Biggest Challenges Faced by a Product Manager at ChargePoint
Kevin's biggest challenge as a Product Manager at ChargePoint is juggling competing priorities and "saying no," a skill crucial for navigating conflicting demands from executives, customers, and internal departments to effectively prioritize projects. The ability to balance these competing interests and make difficult prioritization decisions is key to success in this role.
Project Management, Prioritization, Decision-Making, Communication, Overcoming Challenges
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Kevin Chung
Product Manager
ChargePoint
Cornell University 2011
UCLA MBA
Political Science, American Studies
Energy & Utilities, Technology
Product / Service / Software Development and Management
Honors Student, Scholarship Recipient, Took Out Loans, Greek Life Member, LGBTQ, Student Athlete
Video Highlights
1. Prioritization and saying 'no': A product manager faces constant requests and must prioritize effectively, often saying no to less critical projects.
2. Balancing competing demands: The role involves juggling multiple projects, internal stakeholders, and customer needs, requiring strong organizational and communication skills.
3. Understanding company and customer needs: Effective product management necessitates understanding the priorities of both the company and its customers, navigating the competing demands of both to make informed decisions.
Transcript
What is your biggest challenge in your current role?
The biggest challenge in my role is juggling multiple priorities and requests that come to a product manager's plate. This is challenging because the company might prioritize project X after an angry customer emails the CEO. That email then gets forwarded, eventually reaching me.
I then have to ask if that urgent request is more important than a project we've been working on for the past four or five months. While this is a single example, imagine juggling twenty, thirty, or even more projects simultaneously.
The ability to say "no" is a significant challenge in a product manager's role. In sales, the goal is to get a "yes," but in product management, it's almost the opposite. You have to tell someone "no," but explain why.
You must be very aware of priorities, company goals, and customer needs. This involves going back and forth between different internal departments who are also vying for attention and stating what they believe is important.