is the most likely to cause contradictions in the company's work.

If it's made from above, the above will look good for the report, or give investors a confidence, usually the sales indicators are relatively high, but if it is by the first line of sales department or individual forecasts, they will be to reduce their risk, easier to complete performance and the data forecast lower.

When this happens, how do you deal with it as a product manager?

Listen to the above, or listen to the following?

"If I, I will listen to the following, after all, they are running in a line, more objective." Zhou replied.

"You're right, usually most product managers think that, but in exchange for me, I will not simply listen to one side, but through their own calculations to make a prediction, you see, this requires you must know how to do sales forecasts, although this skill is a sales level, but you as a product manager, if you do not understand, It is very easy to appear piantingpianxin.

The final result is that the mouse gets into the bellows and ends up not flattering.

Not only that, if the more NB product managers will not only do their own forecasts, but also know how to get more objective data, which requires more methods to complete, such as the use of the Delphi method plus the index translation method plus sales staff law, so that the results are relatively close to objectivity.

If this job is a skill, then the first job is a sense.

In fact, in the ' know how to do ' work, it is essential that the product manager through the product Management professional knowledge and skills, to the enterprise and team to explain how to achieve the first work of the strategy developed, also includes three things:

1 Planning product route;

2 Design product strategy;

3. Formulate an annual plan.

This job is actually a solution to the first job.

Strategy is a kind of guidance, only the formation of feasible programs, guidance is valuable, the strategy can be achieved.

The first thing in fact is to tell the enterprise, our product (line) goals.

The second thing is to tell the enterprise what we should do to achieve our product goals.

The third thing is to tell the enterprise how we can do it step by step. ”

To tell you the truth, by this time, I really want to draw a flowchart for him, but on second thought, if I do, is not that I am a little too self-righteous, after all, I was in the application, the appropriate convergence point, just right on it.

Just as I went on to say the third job, "Let somebody else do it," the door of the conference room opened, and a man, bald and tired, looked as if he hadn't slept for several days.

He said to Zhou, with an accent that could be Hubei or Hunan, "Little Week, go to the big conference room and have a meeting, it's urgent, how long do you have?"

Zhou sorry to look at me and said to the bald head: "Right now, I'll try it." ”

Baldness seemed to have not noticed my presence at all, and the head shrank, and the door closed.

I looked at Zhou with a smile, meaning whether I needed to continue.

Zhou embarrassed to say: "You also saw, the boss called a meeting, it seems to change time to continue to chat, I have time next Wednesday, you convenient?"

My face smiled, but the heart is very unhappy, do not bring such a person's ah, I don't want to wait a week, a day early, my bank card can spend a penny less, I think, tentatively said: "If you are at night sometimes, we can chat on the Internet, do not know how to do?"

Zhou eyes a bright, "Well, I did not think, you say, see you at night?"

"Then 8 points, yes, I only QQ Ah, MSN use is not accustomed to, my number is xxxxxx." ”

We left each other QQ number, then he opened his meeting, I go my way.

At the front desk, unexpected harvest appeared, hr sister, Oh, no, now should be called Guo Sister (of course, just meditation in mind) is the front desk to arrange things, she certainly did not notice me, every day so many people interview, I do not have the appearance of Andy, hair Brother's temperament, There is really no reason for her to impress me.

But looking at her bright back and quite professional manners, I once again to cheer myself: remember, ah-bubble, must come to this company.

Apao Dour:

A bubble said, about the interview, must be a retreat, two-side pragmatic, Guo sister asked those content is a bubble backwards can recite content.

But Zhou asked is more realistic, after all, he is my direct leadership, I estimate, according to his current ideas, must be looking for a can work, therefore, his interview is certainly around the product manager should do what to carry out.

In fact, what the product manager should do, summed up is nothing more than three points:

1 know what to do?

2 know what to do?

3) to do (mainly let others do).

Sounds a bit empty, yes, hehe, Zhou also think so, but you do not worry, this is just an interview skills, first the interviewer's appetite hanging up, and then slowly feed him.

The bubble also knows, these three points many friends can say, but the key is, you can unfold, have the idea, systematically to the three points involved in each of the work and the relationship between them to describe it?

Not to mention the more specific information about the ideas, methods, and tools involved in each job.

You can really prove that you are experienced in product management.

A bubble on the line, Zhou almost was I kan dizzy, to tell the truth, if the bald-headed interrupted the interview, estimated Zhou on the spot on the decision.

Alas, there is no way, in the evening still have to continue the interview on QQ, OK, everyone watch first, I go to prepare for the evening interview.

This article extracts from the yes! Product Manager, a book that incorporates the characteristics of management, tools, and career fiction, the author is the most powerful team in the consulting community of domestic product managers.

This book provides a comprehensive introduction to product management in the form of workplace novels. Product Manager-related knowledge, all the questions and answers are placed in the design of the 101 scenarios, and each episode also has a corresponding relationship between the reader can from the specific plot to not only understand the product management of the complete knowledge, And can deeply feel a product manager's real working condition, from the knowledge point, involves the basic theory, the tool method and the enterprise implementation, from the target reader, involves the individual and the enterprise. The reader can not only understand the complete knowledge of product management from the specific plot trend, but also can deeply feel the real working condition of a product manager.