In the ever-evolving landscape of the tech industry, the roles and responsibilities associated with product management have been diversified to cater to the specific needs of organizations. One such prominent role that has gained prominence in recent years is that of a “Technical Product Manager” (TPM). But what does a TPM do, and how is this role different from a traditional Product Manager (PM) or a Product Owner (PO)? Let’s dive in.
What is a Technical Product Manager?
At its core, a Technical Product Manager bridges the gap between the technical and non-technical sides of product development. They possess a deep understanding of the technological aspects of the product, coupled with the business acumen to drive product strategy. In essence, they’re equipped to make decisions not just based on market needs or user feedback, but also on the technological feasibility and implications of those decisions.
Comparing Roles: TPM vs. PM vs. PO
Technical Product Manager (TPM):
- Primary Focus: Technical feasibility, architecture, and integration of products.
- Responsibilities: Understanding technological challenges, working closely with engineering teams, ensuring that the technical aspects align with the product vision, and sometimes even delving into code or design details.
- Skillset: A blend of technical knowledge (often from a software engineering or related background) and product management skills.
Product Manager (PM):
- Primary Focus: Overall product strategy, roadmap, and market fit.
- Responsibilities: Researching market needs, defining product vision, creating roadmaps, and ensuring that the product meets business objectives.
- Skillset: Strong market research, analytical, and leadership skills. Technical knowledge is a bonus but not always mandatory.
Product Owner (PO):
- Primary Focus: Detailed product features and their delivery.
- Responsibilities: Managing the product backlog, detailing user stories, accepting or rejecting work results, and ensuring that the development team delivers value to the business.
- Skillset: Detail-oriented with a deep understanding of the product and its users. Often works closely with agile development teams.
Intersection of the roles:
All these roles, while distinct in their primary objectives and responsibilities, intersect in several key areas:
- Data Analysis: All three roles heavily rely on data analysis. Whether it’s a TPM assessing system performance, a PM gauging market trends, or a PO evaluating user feedback, data-driven decision-making is crucial. They need to derive insights from metrics, user behavior, and market research to refine product features and direction.
- Collaboration: Each of these roles necessitates collaborating with cross-functional teams, from developers and designers to marketers and stakeholders. Effective communication is key to ensuring that the product vision is understood and realized by all.
- User-Centric Focus: Irrespective of their primary focus, all three roles must keep the end-user in mind. They play pivotal roles in ensuring that the product delivers real value to its users while meeting business objectives.
Advantages & Disadvantages of Being a TPM
Advantages:
- Technical Edge: A TPM can effectively communicate with development teams, understanding both the challenges and possibilities.
- Broader Opportunities: Combining technical and management skills can open doors to various roles, from engineering to strategy.
- Increased Influence: With a firm grasp over technical and business aspects, a TPM can influence product decisions more holistically.
Disadvantages:
- Juggling Dual Roles: Balancing technical details and product strategy can sometimes be overwhelming.
- Niche Focus: Being too technical might sometimes alienate a TPM from broader business discussions or strategy.
- Expectation to Know Everything: There’s sometimes an implicit expectation that a TPM will have answers to all technical questions, which isn’t always realistic.
Paving the Path to Becoming a Technical Product Manager
If the role of a TPM intrigues you, here’s a roadmap to embark on this journey:
- Technical Foundation: Begin with a strong technical background. This could be in the form of a computer science degree, coding bootcamp, or hands-on engineering experience.
- Understand Product Management: Familiarize yourself with the fundamentals of product management. Books, courses, and mentorships can be instrumental.
- Gain Experience: Start with roles that offer a blend of technical and business responsibilities. This could be as a business analyst, technical consultant, or even a developer with close ties to product teams.
- Network: Connect with existing TPMs, attend industry events, and become a part of product management communities to learn and get noticed.
Conclusion
The role of a Technical Product Manager is a testament to the dynamic nature of the tech industry. It’s ideal for those who wish to leverage their technical knowledge while steering product direction. As with any role, it comes with its set of challenges, but for the right individual, it can be an immensely rewarding career path.
Are you currently working in, or interested in learning more about one of these roles? Share your thoughts below!
2 Responses
Hi Mike, Very well structured write-up.
Follow up question(s) – for the three roles you have mentioned, who do you believe is their primary customer? Is it different for the three roles, or is it the same customer? If it is the same customer, should the roles be blended?
Hey Prateek. That’s a really good question.
Let’s look at this from the normal breakdown of how large business have tended to define the roles (primarily since the advent of SAFe):
Product Manager – Typically on the phone/floor with the end customer. That’s why they’re typically responsible for the overall strategy and roadmap of the products
Product Owner – (In the context of a larger organization that has both PMs and POs) The POs customers in this context tend to be internal stakeholders, such as the Product Managers. The Product Managers will have met with the end user, determined what is needed, and then convey that to the PO, who in turn translates this into deliverables for the engineering team. The PO is typically responsible for balancing the requests of multiple PMs or stakeholders, so being able to manage priority and maintain the backlog is their primary responsibility.
Technical Product Manager – Continuing with the contextual theme of a larger organization, the TPM is frequently interchanged with a Product Owner, but theoretically has more of a technical background. Their customers would be the same as the Product Owner. Sometimes, a TPM may be more involved in drawing up technical diagrams to share with the team, and translate those to the internal stakeholders.