Many companies require Product Managers to have a technical background - whether it be a formal Computer Science degree or experience with writing code. "Over the years I've been self-conscious about my lack of technical background, yet I’ve learned that technical skills aren’t everything when it comes to Product Management." Jori Bell broke down the myth of needing technical skills to be a successful Product Manager. She talked about how you need to understand the types of skills that will make you a successful Product Manager. She also discussed the importance of bringing non-technical value to a team and how to do it, and how you can build trust with a technical team.

1. How to Succeed as a Non-Technical PM by
Spotify’s Product Owner
www.productschool.com

2. FREE INVITE
Join 17,000+ Product Managers on
productschool.com/slack-community

3. Product
Management
2-month part-time
Courses

4. Coding
for Managers
2-month part-time
Courses

5. Data Analytics
for Managers
2-month part-time
Courses

6. Include @productschool and #prodmgmt at the
end of your tweet
Tweet to get a free ticket
for our next Event!

7. Tonight’s Speaker
Jori Bell

8. [De]coding Product
Management
Jori Bell | 12.13.17
The Product School

9. @Jobe1130
Agenda.
● My path
● Understanding product management
● Demystifying engineering
● Actionable strategies

10. Me in a nutshell...

12. So, why am I talking to you about what I
can’t do?
● Not too proud
● Product is growing!
● “Are you technical?”
@Jobe1130

13. What is product management?
@Jobe1130

14. From Wikipedia...to Google.
The product manager
investigates, selects,
and drives the
development of
products for an
organization.
The intersection
between business,
technology and
user experience.
Architect the future of
our products by bridging
engineering and
business as you manage
a product's full lifecycle,
from strategic planning
to development and
launch.
Wikipedia
Mind the Product
Google

15. Why are there so many differing definitions of
product management?
● Product is “emerging” and “transient”
● Lacking a craft
● Different everywhere you go

16. How do the “Big 4” describe product management?
Lead the ideation, technical
development, and launch...
Establish shared vision...
building consensus
Drive product
development
Integrate usability studies,
researchand market
analysis ... enhance user
satisfaction
Define and analyze metrics ...
Understand Facebook’s strategic
and competitiveposition
... deliver products ...
Understand markets,
competitionand
customer/user
requirements....
Identify market
opportunities, build
business cases, and
define product vision...
Work collaboratively...
Define, lead, and
executea cohesive
global strategy...
collaborating as needed
across regions, product
areas, and functions.
Makes clear recommendations ... early
development, launch, growth —
guiding execution...
Manages the process used to develop
product features and positioning...
Authors proposals for features that
creatively achieve customer and
businessgoals.
Develops and experiments with new
approaches...
Creates and delivers formal
presentations and conducts group
discussions...
Plays a key role in the launchof
new features.
Time management and
prioritizationskills are
critical.
Define and deliver complex cross-functional
projects...
Run in front of the software development
team, helping define user stories, research
appropriate technical solutions, and provide
guidance to the team regarding architecture, design,
and priorities.
Build and maintain a complete project schedule...
drive it through to completion.
Anticipate bottlenecks, provide escalation, make
trade-offs, and balance the business needs
Engage with [many] other teams in the company...
Identify, assess, track and mitigate issues and risks
Create, maintain and disseminate project
information to stakeholders.

17. Qualitatively, product managers say that
you need to know “enough” to work with
engineering.
● What is “enough”...
○ Concepts not code
○ Ask the right questions
○ Inform decision-making
@Jobe1130

18. Engineers need...
● Business owner
● Voice of the consumer
● Larger context
@Jobe1130

19. In fact, technical product managers can
be limiting for engineers.
@Jobe1130

20. I don’t know, it still feels like I should learn
to code.
@Jobe1130

21. Ok, you’ve convinced me that I don’t need
to code. What do I need?
@Jobe1130
● Communication, communication, communication
● User Experience
● Business Background

22. @Jobe1130

23. Where to start when…
Get experience! Check out project management roles, participate in a hackathons
or find a mentor.
I’ve never worked
with engineers
before.

24. Where to start when…
Do your research and learn how to talk about your technical experience (or lack
thereof)!
I’m interviewing for
a PM job.

25. Where to start when…
Ask questions! Review the tech stack, find a place and/or person to ask questions,
interview your team, don’t try and change how things work on Day 1.
I’m working with a
new team of
engineers.

26. Where to start when…
Join a Product group - so many to choose from where you can share war stories.
You need support.

