The Impossible Product Manager, a.k.a. the "Great" Product Manager, is a strategist who analyzes, crafts, communicates, and updates the answer to the question: How do we apply our durable advantages to the opportunities in the market, to win? This role goes beyond just listening to customers; it involves hearing them, understanding their underlying needs, motivations, and even their emotions.

The Impossible Product Manager, a.k.a. the "Great" Product Manager, is a strategist who analyzes, crafts, communicates, and updates the answer to the question: How do we apply our durable advantages to the opportunities in the market, to win? This role goes beyond just listening to customers; it involves hearing them, understanding their underlying needs, motivations, and even their emotions.

The Great Product Manager doesn't just take orders for features that customers can name. Instead, they dig deeper to discover the things customers worry about so much that they would pay to decrease that worry. They also strive to figure out the results customers need to achieve in order to earn a promotion. Their goal is not just to figure it out but to genuinely want to figure it out.

In addition to being a Customer Whisperer, the Great Product Manager also takes on the role of a Scrum Product Owner. This term may be ambiguous to some, but essentially it means that the Product Owner owns the work-backlog and collaborates with engineering to execute it. They break down epics into stories, prioritize and schedule innovations for customers, and balance engineering demands with requests from other teams and the broader needs of the company. This role requires working closely with engineering to solve the puzzles of delivering the most value in the least time or risk.

Furthermore, the Great Product Manager acts as an Orchestrator, delivering the "Whole Product" as defined by Geoffrey Moore. This means that they don't just deliver working code; they also enable others in various departments and roles. They work with marketing to grab attention and spark curiosity, with sales to convert leads into sales, with customer service to ensure a positive customer experience, and with Marcomm teams for PR and events. They also collaborate with external integrators and consultants who operate on behalf of clients. The Great Product Manager is responsible for coordinating and enabling all these stakeholders to deliver the complete product to the market.

To excel in these various roles, a Great Product Manager must be excellent in one area, good in at least one other, and not spread themselves too thin by taking on more than two areas of focus. This allows them to dedicate enough time and energy to each role and maximize their effectiveness.

Now that we understand the key responsibilities of a Great Product Manager, it's important to consider how to prepare for the challenges of this role. One valuable resource is My Interview Practice, which offers mock interview practice online. This platform recreates the pressure of actual interviews using your built-in camera, allowing you to gain realistic experience and feel prepared for anything. Your responses are automatically recorded, so you can watch them after the interview and assess how you came across.

In conclusion, being a Great Product Manager requires a combination of strategic thinking, customer understanding, collaboration with engineering and other teams, and the ability to orchestrate the delivery of the entire product. To excel in this role, focus on mastering one area, becoming proficient in another, and avoid taking on too many responsibilities. Additionally, take advantage of resources like My Interview Practice to sharpen your skills and prepare for the challenges ahead.

Actionable Advice:

1. Take the time to truly understand your customers' needs, motivations, and emotions. Dig deeper to discover what they worry about and what results they are striving to achieve.
2. Collaborate closely with engineering to find the most efficient ways to deliver value to customers in terms of time and risk.
3. Enable and coordinate various stakeholders to deliver the complete product, including marketing, sales, customer service, and external integrators. Foster effective communication and collaboration among these teams.