Let’s be honest, as a product manager, you find yourself in a really tough spot when your friends and family ask you that dreaded question – “So, what does a product manager do?”. Heck, people within the tech domain also can’t properly explain what Product Management is and what does a product manager do? And a lot of times, product managers themselves can’t properly explain what they do (and thus, the high level of Impostor Syndrome among product managers). Over the years, I have (or at least I think I have) been able to successfully explain my job role to my mother. So here is my 2 cents to fellow product managers trying to explain their job to the world without feeling like a total con man.
P.S. Our assumption here is that we are dealing with someone who isn’t familiar with the know-how of the tech world. And thus, at times, some of the concepts below may seem too obvious to you but try to think of it from the perspective of a complete outsider.
Step 1 – The “short and simple” explanation
Don’t overload your family with complex Product Management concepts at the beginning itself. They won’t get it in the first attempt for sure. Don’t even think of bringing up that Venn diagram where Product manager sits at the intersection of business, design and technology. Just give them a simple and short explanation to build some credibility and comfort first. For me, during the initial few years, the go-to answer has been “I make Software”. I know that it is not entirely accurate as product managers don’t code but at the same time it is not completely false as well since product managers do help create software by defining what the software should do.
Next, sooner or later, you’ll be asked some variation of “But you don’t code. So how do you make software then?”. Time for step 2.
Step 2 – Explain how Software is made
Now, without getting into too many details, you just have to communicate the concept of how a software is made. I usually explain it as –
- There should be someone who can define what the software should do. For e.g. – should it help you buy stuff online, book a cab or watch a movie etc. These are the product managers.
- There should be someone who can actually write the code to create the software as per the requirements defined above. These are the software engineers.
To make it simple, try to use an analogy with some other profession which is more relatable to them. I usually use one of the below 2 –
Making a movie
- There are “Actors”, who act and are the face of the movie for most of the people. And then,
- There are “Directors”, who decides the storyline, cast the actor, guides them and works with them to make sure that everyone plays their role to perfection.
A product manager is more like a “Director” for the software.
House Construction
- There is an architect who designs the blueprint of a building – how many floors it should have, how many rooms should each floor have, size of each room, where should the kitchen be etc. etc. And then,
- There are contractors who, along with their team, carries out the task of actually building the house as per the architect’s design.
A product manager is more like an architect in this example.
Feel free to use any other profession if it helps your case.
Step 3 – Time for the details
Now that you have briefly explained your role as a product manager, it’s time to get into the finer details of product management. Now you have to try and explain your product (aka Software) to your family. There is no set framework for this. However, it would really help your case if they have already used your product (or a competitor’s product) in some capacity. If not, then try to make them use your product if possible. Next, try and explain them –
- Who are the users of your product?
- What problem does your product solve?
- Most importantly, how does your company make money (or plan to make money) through this product?
However, just try to keep things at a high level without getting into too many details. Remember, you are not trying to hire them for your team. You are just trying to explain your work life (which is at least one-third of your life) to them so that you both can connect better and have much more meaningful conversations. And believe you me, when you get to a state where you can freely talk about your work with your family, it brings a totally different level of satisfaction and peace of mind.
P.S. The above steps got the job done for me in the past. They are not guaranteed to work with every individual. However, it’s worth a shot.
Did you find this helpful? Is there some other approach that has worked for you to explain product management? Let us know in the comments or through our social media.