Product Managers Don't Need Project Managers

The best PMs are cross functional and manage deadlines on their own

Good product managers do not need project managers. Part of the role of shipping a product requires understanding the dependencies, key players, and how to make it happen. While good specs are important, delivering on a product is what really matters. The only exception is when project management is required across multiple teams.

I have been arguing this point for a long time. The best product managers possess a variety of skillsets and understand the key dependencies required to ship a feature or test. This is critical to understanding scope and sizing. A PM who leads a product team should know how to create a regular cycle of delivery, working closely with their design and engineering partners.

For larger launches, product managers and product leaders should play a key role in creating essential deadlines and timing to set expectations with marketing, legal, and other teams to ensure a seamless delivery.

A great PM communicates timelines effectively across teams to create shared understanding of what is expected from each key thought partner. Less effective PMs can create churn and last-minute work for other teams by not communicating timeframes and expectations effectively and early enough.

I generally recommend that, at least two months before any major new feature or product launch, a PM should sync with their key partners to align on expectations and timing. They should ensure that each group is aware of what is expected of them for the launch and identify a singular owner for each area to create accountability within the team.

The goal is not to create unrealistic deadlines. The goal is to align everyone on realistic delivery timeframes, well in advance, so that design is completed properly, requirements are understood, the development team has sufficient time to scope and deliver the right feature, and other teams like marketing are ready for launch.

While there are always exceptions, a good PM is generally capable of delivering new features and products while helping to minimize churn for the other teams they work with. Be a good partner as a PM and other teams will flock to you and want to work with you more.