Most Important Skills For A Product Manager At Levi Strauss And Co.
Kanika, a Product Manager at Levi Strauss & Co., emphasizes the importance of both soft skills, such as "cross-functional leadership" and "over communication," and hard skills for success. A background in coding or software architecture is particularly valuable, as Kanika notes that at a previous role, "70% of [their] day was spent with engineers," highlighting the need for technical understanding to effectively collaborate and build respect within a software development team.
Communication, Problem-Solving, Project Management, Cross-functional Leadership, Technical Proficiency
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Kanika Kapoor
Product Manager
Levi Strauss & Co.
Punjab Technical University
UCLA Anderson school of management- MBA
Engineering - Electrical
Apparel, Beauty, Retail & Fashion
Product / Service / Software Development and Management
Took Out Loans, Immigrant
Video Highlights
1. Effective communication and cross-functional leadership are crucial for influencing stakeholders and building consensus.
2. Strong organizational and problem-solving skills are essential for managing projects and overcoming challenges.
3. Basic knowledge of coding or software architecture can significantly improve collaboration with engineers and enhance your understanding of the technical aspects of product development.
Transcript
What skills are most important for a job like yours?
Thanks for asking. Let's start with soft skills. A product manager needs to be a friendly person equipped with skills like negotiation and persuasion.
Product managers often wield indirect influence, especially before they have direct reports. They work with many stakeholders, influencing them indirectly by asking the right questions. This requires strong cross-functional leadership and communication.
A good product manager overcommunicates and checks in frequently with stakeholders. They are great delegators and organizers, and good at project management. They also lead by example, addressing problems promptly.
Even when the problem isn't directly related to their hard skills, like an engineer having an issue with code, a product manager must guide them. This might involve prioritizing tasks or reducing scope if something proves impossible.
In terms of hard skills, some knowledge of coding, programming, or the environment programmers work in is beneficial. A general understanding of software architecture always helps.
At PayPal, for example, about 70% of my day was spent with engineers, speaking their technical language. Knowing what they do and understanding their conversations is incredibly helpful.
You don't want to be in a meeting where you don't understand what's being discussed. This understanding also helps you win over your software engineers, earning their respect. They won't just see you as a business leader, but as someone who understands their challenges. As mentioned, product managers sit at the intersection of business and software, so knowing both is almost expected, depending on the product's technical nature.