The product manager gathers requirements and assigns them a priority as well as establishing the vision for the product that needs to be developed. The project manager, on the other hand, implements this vision and makes sure that it is completed on schedule and on budget. Certainly complementary duties, but also separate at the same time.
Let's start with defining the terms "product" and "project" in order to resolve their disparities.
A product can be anything that serves the needs of a group of people, whether a physical item, software, or a service. It goes through a life cycle in which it is created, released onto the market, accepted until it reaches maturity, and then retired when it is no longer required.
A project is a one-off effort to develop a good or service. It has a start and finish date as well as a predetermined result. Initiation, planning, execution, monitoring and control, and closing are the typical five steps.
Project managers' and product managers' career pathways
Both project managers and product managers follow similar paths to success; in fact, project managers can advance to become product managers.
It's typical to gain experience and skills before becoming a product manager, although some people may do it right out of college. Product managers frequently come from backgrounds in marketing or business operations since they need to have a strong understanding of both company demands and customer needs. Product managers could advance to senior product management or vice president of products.
On the other hand, project managers frequently start out in the business world. As an illustration, a project manager for software development might first work as a developer for a while.
They could also start off as a project coordinator or associate project manager. Product managers, senior project managers, and directors of project management are all roles that former project managers can advance to.
However, keep in mind that these two sectors are relatively new and quite versatile. Being a project manager or product manager can be achieved in a variety of ways.
Skills
For both product managers and project managers, human skills, also known as soft skills, are crucially important. You’ll also need some specialized technical knowledge.
Product manager skills:
- Data analysis
- Market assessment
- Price modeling
- Basic user experience (UX) knowledge
- Basic business knowledge
Project manager skills:
- Knowledge of project management approaches like Scrum, Agile, and Waterfall
- Risk management
- Project management tools like Asana or Gantt charts
- Basic budgeting
Certifications
To work as a project manager or product manager, certifications are not necessary. However, they could provide you a competitive advantage when applying for jobs; in some cases, they might be necessary. Certifications in product management are less frequent than those in project management.
The following are typical project manager certifications:
- Project Management Professional (PMP)
- Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)
- Certified ScrumMaster (CSM)
- Professional Scrum Master (PSMI)
Product manager certifications are available as well. These include:
- Product School - Product Manager Certificate
- Pragmatic Institute - Certified Product Manager
- AIPMM Certified Product Manager Credential
