TU-EV0009 - Introduction to Product Management, Lecture, 5.9.2022-14.10.2022

(a PDF)

THE OBJECTIVE

To develop an understanding of the roles and required competences related product management organization. This complements the perspectives provided in the lectures and the readings.

THE ASSIGNMENT

This assignment consists of identifying typical product management roles, and finding, analyzing and reporting the competence profiles of different product management roles. Deliver results as a single pdf-file: the first page contains the illustration, the second page details the sources.

MORE DETAILED DESCRIPTION

1. Identify the roles on product organization: Identify the roles related to product management function, from junior to senior positions, and form a schematic structure of product management organization. You’ll find these from lectures and the readings of week 1. 
   
2. Form a definition for each role: Give each role a short definition, describing its primary tasks shortly.
   
3. Search for competences required in each role: Use the names of roles to search for open product management positions. Focus on software and high-tech companies. Find and save job posts, and record what the competences each post list as requirements for each position. Find at least 5 posts for “product manager”, and 3+ posts for other positions.
   
4. Analyze the competences: Form a synthesis of the competences required at each level of product management. At minimum, try and define a set of “standard” competences, i.e., those competences that appear to be (quite) commonly shared across the job posts for the given role. As advanced analysis, you can find more posts and try and find different variations in roles, e.g. different types of product managers.
   
5. Form a visual report: Use some visual format that illustrates the relationships but also gives a fair amount detail on tasks and competences. Potential format are tables, annotated organization charts, well-organized mind maps, self-made illustrations, and such (as illustrated in Figure 1). In all, the focus should be on clarity and legibility. Use e.g. Powerpoint, Miro, MindManager, drawing apps, or similar.