In the past few years i have been working as the Project and Product Manager of several major portals, or products in other words. I launched a major lookalike site which was later sold to a high profile ISP and then I built onto an online radio, CrazeFm, which within three years won the best and most popular radio award. The ups and downs have taught me as to how to take a product and work on it to make it attractive for the end-market.
I will share three simple tips, as its a vast topic you can start off with these as well:-
1- Know very well the difference between a Product Manager and a Project Manager. Where a Project Manager is more or less connected to the way a product will be done and how to reach the goal, the Product Manager is purely connected to the product itself. Lots of people confuse the two and end up not knowing as to who does what.
2- Find out about your market and try to make a product that goes beyond everyone’s expectations. Just make sure you have thought through how it should be done since it’s sometimes easier to think about something then to sit down and do it. Plan it well.
3- WORK with your team. So what if your title includes the word “Manager”, as long as you are not related to Batman you have to work along with everyone in your team, not forgetting that the element of mutual respect will be the foundation of your success. Give them easy and doable tasks, and lead them, don’t assume they know what you are thinking.
Good luck 🙂