Episode 6: A Day in the Life of a Product Manager - Solo Work

The solo work done in-between meetings that makes meetings more effective

Product managers often find themselves directing teamwork, refining capabilities with colleagues, and conducting one-on-one meetings with stakeholders. Yet, it's equally important to spotlight the solo tasks that make the moments of engaging with co-creators, stakeholders and leadership much more effective and efficient.

Within our E3 Framework shown below, a few areas where solo work is absolutely needed…

Connecting With Customers -

This inevitably becomes a team effort, but the preliminary groundwork is a solo act. Crafting questions for customers is a task that requires some solo work: they must be broad enough to encourage open-ended responses yet specific enough to identify trends. Identifying the right customer segments for feedback is also crucial.

For instance, if you're launching a new feature on the 'My Account' page, it's wise to consider users familiar with similar features, those who actively use their accounts, and even those who've provided past feedback. Including customers who've never utilized 'My Account' can offer fresh, unbiased insights.

Pitch Deck Creation -

At Product Protege, we emphasize the significance of the pitch deck, which I believe always requires some self thought before bringing in feedback. Ideas may be shared with you from across the organization that sparks a conversation, but even in those situations that idea needs to be flushed through an ideation process that the product manager can do in solo as to not get too much pressure or feedback from a multiple-person approach (yet!) . It's here in the quiet where a product manager distills a problem through various lenses, mines analytics for evidence, and assembles a compelling pitch deck. This initial solo analysis is foundational, shaping your conviction in the proposed path before opening the floor to collaborative refinement.

I’m a big believer in strong beliefs held loosely, and you need time to explore and define those beliefs before bringing to a larger audience.

Preparing for a Formal Kickoff -

Solo work in preparing for a Formal Kickoff is crucial. It's as important to understand what you are pursuing—such as the pitch deck, feature priorities, and business feedback—as it is to recognize what you don't know. Phrases like "we'll need to focus on answering the following questions" or "technically, one thing we haven't yet done as an organization is X, and we need to ensure we spend enough time to guarantee technical feasibility and understand how technical aspects might influence scope changes" are common. Being open to dynamic approaches is essential, but the ultimate goal is to achieve specific outcomes based on well-defined reasons.

Writing Epics and User Stories -

Often associated with Associate Product Managers or Product Owners, the creation of epics and user stories is typically a reflective, solo activity. By setting aside dedicated time, you enter a state of flow, detailing the requirements that will guide design, coding, QA, and launch. While prioritizing speed and an MVP mindset, it's also vital to forecast the journey ahead, equipping your developers and designers with the foresight needed for Phase 1 while subtly preparing them for Phase 2.

To be as effective and efficient with epics and user story writing; see my approach, templates, and examples in Product Protégé Guide: The Art of Product Management for ECommerce and Beyond

Data Analysis Post-Launch -

The solo work continues even after a feature goes live. Dedicating time to sift through data, whether it's analytics from tools like Google Analytics or Adobe, or user feedback from surveys and app reviews, is critical. This introspective process helps you gauge the product's direction, narrate its market reception, and decide if and how the roadmap should adapt based on these insights. There is this saying that you have to “Stay ready so you don’t have to get ready” and solo work is really making sure you remain ready.

What is your 60 second sound bite on “how is the product doing since it’s been live?” If this is your VP asking you this question, you don’t have time to whip out an elaborate powerpoint deck or take them through an hour de-brief. You need to be able to hit the highlights, what we learned, and what are next steps. Also a good opportunity to ask for support if you need it.

Product management is a discipline that demands recognition of when to work solo and when to engage with others. The solitary work you do in preparation, analysis, and storytelling paves the way for development, testing, and launch. By mastering solo tasks, you equip your collaborators with everything they need for success.

There will always be days filled with collaborative meetings, but never underestimate the need and power of solo work. The more adept you become at working independently within frameworks like E3, the more effective you'll be at removing obstacles and leading your team to success.

Until next week!