There's a lot of manager titles that start with P, what do they all mean?
/As organizations grow and become more complex, the roles of project manager, program manager, and product manager become increasingly important but often confused with each other. I once worked at a company that did not understand that each of these roles are very different and thought they were all the same. Sadly this is common in the corporate workplace as each of these jobs has some overlap. While these roles share some similarities, they each have unique responsibilities and skill sets. Let’s explore the differences between these three roles and explain why having a project manager can be the most valuable for startups.
Project Manager (best one, a biased take): A project manager is responsible for planning, executing, and closing projects. They work closely with the project team to define project goals, create a project plan, and manage project resources. Project managers also monitor progress, communicate with stakeholders, and make adjustments as necessary.
Responsible for planning, executing, and closing projects.
Works closely with project team to define goals and create project plan.
Manages project resources and monitors progress.
Communicates with stakeholders and makes adjustments as necessary.
Program Manager: A program manager oversees a group of related projects and ensures that they are all working towards the same goal. They coordinate project resources, monitor progress, and communicate with stakeholders across multiple projects. Program managers also identify and manage risks across the program. In most startups, the CTO or COO has this role fulfilled.
Oversees a group of related projects.
Ensures all projects are working towards the same goal.
Coordinates project resources and monitors progress.
Communicates with stakeholders across multiple projects.
Identifies and manages risks across the program.
Product Manager: A product manager is responsible for the success of a product throughout its lifecycle. They work closely with cross-functional teams to define product features, create a product roadmap, and launch the product. Product managers also monitor product performance, gather customer feedback, and make product improvements as necessary. For startups, a project manager can/will do most of these items with automation and/or deligation.
Responsible for the success of the product throughout its lifecycle.
Defines product features and creates product roadmap.
Launches product and monitors performance.
Gathers customer feedback and makes product improvements.
While all three roles are important, having a project manager is the most valuable for startups.
Here's why:
Project managers are focused on delivering specific projects on time and within budget, which is crucial for startups that need to move quickly to stay competitive.
Project managers can help startups implement Agile and Scrum methodologies, which are designed to be flexible and adaptable to changing market conditions.
Project managers can also help startups adopt lean management principles, which can help them minimize waste and maximize value.
Project managers also are very adaptable and can perform many of the responsibilities of a program/product manager.
Finally, having a project manager allows other roles (like CTO and COO) to focus on their specific areas of expertise, without getting bogged down in the day-to-day details of project management.
Project manager, program manager, and product manager are all important roles in any organization. While each role has its own unique responsibilities and skill sets, having a project manager can be the most valuable for startups. So, if you're a startup founder, consider hiring a project manager (hi) to help you move faster, stay competitive, and deliver value to your clients.