Now you know who a Product Manager (PM) is, you know they are kind of a big deal in the world of tech and business, but what exactly do they do? If you’re imagining someone walking around with a clipboard telling people what to do, you’re only half right. PMs do a lot more than that—they’re the glue that holds teams together and the driving force behind making sure a product gets built, launched, and improved. Let’s break it down in simple terms, perfect for beginners.

What Does a Product Manager Do?

Think of a Product Manager as the captain of a ship. The captain doesn’t row the boat(that’s the team’s job), but they make sure everyone is rowing in the right direction. PMs don’t necessarily write code, design logos, or handle marketing campaigns, but they’re responsible for making sure all these things come together smoothly. In short, a PM turns an idea into a real, usable product and ensures that product solves a

problem for the people who need it.

Key Responsibilities of a Product Manager

Here are the main things a Product Manager is responsible for:

1. Understanding the User’s Needs:
   A good PM always starts with the user. What problem are you trying to solve? Whether it's someone in India who needs an easy way to book train tickets or a small business owner in South Africa who needs a better accounting app, the PM’s job is to understand the customer’s needs deeply. They gather feedback from users to ensure the product actually makes life easier
2. Defining the Product Vision
   Once the PM knows what the user wants, they set the vision for the product. Think of this as the blueprint or roadmap for what the product will look like and how it will function. It’s like an architect drawing up plans for a house before the builders start working.
3. Creating the Product Roadmap
   The PM then creates a step-by-step plan (called a roadmap) that shows how the product will be built over time. This is like planning a long road trip: you figure out all the stops (features), the time it’ll take (deadlines), and the destination (the final product).
4. Working with Teams
   A PM doesn’t work alone. They’re constantly talking to developers, designers, and marketers to ensure everyone is on the same page. For example, if you’re building a budgeting app for people in Kenya, you’ll need to work with developers to make sure the app works offline, designers to make it user-friendly, and marketers to let people know it exists.
5. Prioritizing Features
   PMs have to decide which features get built first. You can’t do everything at once, so they prioritize what’s most important. If you’re working on a shopping app for users in the U.S., the PM might decide that having a smooth checkout process is more urgent than adding a wish list feature.
6. Measuring Success
   Once the product is live, the PM’s job isn’t over. They track how users are interacting with the product and see if it’s solving the problem it was supposed to solve. If it’s not, the PM gathers feedback and makes improvements.

Why It’s an Important Role

Without a PM, things would get chaotic. Teams could end up working on different things, users’ needs might get overlooked, and the product wouldn’t come together as a cohesive whole. The PM is like the conductor of an orchestra, ensuring every part comes together to create something amazing.