90% of people don’t know the difference between a Product Manager vs a Project Manager – but the differences are fairly simple – a must know for any PM!
Wouldn’t you like to be in the esteemed 10% club?
Product Manager and Project Manager refer to two completely different roles within most organizations.
Learn the roles and responsibilities of product management.
If you don’t know the difference, you may end up stepping into the other person’s job.
And you don’t want to end up doing something for which you are not prepared.
In addition to the below, you also need to have a good strategy in place. Strategies such as Google’s OKR Framework can immensely help you to identify the right opportunities. Learn how to grab opportunities like Warren Buffett!
Reality – Product vs Project Manager
Almost all major companies advertise positions for both Product Mangers and Project Managers.
To complicate matters further, post people use the two terms interchangeably! But just because other people make mistakes, there is no reason for you to make the same mistakes.
In fact, one of the key skills of a great Product Manager is their ability to understand the underlying meaning of any conversation. But don’t forget the KISS principle!
To make sure you understand these critical differences, first make yourself familiar with the concepts of Agile Methodology.
Do you know what makes Elon Musk a boss Product Manager?
Facts
But first, I want to let you in on a little secret. According to the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) – there is no such thing as a Project Manager!
Mind blown?
Ok, its not that there is no such thing as a Project Manager.
Most of these frameworks simply use the term “Scrum Master” instead of Project Manager.
But that’s ok.
No matter what the term, you should know the definitions and key differences.
Speaking of Scrum, check out the top 15 benefits of Scrum.
Also, are you aware of the top 15 benefits of Kanban?
You will notice that a pure agile company will never advertise for a Project Manager position.
However, given the fact that many large traditional companies do advertise for Project Managers, you must know the differences. More often than not, most corporates talk about a Scrum Master when they use the term Project Manager.
Key Differences – Product and Project Manager
This would also be a great time to make sure you are not confused between Product Manager vs Product Owner.
As a meaningful Product Manager, it is your job to drive clarity in your respective organisations or scrum teams.
You can also use excellent tools like Jira to better drive results.
| Product Manager | Project Manager |
| Gathers requirements from stakeholders by conducting interviews | Breaks down requirements into small tasks for the developers |
| Keeps track at a “Feature” level | Keeps track at a “Task” level |
| Creates the Product Roadmap | Creates timelines for deliverables |
| Presents final Product to Business | Demoes deliverables to Product |
There you go! You now know what to look for in a Product Manager job description. What about project management for product managers? That is also a common ask if a dedicated project manager is not available.
A project manager is also referred to as a program manager in many organisations. So when somebody says “program manager vs project manager”, tell them that those two terms are synonyms. The right question to ask is for product manager vs project manager.
This is also a good time to check out the top 9 courses for product management.
Key Common Skills
However, some of the necessary skills are common to both the roles
The way in which you apply those skills is, however, different.
For example, do you know how to communicate like a Product Manager?
Communication is equally important in project management.
In fact, most of the times, the Product Manager and the Project Manager work in tandem to keep the machine running smoothly.
You know what they say –
It takes two to tango
Let’s take a look at another example.
Both Product Managers and Project Managers need to know the top leadership skills and the top team management skills.
In fact, both are required to influence people.
But, how do you influence people who are more senior to you or who don’t report to you directly? That is an art that needs to be learned.
Check out how to influence without authority.
Key Common Tools
In addition to common skills, there is another thing that is fairly common to both product management and project management.
These are your key tools.
For example, Jira is an extremely popular tool amongst both professions.
If you belong to a traditional non-tech corporate, then you maybe using tools like Rally, wherein both Product Managers and Project Managers are required.
Check out the list of top 10 tools for PMs.
Another example is the need to fully understand the product life cycle (PLC).
At different stages of the product life cycle, different needs to be addressed by both.
For a full understanding of the PLC, refer to the ultimate guide to the product life cycle.
Again, the tools may be similar, but their usage is very different.
Both need to be agile and use these tools. This also a good opportunity to learn the differences between agile and waterfall.
Conclusion – Difference Product and Project Manager
You now have clarity on key differences that most people lack. Use your knowledge to help your colleagues and your organization.
Only with clarity in your mind, will you be able to become better at your chosen profession, whether it is product management or project management.
Both professions are a must for any successful project. Both need to work together.
More importantly, both need to respect each other and their decisions.
You need to recognize who is the ultimate authority on which topic.
And you need to respect that.
During times of crisis, product management becomes even more difficult. But, your clarity will help you become a better Product Manager during difficult times.
You may also like online resources for product management certification and product management courses.
But don’t stop just yet, your next step is to become Product Agnostic.
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