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Product Manager




A Product Manager (PM) is the individual within an Organization responsible for the day-to-day Management and welfare of a Product or family of products at all stages of the Product Lifecycle , from defining a product concept, to defining product requirements, to working across an organization to develop the product, through product launch and the ongoing management of the product post launch. The product manager can be thought of as CEO of the Product and has overall responsibility for the success of a product.

Even within the High-tech industry where product management is well defined, the product manager's job description varies widely among companies. The role may exist within an engineering department, in a marketing department, or even as its own department. While the product manager usually has ownership of the product Profit And Loss , in some companies that responsibility may fall upon a business manager. In some companies, the PM role may be split among other positions:
  • Product Marketing Manager - may perform all outbound marketing activities

  • Project Manager - may perform all activities related to schedule and resource management

  • Program Manager - may perform activities related to schedule, resource, and cross-functional execution


The role of product manager in industries such as finance or packaged Consumer Goods may be substantially different from the role described above, and may not even have responsibility for product definition and execution.

The product manager may be involved in all areas the Business , including Marketing , Sales and Finance .


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