With the rapid development of technology, the world of digital products has changed amazingly. The new demands of users and their increasing desire to enjoy technology and its services on the one hand and the unparalleled competition of providers of digital products and services on the other hand, along with the daily growth of the technology market; It has caused new roles, duties, and jobs to emerge. Jobs that probably didn’t exist in the last decade.
Among the attractive, key, and of course very sensitive and responsible roles of companies that provide digital goods and services or require digital facilities to provide their physical products, is Digital Product Manager. This role, especially with the application of concepts and expertise such as user experience and interaction design (UX / UI), attracts more and more attention every day among business owners and also people who are interested in this field.
In this context, the digital product manager, his role, and his duties in the product design process are discussed in detail.
Table of Contents
Who is the digital product manager?
The product manager is responsible for planning, designing, developing, and launching new products to the market. His goal is to make the product successful in marketing and sales. The digital product manager has the same responsibility for digital products. In other words, he must manage digital products from design to market launch, and his ultimate goal is to make the product successful in marketing and sales.
Digital products include software tools, applications, websites and applications, and any other digital product that is developed and used electronically.
What are the skills of a digital product manager?
Several core skills are required to succeed as a digital product manager. Digital products differ from physical products in several fundamental aspects. For this reason, a digital product manager must have several skills in addition to those of a product manager to be successful. Below are the skills that a product manager needs from both skill sets.
Skills that all product managers (including digital product managers) should have:
1. Strategic planning
All product managers must be able to take a project overview and look ahead. Then use this capability to determine their plans and goals and the cross-functional team.
A multi-specialty or multi-disciplinary team refers to a group whose members are from different areas and specializations, and with cooperation and interaction in the form of a team, they implement a project or reach a common goal. In other words, a team that, in addition to expertise and experience in their field, also can cooperate with other members. These teams are usually formed to solve complex problems and challenges that require different expertise.
2. Prioritize
Product managers, even in companies with large budgets, must work with limited resources and complete the project. Also, they have limited time to devote to each project. For this reason, product managers must be able to identify the correct priorities and add them to their product roadmap.
3. Research and analysis
Successful product managers need excellent research skills to review physical and digital products. Managers must find relevant data and turn this data into information that will help improve their products.
Skills that digital product managers should have:
Digital product managers must have a different set of skills to oversee digital products.
1. Quick setup and regular updates
Today’s digital product managers have no choice but to embrace agile principles in product management. These principles make more practical and high-quality products available to users in shorter periods. This means that the digital product team needs to put small product updates on their regular schedule.
2. Design thinking
User experience is one of the fundamental components of a digital product. The best software or mobile app will fail if its user interface and user experience are confusing. A digital product manager must know how to create a product user experience that is intuitive and usable. That is why he must have developed Design Thinking.
3. Analysis of Usage Data
Digital product managers have a comparative advantage over product managers who oversee physical goods. Because digital product managers track data that shows how people use their products and what is considered an advantage or a disadvantage. Digital product managers must have the skills to read and interpret analyzable product data. Because they can use this insight to improve their products.
The term Product Analytics refers to receiving and analyzing quantitative data through various tools that record and analyze how users interact with a product.
This type of usage data may include the most frequently used features of a product, the average time users spend on a specific action, and a map of each user’s journey through the use of the product.
What are the responsibilities and duties of a digital product manager?
The specific responsibilities of a digital product manager may vary from company to company. But the responsibilities that follow are the minimum duties that are included in the job description of a digital product manager:
- Lead the development of a digital product (or a set of these products),
- Market analysis to ensure that the product maintains its advantages over its competitors.
- Understanding the personality (persona) of the user and the buyer and providing a unique value proposition to each,
- Monitor, analyze, and act on key product analytics, continuous product improvement, increased retention rates, and increased customer lifetime value (LTV);
- Creating and prioritizing the strategic product roadmap.
What is the difference between a digital product manager and a digital project manager?
People often confuse product manager with project manager jobs. These titles look almost the same, but their roles are very different.
Digital Product Manager
Digital Product Manager is a strategic position. Its role focuses on product vision, main goals, and identifying product-market fit. He is also in charge of guiding them toward the strategic goal in coordination with the multi-specialty team.
Product-market fit refers to a situation where a company’s target customers buy and use that company’s product effectively. Customers don’t just buy the product, they also recommend others to buy the product. This behavior is very effective in the profitability and growth of the product.
Digital Project Manager
This role is mainly tactical. The digital project manager oversees the steps and resources required (such as financial and human resources) to complete the project within the specified time frame and using the budget allocated for the project.
These two roles may work together to bring a successful digital product to market and continue to work together to improve the product.