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How Technical Do Product Managers Need to Be?

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how technical do product managers need to be

Product managers are the ones to make sure that the product is successful. Often people ask how technical do product managers need to be? Do you need to code or have a computer science degree?

TLDR; No. Interviewers rarely ask technical questions to gauge how empathetic you are with engineering. You don’t need to code or have a computer science degree, but you need to know how software is developed. 

What Do Product Managers Do?

To see how technical skills are used let’s look at the PM’s responsibilities. Product Managers take care of all aspects of the product, from start to finish. The cliche “0 to 1” everyone talks about. The responsibilities of a product manager include:

  • Defining the needs and wants of customers
  • Developing a product strategy
  • Execution and communication with stakeholders
  • Managing timelines
  • Planning and overseeing marketing campaigns and product launches
  • Gathering feedback from customers

You’ll spend most of your time doing this work. Do any of these Product Management responsibilities sound awfully technical to you? Not really. In the execution piece, you’ll need to work with the engineers, but typically an Engineering Manager will take care of their team. For a sense of how technical a Product Manager needs to be, check out the list of engineering-related product interview questions.

how technical you need to be Product Manager

Why Do Product Managers Need Technical Skills?

Product managers don’t have to be technical experts, but they do need some technical skills to communicate better with engineers and designers. Technical skills will help them create better products and ensure that these products meet customer expectations. The basic technical skills will confirm you don’t ask for unreasonable tasks from engineering, give wild timelines or create extra frustration. Empathy with engineering is the main reason to have technical skills as a product manager. 

Technical Soft Skills

Communicating Technical Tradeoffs – As a PM You will need to talk through the tradeoffs of two engineering solutions. Why is one better than the other in terms of effort, launch time, and solving the solution among other considerations.

Understanding Feasibility and Timing – Do you make promises to customers that engineering cant fulfill. Do you understand how long each requirement takes to build? Having a general understanding will cause less frustration overall.

Root Cause Analysis – When something goes wrong, can you help track down the problem. There are a lot of teams involved in building a software product, but understanding the architecture will help you solve any bugs that come up. You’re not solving the bugs but you need to know why and who to talk to when they do come up. Engineers will rely on you to talk to other teams and push them to investigate.

If your engineers think you're there bossing them around, you're going to have a bad time. You want to avoid thoughts like, "who are they to tell me what to do? They know nothing about software development".

Do You Need To Know Coding As a Product Manager?

Product Managers that learn coding is next-level hardcore. Though when people think of “technical skills” they jump to think about coding. Knowing how to code can help you get better at your job, but it does not necessarily mean that you need to know programming languages to do your job well. Again, this is so you can chat with your Engineering team and have a common bond. 

Like dating, you’re looking for a common hobby or topic that both of you are passionate about. That “oh they understand me, that’s nice” feeling. If you do learn coding, respect. You can learn how engineering builds software without learning to code. 

What Technical Skills are required for Product Managers?

The level of technical knowledge depends on the size and scope of the company and the type of product created. If you work for a small company 50 person company developing an app, then it may be necessary to know how to code to manage your product successfully. If you work at a large company that develops software or hardware products, you usually have no input in the development process. A large architect and engineering team handle all the engineering work. For large companies, you can be less technical. Except for Google, of course, they have an in-depth system design or core cs concepts as an interview round. 

Product managers work with engineers daily. They do regular standups with the engineering team to discuss their progress and any roadblocks they might be facing. Product Managers also have regular requirements meetings with Engineers to understand what needs to be built next. Check out the types of interview questions that will test your “technical” skills.

Product Management Technical Skillz To Consider

SQL

Learning SQL is a good and easy way to learn the basics of coding and executing a set of instructions. SQL can also get you familiar with the data analytics side of Product Management.

Python

Python is both used for data and in the development of apps. This is one step up from SQL and a bit more involved to learn but will expose you to what real coding is about.

Technical Writing and Documentation

Technical writing and documentation are a necessary “evil” of software development. No one really wants to do it but it has to be done. You will rarely need to get involved as a Product Manager, but it would be good to know and understand a core aspect of software development.

Technical Diagramming

As a Product Manager, you will be asked to help with technical diagramming at some point. There are varying levels of details but knowing how to convey what you’re building to both engineers and leadership is a crucial skill. Going down to the engineering level of detail with diagramming is a respected skill to have.

via GIPHY

What Is The Best Way To Learn Coding As A Product Manager?

A Product Manager that wants to learn to code? Nice. The best way to learn coding as a product manager is to start with the core CS basics. It is important for product managers to understand the basics of coding. The good news is that anyone can learn to code, no matter their background. Resources like Free Code Camp can get you started for free.

Technical Skills Needed For Product Manager

See, there’s nothing to worried about. Many companies don’t even have a technical round. Check out how you can update your resume to reflect your technical and other PM skills. Also, check out our master list of books and videos to upskill your Product Management Skills.

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