In the previous article, we defined what a Product is.
Now that you understand what a product is, let’s answer two key questions:
- What is product management?
- Who is a product manager?
What Is Product Management?
Product management is the process of planning, developing, launching, and managing a product or service. It covers the entire lifecycle, from the initial idea to post-launch iterations.
ProductPlan defines Product Management as the practice of strategically driving the development, market launch, and continual support and improvement of a company’s products.
Organizations need a structured approach to product development. Without it, ideas remain ideas. Product management provides that structure.
At its core, product management ensures that:
- Products solve real customer problems.
- Business goals align with product goals.
- Development teams build the right features.
- Products reach the market efficiently.
- Continuous improvements keep products relevant.
The process starts with an idea. Someone identifies a market gap, a pain point, or an opportunity. The next step? Validating whether the problem is worth solving.
Validation includes:
- Market research
- Customer interviews
- Competitive analysis
- Data insights
Once validated, the product moves into development. This involves collaboration across teams—design, engineering, marketing, sales, and customer support. Each function plays a role, but product management connects them all.
After launch, the work isn’t over. Product management includes post-launch monitoring, gathering user feedback, analyzing performance, and making improvements.
Successful products don’t happen by accident. Product management ensures they are built with intention, strategy, and execution.
Who Is a Product Manager?
A product manager (PM) is responsible for guiding a product’s success. They connect customer needs, business objectives, and technology to build valuable products.
According to Coursera, A product manager focuses on product strategy to create, distribute, sell, and obtain feedback on a specific product or service. Read more to see if a career in product management may be right for you.
Atlassian defines a product manager as someone who:
- Identifies customer needs
- Aligns product goals with business objectives
- Defines success metrics
- Leads teams to deliver the product
Ideas can come from anywhere—executives, board members, frontline employees, or customers. But ideas alone aren’t enough. Someone must refine them, prioritize them, and drive execution. That’s the role of the product manager.
In digital and software industries, the product manager operates at the intersection of:
- Customer needs – Understanding pain points and desired solutions
- Business goals – Ensuring the product aligns with revenue, growth, and strategy
- Technology – Working with engineering teams to build functional solutions
The PM doesn’t write code or design interfaces. Instead, they ensure teams are solving the right problems.
Key Responsibilities of a Product Manager
- Strategy – Defining product vision, goals, and success metrics
- Research – Understanding customers, competitors, and market trends
- Roadmapping – Prioritizing features and planning development timelines
- Execution – Working with engineering and design to bring ideas to life
- Go-to-Market – Collaborating with marketing, sales, and support teams
- Iteration – Using data and feedback to improve the product post-launch
Why Product Management Matters
Without product management, teams risk building products that:
- Don’t solve real problems
- Take too long to launch
- Are difficult to market
- Fail to generate business value
Good product managers balance customer needs, business goals, and technical constraints. They make sure products deliver value—not just features.
Every successful product has a strong product manager behind it.
In the next article, we will go indepthly into What Product Managers Do on a daily basis so that You can have a more concise understanding of what the Product Manager Role/Job entails.
Oluwaseun Ogunmola
Product Manager
Digital Project Manager
