Product Manager
Skills by Career Level

Skill;Junior PM;Core PM;Senior PM;Stop-list;

<b>Technical skills</b><br>link=https://productdo.io/tech_pm<br>;Understands basic terms (backend, frontend, APIs), limited practice;Can formulate high-quality dev stories using knowledge of services, databases, APIs, SLIs; Speaks the same language with technical team, combines business acumen with understanding how most effectively turn ideas into working product;✖ Bothers the team with solutions (“I know better”)<br><br>✖ Does not understand technology at all: thinks that “the site works on its own”;Learn this skill button=https://productdo.io/tech_pm <b>Product analytics</b>link=https://productdo.io/data_driven; Looks at the most basic metrics for their product, doesn't understand what questions to ask; Knows how to ask the right questions to analysts (even if not knowing how to find answers); Knows how to find the answer to simple/medium questions on their own. Knows how to formulate complex questions to analysts;✖ Does not know how to match work and the correct metric<br><br>✖ Received an answer, but does not know what to do with it;Learn this skill button=https://productdo.io/data_driven <b>Planning horizons</b>link=https://productdo.io/planning; Leads sprints, sets OKRs with manager support, strategy is set from above; Leads sprints, sets OKRs, has some parts of a strategy and vision; Strategy involves new/complex areas or expansion across multiple teams;✖ Sets unrealistic goals and fails them<br><br>✖ Has too weak or no vision;Learn this skill button=https://productdo.io/planning <b>Prioritization</b>link=https://productdo.io/planning;Simple choice (user story): A or B;Projects of medium complexity, choice between 10 opportunities that require data analysis and understanding of dependencies and technologies;Complex/vague projects, 100 opportunities that require data analysis and understanding of dependencies and technologies;✖ Just does work without thinking of the order<br><br>✖ Does only what the boss has prioritized;Learn this skill button=https://productdo.io/planning <b>Market research</b>link=https://productdo.io/discovery;Uses research results;Participates in User Researches and other studies;Can independently organize a User Research ;✖ Doesn't ask (internal or external) customers what they really need<br><br >✖ Eternal CustDev, never actually starts working;Learn this skill button=https://productdo.io/discovery <b>A/B testing</b>link=https://productdo.io/ab_testing;Basic understanding (metrics, hypothesis), runs tests with a help of a mentor ;Runs tests from a hypothesis to making a decision independently;An expert, understands subtle concepts (p-value, power) and teaches A/B to others;✖ Doesn’t understand when to use the tool and how<br><br>✖ Finished the test, but can’t make decisions based on resulted metrics;Learn this skill button=https://productdo.io/ab_testing <b>Unit economics</b>link=https://productdo.io/discovery;Rarely involved at Jr. level;Involved sometimes, e.g. for analysis of entering a new segment;Often in startups, when a new product or segment is launched. Or in large companies to analyze ROI;✖ Does not understand the monetary/ROI component of the company/product;Learn this skill button=https://productdo.io/discovery <b>Machine Learning</b>link=https://productdo.io/ml_basics; Understands the basics: concepts, types of ML problems; Sees problems that can be solved using ML and can create tasks for analysts; Launched 2-3 ML features, understands the differences between algorithms and the intricacies of data cleaning and model training;✖ Doesn’t understand ML at all<br><br>✖ Believes that AI itselves can solve any problem;Learn this skill button=https://productdo.io/ml_basics <b>Documentation: PRD, user story, strategy</b>link=https://productdo.io/planning; Creates clear stories, basic structure of PRD (a problem and a plan to solve it); Clear stories, PRD (a problem, a plan, opportunity sizing, technical requirements, risks), good strategy, briefs;Crystal clear structure, everyone’s reaction is “they've explained a complex thing in simple language”;✖ Too confusing and long documents<br><br>✖ Problem being solved is not explained;Learn this skill button=https://productdo.io/planning <b>Delivery/project skills</b>link=https://productdo.it/planning;No experience of independent launches;Has 1-2 launched projects under their belt (who, when, roadmaps, pivots, etc.);Has 5 launched projects under their belt;✖ Nothing to tell when asked to give an example of a project and what went wrong<br><br>✖ Good ideas, but can’t bring them to launch;Learn this skill button=https://productdo.it/planning

Skill;Junior PM;Core PM;Senior PM;<span style="color:#cc6669">Stop-list</span>;

<b>Leadership qualities</b>;Doesn't lead anything, learns to communicate;Able to communicate in a predictable environment;Able to settle and lead in a new domain, takes responsibility;<span style="color:#cc6669">✖ Lack of self-confidence</span><br><br><span style="color:#cc6669">✖ Excessive confidence in the absence of data</span> <b>General autonomy</b>;Low: 50% dependent on the manager, asks for help ~1 time per day;Stable: leads the team independently, requires support ~1 time per sprint;Pro: completely autonomous and independently find new opportunities. Requires support at the strategy level, but not at the detail level;<span style="color:#cc6669">✖ Pushes projects that are not aligned with company goals</span><br><br><span style="color:# cc6669">✖ Gets arrogant: “me” instead of “me and my team”</span> <b>Communication with clients and colleagues</b> (stakeholder management);Almost never communicates outside the team;Maintains a limited number of contacts;Manages stakeholders proactively, keeps promises;<span style="color:#cc6669">✖ Doesn't seek for an agreement with colleagues </span><br><br><span style="color:#cc6669">✖ Promises and disappears</span> <b>Passing an interview</b>; Still learns how to do it, there is little to tell; Knows the answers to basic questions, already has something to tell about experience; Has a set of launched cases and “scars of a professional.” Conducts interviews themselves;<span style="color:#cc6669">✖ Cannot briefly present their experience</span> <b>Management of other PMs</b>;Never for Jr. roles;More like mentoring Jr. PMs, extremely rarely, managing them; Active mentoring of others. Manages PMs often before moving to a Group PM level;<span style="color:#cc6669">✖ Doesn't dedicate time to growing their team</span><br><br><span style="color:# cc6669">✖ Confuses management and authoritarianism</span>