What is a technical product manager?
A technical product manager (TPM) is a project coordinator with a solid technical background and is usually responsible for the product’s more specialized components. A technical product manager collaborates more closely with the engineering team than with the organization’s business, sales, and marketing teams.
A technological product manager will usually work on technology products rather than a product manager who is obliged to undertake technical responsibilities. The post of technical product manager could be designated by a company rather than simply product manager because the company needs to attract people who have a specific skill set or experience rather than merely product manager.
When it comes to the existence of the technical product manager role, it is sometimes determined by the organization’s size. The titles of employees at a smaller organization tend to be more fluid, as the workforce is required to complete a variety of roles as and when the need arises.
As a company grows, responsibilities can become more specialized, necessitating a technical product manager to be employed more frequently.
The role of the Technical Product Manager
Technical product managers will be in charge of collecting consumer data and defining the project’s strategic objectives. They must ensure that the product is consistent with the vision and strategic goals of the company, that it is responsive to market demands, that it retains flexibility, and that it incorporates feedback from customers and other stakeholders.
Additionally, the technical product manager is responsible for allocating the company’s technological, financial, and human resource resources to best support the development of the product.
Despite their technical title, the technical product manager is responsible for maintaining the same level of communication and collaboration with the development team, senior management and leadership, and all other stakeholders as the project manager is.
Technical Product Manager VS Product Manager
Some may claim that a technical product manager is fundamentally the same as a product manager. They have the same responsibilities: they are responsible for driving the creation of a new product or product line and are held accountable for its success or failure.
Product managers and technology program managers (TPMs) are similar, but a technical product manager has a more profound technical background and works more closely with development and engineering professionals.
In other words, a technical product manager is a subset of a product manager in some ways. The function is more often than not determined by the type of person who occupies the position rather than the post itself.
When a company employs both a technical product manager and a product manager, the latter will be more concerned with higher-level concerns and strategic planning. In contrast, the former will be more concerned with the technical implementation of new projects.
It is essential to highlight that when a company employs only a technical product manager, there is a greater risk that the function may evolve to become more closely aligned with the day-to-day tactical work and duties performed by engineers and developers.
The technical product manager may lose sight of the strategic objectives of the product. It is perhaps preferable for a corporation to hire both a product manager and a technical project manager (TPM) to benefit from the best of both worlds.
The benefits of hiring a Technical Product Manager
The function of the technical product manager will naturally evolve in the future to include taking on responsibility for specific parts of the product’s development. Additionally, they may be called upon on an impromptu basis to confer on technical difficulties because of their greater technical persuasion.
Technical specifications and engineering estimates are essential aspects of product development. An engineer with more specialized knowledge may better grasp the architecture of the networks being used. They may also have a better understanding of security requirements and the ability of competitors in the marketplace.
An experienced product manager should have some depth in these areas. Still, as projects grow in size and complexity, a technical project manager (TPM) will be beneficial.
Indeed, the technical product manager’s increased knowledge of those areas stated above will improve their communication skills. Given that the technical product manager will be able to grasp the language of the employees better, it goes to reason that they will have an edge in this situation. Interpreting the wants and issues of team members may only result in more timely delivery of information to those who need it or, in some cases, action to establish a solution on the ground floor.
Conclusion
Indeed, the technical product manager’s increased knowledge of those areas stated above will improve their communication skills. Given that the technical product manager will be able to grasp the language of the employees better, it goes to reason that they will have an edge in this situation. Interpreting the wants and issues of team members may only result in more timely delivery of information to those who need it or, in some cases, action to establish a solution on the ground floor.
