Project vs. Product Management
More often lately, I see the word “project” and “product” management used interchangeably when describing a function within an organization.
These roles are very different.
The easier way to remember this is to look at the words and their true definitions. A project is an undertaking that has a beginning, an end, and tasks that get you from here to there. Managing projects takes skills specific to staying on track and deadline.
A product is something that may have a beginning and an end — which is where some of the confusion is — but it’s an on-going effort. Product managers are responsible for the success of the on-going results, which means they may need additional projects completed, new features scoped, sales collateral created, etc. They usually do many of these functions in tandem with project managers, sales managers, and engineers. More importantly, however, is the product manager is the direct link to the users.
There’s plenty of further fodder online, including some of the challenges between the two roles in managing a team. Having served in both capacities, I know which I prefer. Figuring that out for yourself or for your teams will make a big difference in your success.
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Val Workman