27. In fact, I polled the Women in Product Slack
group to do just that.
And I was flooded with responses.
@Jobe1130

28. “I just sort of own it that I don't
have a technical background..
my expertise is helping teams
work better together, thinking
about user experience, being
mindful of the universe of things
that are not strictly the technical
implementation.” Consultant
turned PM Manager @
PillPack
Teams need to compliment
each other so your weakness in
“technical abilities” needs to be
made up with a strength in
another PM skill, such as user
research, data analytics or
design. - Analyst turned PM
@ Stash
A technical background isn't
required to thrive in this
position. You need to know
how to break down problems
and come up with creative
solutions. You need to be an
excellent communicator and
organized multi-tasker. -
Analyst turned PM @ ACL
Be GREAT at obsessing
about and understanding
your customers’ problems.
That’s the highest value
thing you can do and
doesn’t require any technical
skills. - Marketing &
Comms turned PM @
Clio
“It helps to have the kind of team
that is interested in teaching the
basics and who are good at
translating high level tech jargon to
regular people speak.” - Editor
turned PM @ The Daily Beast
I think that is the strength of
non-tech PMs. We can
expertly explain the "what"
but trust our dev teams on the
"how" and they appreciate it
that we are not dictating that
to them.” - Undergrad turned
PM @ Indeed

29. The biggest blocker
Is YOU.
@Jobe1130

30. Thank you!

31. Appendix

32. Emma Carew Grovum from
● Editor turned Product Manager
● “Instead of being the journalists’ representative to the technology group,
I’m working the other way: based with the technology group and working
with the newsroom as my partner.”
● Advice: “I think you have to really believe in technology and trust your
engineers. It also helps to have the kind of team that is interested in
teaching the basics and who are good at translating high level tech jargon
to regular people speak.”
@Jobe1130

33. Kelly McStay from
● Consulting turned Product Manager
● “I just sort of own it that I don't have a technical background.. my
expertise is helping teams work better together, thinking about user
experience, being mindful of the universe of things that are not strictly the
technical implementation.”
● Advice: Think about _why_ you think you want to be a PM
● Consider products that aren't strictly consumer-facing - be flexible with
how you get into PM
● Learn to think about talk about products like product people do
● Be positive and try to stay upbeat about the search/career transition
process. PM is a strange, nebulous career field and can be discouraging
because there isn't always a clear path.
@Jobe1130

34. Shannon Boon from
● Undergrad to Product Management
● “I find, though, that the unique (business and strategy) perspective I bring
is actually needed by the team and usually appreciated. Sure, they get
tired of my endless questions sometimes, but I also rely on them to tell
me "how" to build something and don't propose technical solutions that
limit their creativity. I think that is the strength of non-tech PMs. We can
expertly explain the "what" but trust our dev teams on the "how" and they
appreciate it that we are not dictating that to them.”
● Advice: I would advise new PMs to not be intimidated, but instead take
the opportunity to learn what you can from your development team. Don't
learn everything (that is not your job), but understand the basics so you
can better communicate. And then show your team you trust them, while
at the same time pushing them for more creative, simple, fast solutions.
@Jobe1130

35. MaryAlexa Divver from
● Analyst turned Product Manager
● “Sometimes it’s difficult to understand certain concepts and true level of
effort but as you develop relationships with engineers on your team they
are more than happy to explain the technical side of things.”
● Advice: Be super strong on the other fronts of your role. Teams need to
compliment each other so your weakness in “technical abilities” needs to
be made up with a strength in another PM skill, such as user research,
data analytics or design.
@Jobe1130

36. Mai Nakane from
● Analyst turned Product Manager
● “ I don't need to be able to code in our product - I leave that to our expert team of
engineers. I make sure to jot down terms if I don't understand them, and google or
ask for answers when I can... I work with so many great minds that are able to help
me understand technical concepts and explain them to me in human language.”
● Advice: Don't be afraid of asking questions - even if you think they are dumb
questions, it's better to admit that you don't know something and be enlightened.
● Be hungry, do your research. If there's something you want to know more about,
research! The internet is at your fingertips.
● I read tons of blogs, books, and listened to podcasts about Product Management.
This helped me shape my philosophy around how I approach what I do. (PS - one
of my fave books is "Rework" by Jason Fried & David Hansson)
● A technical background isn't required to thrive in this position. You need to know
how to break down problems and come up with creative solutions. You need to be
an excellent communicator and organized multi-tasker. There are a ton of other
skills that you can leverage.
@Jobe1130

37. Ainsley Robertson from
● Marketing and Communications turned Product Manager
● “Dev teams should be able to communicate effectively without being
technical and that a PM’s role is to understand the customer problem and
set the product strategy so, hypothetically, it shouldn’t matter whether or
not a PM is technical.”
● Advice: Be GREAT at obsessing about and understanding your
customers’ problems. That’s the highest value thing you can do and
doesn’t require any technical skills.
@Jobe1130

38. Other reading
https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2017/01/03/will-non-technical-product-managers-become-obsolete/#51177be377d5
https://www.productmanagerhq.com/2014/08/do-product-managers-need-a-technical-background/
https://medium.com/@kellymcleave/your-product-management-origin-story-d0b14692c6d8

39. Part-time Product Management Courses in
San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Los Angeles,
New York, Austin, Boston, Seattle, Chicago,
Denver, London, Toronto
www.productschool.com