Biggest Challenges Faced by a Senior Product Manager at a Mid-Size Technology Company
A senior product manager's greatest challenge is managing the constant influx of feature requests, requiring the ability to "very kindly tell them no" while ensuring stakeholders feel heard and understand the reasoning behind decisions. This involves aligning individual requests with overarching product goals to empower stakeholders and foster a collaborative environment.
Communication, Problem-Solving, Project Management, Overcoming Challenges, Leadership
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Vinnie Shahzad
Senior Product Manager
Mid-Size Technology Support Company
UCLA, 2006
N/A
Engineering - Aerospace
Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG)
Product / Service / Software Development and Management
Video Highlights
1. Prioritizing features and saying 'no' to requests while ensuring stakeholders feel heard and understood is a major challenge.
2. Aligning stakeholder requests with product goals is crucial for effective product management.
3. Learning to communicate the reasoning behind decisions is vital for maintaining positive relationships with stakeholders while still managing expectations and resources effectively.
Transcript
What are some of the biggest challenges as a product manager?
The number one challenge for a product manager is that people are always asking you to do things. They'll come to you and say, "I want this feature," or "I want that thing."
Everyone has ideas on how something could be better. I'm sure in your daily life, you use a service like Spotify and think, "I wish it had this feature because it would be better." People come to you with those ideas.
So, you basically have to very kindly tell them no. Learning to say no in a way that leaves them feeling heard and understood is quite the challenge.
But it's really about aligning what they're trying to do with what you're trying to do. This helps them understand why you said no. I think that leaves them feeling empowered and heard, while also understanding your reasoning.