A Smart Bear · Jason Cohen
articleprincipleThe "Great" Product Manager, a.k.a. the Impossible Product Manager
23 April 2022Profit
Source excerpt
About A Smart BearAccording to the internet, being a Product Manager is impossible. Can you ever measure up? No. But don't worry, there's a better answer.
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Apollo layer
What a founder can learn
Founder takeaway
Don’t define a “great” product manager by piling every desirable trait into one impossible role. Set context-specific expectations around the product’s current needs and judge performance against those priorities.
Why it matters
An unrealistic role specification creates poor hiring decisions, unfair evaluations, and scattered ownership. Clear priorities help founders hire complementary strengths and give product leaders a fair basis for succeeding.
Put it to work
What are the three outcomes your product manager must drive in the next six months—and which commonly requested capabilities are explicitly not priorities right now?
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