TechAbout - Responsibilities
The Product Manager is responsible for managing the product line's profit and loss, effectively acting as the General Manager for the product line. They play a significant role in determining which products to produce and in planning the portfolio for the product line. The Product Manager interacts with executive management as if they are securing funding for development efforts and directs the development efforts of the product team.
The Product Manager oversees all aspects of a product line, including coordinating activities across various departments. This responsibility extends from enhancing the profitability and market penetration of existing products to developing new products for the company.
Key Responsibilities
Plan
- Manage the product line life cycle from strategic planning to tactical activities.
- Develop and implement a company-wide go-to-market plan, overseeing interdepartmental activities to execute plans effectively.
Research
- Specify market requirements for current and future products by conducting market research using multiple channels, supported by ongoing calls and visits to customers and prospects.
Roadmap
- Prepare, maintain, and promote the product roadmap, which defines product enhancements for short- and long-term releases.
- Define the feature roadmap for TechAbout’s products based on business opportunities and market research.
Partner Relationships
- Analyze potential partner relationships for the product.
Budget
- Propose an overall product budget to ensure success.
Pricing
- Monitor and set prices for products in the product line to meet revenue and profitability goals.
Strategy
- Work with sales management and other contributors to evaluate and prioritize opportunities and develop strategies.
- Help develop and deploy key market messages and communication strategies for the product line with the Marketing Support team, including release notes, demonstrations, and improvement reports.
- Collaborate with the technology team to create strategies by which technology will be developed or adapted to meet market needs and leverage opportunities (e.g., Buy/Build decisions).
Guidance
- Create feature descriptions to provide guidance to Business Analysts and contribute to and approve product-related Business Requirements Documents.
Specification
- Validate detailed specifications and development costs against market potential and future predictable revenue.
Vision
- Become a subject matter expert in the product’s market and provide vision and leadership to technology R&D efforts.
Product Launch
- Responsible for product launch and release plans. Coordinate internal and external product launches in collaboration with Marketing Support and Training teams.
Monitoring
- Monitor and analyze new technologies and inform the company of their potential applications to our business. Conduct and lead forward-looking research studies.
Presentations
- Develop and, when necessary, deliver concise and meaningful presentations for internal and external audiences, including education and training of sales staff, training of support groups, train-the-trainer programs, and presentations at symposia, trade shows, and key customer accounts.
Liaison
- Act as a liaison between Sales, Client Services, Marketing Support, and Technology teams to support product positioning and customer demand as part of new Product Development.
Training
- Work with the Training team to develop a product training plan for both internal and external audiences.
- Consult with the Client Services team to ensure appropriate service levels for the product line.
Profit
- Create and maintain profit and loss documentation for products and services.
Last but Not Least
- Act as a product champion within the company.