Difference between product manager and project manager

On the Internet, I read an article from a long time ago, I thought it was good, and I reprinted it.





There is a saying that is very incisive:

product managers - rely on thinking. Product managers are doing the right thing, whether the products they lead meet the needs of the market and whether they can bring profits to the company.

Project manager - by doing. Project managers do things right, do things perfectly, and accomplish goals within time, cost, and resource constraints.

From the management point of view, the project manager is vertical, while the product manager is horizontal.



Product managers focus on doing the right thing, on the product life cycle, on whether the product can make money and whether it can continue to make money. Therefore, the product manager must be able to plan the structure and development route of the entire product, be able to determine the positioning and audience of the product, and be able to predict the real value and benefit of the product.

The project manager needs to do the right thing, that is, to do the right thing according to the project goals formulated by the product plan. If the project can be completed according to the target, the project is successful. If the product of the project cannot be truly profitable, it is often a mistake in product planning.

For example, if we understand that a project manager is a project manager of a development department, he must be the management of the development of a certain product, responsible for the development progress, coordination in the development process, supply chain and other development-related issues. The goal is time first, and the establishment of the goal to achieve the first. It does not respect the market demand of the product itself and business logic issues.

In a company, vertical management departments like this are all functional departments, such as the marketing department, which is mainly responsible for promotion, the sales department is mainly responsible for sales, etc., while the product manager is managed horizontally, that is to say, he will be responsible for a certain product or A product line from the business plan, market competition, development, demand, promotion plan, channel strategy, logistics and other aspects. Of course, the product manager is not necessarily the decision maker, and each company has different restrictions on the product manager's authority, but the product manager is an important participant in the product line from start to finish. To be a good product manager requires many talents and skills, and he is also the most suitable position in a company to cultivate the potential of compound talents.

A product manager may not have the right, but a product manager must be good at using the relationship between colleagues and customers to coordinate to promote the development of things. A project is developed by the project manager, and he has the responsibility to achieve the development goals. And this project also belongs to the product manager, who is responsible for the business plan. Therefore, what it means to be a product manager is related to this product, whether it is the development, production, promotion, and sales cost logistics channels are all your problems!

If you want to be a compound talent, choose a product manager, and if you want to be a focused talent, choose a project manager. (Iamsujie added: I have reservations about this sentence, I just do different things, I can't use generalists and specialists to summarize)

Product life cycle and project life cycle

Product life cycle focuses on the entire product from planning to manufacturing, and then to the final The whole process of maintenance and demise. A product is often implemented by multiple projects, and may also be implemented in multiple iteration cycles. Since the project has a specific goal, generally the project life cycle is completed when the product is manufactured and passed the acceptance. The product life cycle is different, including pre-research, evaluation and feasibility studies before the project starts, as well as maintenance and disposal of the product after the project is completed.

Product management and project

management The goal of product management is the product and the product life cycle; while project management is the realization of the project life cycle and project goals. Product management is concerned with products that can really make money and create benefits. Therefore, early project analysis and decision-making and later promotion are very important. Corresponding to product management is portfolio project management. IPD integrated product development is a commonly used methodology for product management, two of which are portfolio project management and R&D process management.

Project management is concerned with the successful completion of the project in accordance with the stated objectives. Which features the product should plan for is not a matter of project management, but a scope input of project management. Project management always focuses on the four elements of schedule, quality, cost and scope. To do a good job in a project, first of all, it is necessary to ensure the stability of the process. In software project management, it is necessary to comprehensively consider the three aspects of engineering, project management and support process, so implementing CMMI or some other agile project management methodologies is an important method to ensure project management results

Another important difference between project managers and product managers is the scope of authorization. The

project manager is generally the person in charge of the authorized contract performance: the

project contract is a legally binding contract document that stipulates the responsibilities, rights and interests of both parties. The main basis for the relationship between the two parties is also the norm that regulates the behavior of both parties under the conditions of a market economy.

The project manager is the company's discretionary agent on the contract project, and handles all major matters in the execution of the contract on behalf of the company, including the implementation of the contract, changes and adjustments, penalties for breach of contract, etc., and is primarily responsible for the execution of the contract.

Of course, depending on the enterprise, whether the boss can give the project manager the corresponding authorization is another matter.

The authorization of the product manager is to ensure the smooth flow of the circulation chain: the

product manager guarantees the smooth flow of the entire circulation chain of the products he is responsible for, starting from upstream creativity and research and development, to procurement, production, to downstream channels and channels, and to end users. Product managers must have product knowledge, market awareness, and coordination skills, such as: finance, after-sales, logistics...


From: http://www.blogbus.com/raychou-logs/62947004.html