How to Become a Product Manager

When it comes to conceptualizing, scaling, and launching a product, no other tech company does it better than Google. With a wide range of products, from Gmail to Google cloud, the product managers at Google have huge responsibilities. This role is often highly challenging and can draw massive competition. 

On the surface, the job description of a Product Manager at Google is pretty much similar to the others. Since Google has a culture akin to that of start-ups, the Product Managers have greater control over the entire lifecycle of a product. Also, each Product Manager in Google is responsible for different products. 

To further elucidate the role of a Product Manager at Google, here are a few of their responsibilities. 

• Conceptualize New Products: The primary responsibility of a Product Manager is to collaborate with other stakeholders and come with new product ideas. For this particular function, they are expected to identify potential opportunities and have a vast knowledge of the latest trends in the industry. 
• Create Product Roadmap: After identifying an opportunity, the Product Manager should pitch the idea to the executives. If approved, they need to develop an in-depth product strategy. From product vision, budget, team, and other resources, every crucial detail must be included in this strategy. The roadmap should also provide a step-by-step visual representation of what needs to be done to develop, launch and test the product. 
• Conduct Market Research: A Product Managers at Google, like others, have to conduct extensive market surveys to understand what the end-user wants. They will also have to keep an eye on the competitors. Additionally, a PM has to analyze the different trends in the market to make the product relevant. 
• Collaborate with Other Teams to Execute Strategy: Product Managers at Google collaborate with other teams like engineering, sales, marketing, and finance to achieve the product vision. In a large enterprise like Google, these teams look up to the Product Manager to guide them to success. Thus, regular collaboration is essential. 
• Test Features of The Products: Before product launch, the Product Manager at Google will have to test those out. The standard procedure is to find volunteers worldwide who will test developing products. The Product Manager then gathers feedback about the functionality and user experience, further fixing any bugs or issues. 
• Develop Marketing Strategies: Product Managers at Google are also responsible for developing and executing marketing strategies. They identify current market trends, figure out ways to introduce the product to the market, and create a sustainable marketing plan. The Product Manager collaborates with the Product Marketer to execute the plan. 
• Gather Feedback: As a Google Product Manager, you are supposed to gather feedback for the users, analyze the data and improve the product. This is a constant process and is vital to the job role.