What Does a Technical Product Manager Do?

Working as a technical product manager requires a person to be adept at pinpointing market needs and meeting those needs through a company's products. While the products that an individual works on will differ depending on the business, his responsibilities are the same in any industry. These include identify customer needs, developing strategies to meet customer demands, implementing the latest technology to improve products, working alongside other departments and monitoring the progress of new products.

Perhaps the most important part of being a technical product manager is identifying customer needs. Since customers ultimately determine the success of a company's products, it's necessary to obtain customer input. In order to figure out exactly what customers are looking for, a technical product manager might implement surveys, participate in trade shows or contact existing customers directly. Doing so is vital to the success of a business and its long term growth.

Once a technical product manager understands customer needs, it's his job to develop strategies to meet those needs. During this time, he will brainstorm in order to figure out ways to make new products capable of meeting the demands of the public. For example, if he works for a computer software company, he might tweak an existing software program so that it functions more intuitively and is easier to use. These changes can help to maintain and grow a company's customer base, and keeps the company competitive within the industry.

Another large part of this position is being able to implement the latest technology in product creation. The increasingly rapid progress of technology means that staying on top of advances is critical for optimizing products. As a result, a technical product manager might spend time researching new technological trends and figuring out how to incorporate them into his company and products. In order to incorporate these technologies, the person in this career should be creative and willing to experiment.

Along with the previously mentioned qualities, an individual in this position must continually work alongside other departments within his company. A technical product manager might hold periodic meetings with other personnel and present his findings, strategies and projected goals for product improvement. Consequently, this position requires someone who is confident and possesses leadership skills.

An additional job duty is monitoring the progress of new products. In order for his ideas to fully crystallize, it's necessary for a technical product manager to follow the process of new product creation from beginning to end. This means he needs to work with employees throughout each stage of a product's creation to ensure that everything is done according to specifications and the product meets all applicable regulations.