Product backlogs are an invaluable way to gather ideas and capture inbound bugs from other stakeholders in the organization.

Not only that, as product managers, we heavily rely on our backlogs. We use backlogs to determine what’s ready to be loaded into the next sprint, what ideas need more grooming, and which initiatives should be postponed.

Yet, one of the problems with product backlogs is that they overflow very quickly. Ideas get placed in the backlog, and endless streams of tickets come in through all corners of the organization – yet, very few of these tickets ever get reviewed.

A disorganized backlog is a backlog that slows down the development team and causes confusion to stakeholders. Therefore, healthy backlogs are incredibly valuable. Continue Reading

This article is a sequel to our popular post, Day in the Life of a Product Manager.

There are many different flavors of product management, especially since product manager responsibilities depend greatly on the industry, company, business model, and product.

Due to this variability, there is a wide range of day-to-day activities, but ultimately a product manager is still responsible for doing whatever it takes to collaborate with multiple teams and move different conversations towards closure.

That being said, there are a few general buckets of product managers, mostly based on business model and product ownership.

Below, we’ve provided an example of day-to-day activities for a platform product manager. Continue Reading

This article is a sequel to our popular post, Day in the Life of a Product Manager.

There are many different flavors of product management, especially since product manager responsibilities depend greatly on the industry, company, business model, and product.

Due to this variability, there is a wide range of day-to-day activities, but ultimately a product manager is still responsible for doing whatever it takes to collaborate with multiple teams and move different conversations towards closure.

That being said, there are a few general buckets of product managers, mostly based on business model and product ownership.

Below, we’ve provided an example of day-to-day activities for a business-to-business (B2B) product manager. Continue Reading

If you’re reading this article, congratulations! You’ve pulled together a compelling resume, you’ve studied your behavioral questions, you’ve practiced your case questions, you aced your phone interviews, and you wowed your hiring manager during your on-site interview. You’re now a Product Manager! It’s a big deal, so be sure to take the time to celebrate your accomplishments.

As a new product manager, it’s critical to ensure success starting on day 1, and to set the foundation for strong future performance. Here’s the guide that I wish I had when I first became a product manager.

Note that it may look long and daunting – don’t try to do everything at once! Take it one piece at a time, and celebrate your success as you go. Continue Reading

As a product manager, you might work at a product organization that works with remote teams. For example, I’ve worked with software development teams based out of India and China.

On top of the typical challenges of product management, remote development poses its own unique set of challenges to navigate.

Let’s talk through 1) why remote development can be beneficial, 2) what the challenges of remote development are, and 3) how to mitigate these challenges.

Why Remote Development?

One of the largest costs for any software organization is the salaries that they pay. After all, the business model for software basically converts human time (a fixed cost) into software (an asset), which is then monetized through various means such as advertising and licensing. Continue Reading