AMA: Salesforce Senior Director of Product, Einstein AI, Deepak Mukunthu on Technical Product Management

The day-to-day activities of a Technical Product Manager (TPM) can vary depending on the company they work for, the products they are responsible for managing and the stage of the product lifecycle. Here are some common tasks that a TPM might perform: Gathering requirements and defining product features Conducting market research and analysis Collaborating with cross-functional teams Prioritizing product features and issues Writing product specifications Participating in sprint planning and revi ...Read More

Aspiring technical product managers should consider developing the following skills and background: Technical expertise: A strong understanding of technology and the ability to communicate effectively with technical teams is essential for technical product managers. Familiarity with coding languages, software development methodologies, and industry-standard tools can help aspiring technical product managers gain credibility with their teams. Customer empathy: Technical product managers should ha ...Read More

Based on my experience, here are some common mistakes I've seen new TPMs make: Focusing too much on features and not enough on customer needs: It's easy to get caught up in building new features, but it's important to remember that the features you build should ultimately solve customer problems. Not prioritizing effectively: New TPMs may struggle with prioritizing effectively, leading to delays or features that don't deliver the desired impact. Lack of communication: Not communicating effective ...Read More

Here are some of the key competencies that a technical PM should possess: Understanding of data and analytics concepts: A technical PM should have a basic understanding of data and analytics concepts such as data modeling, data warehousing, data governance, and data visualization. They should be able to understand the data requirements of the project and communicate with data analysts and data scientists. Ability to read and interpret data: A technical PM should be able to read and interpret dat ...Read More

Both Technical Product Managers (TPMs) and Product Managers (PMs) have important roles to play in product development. The primary difference between the two is that TPMs typically have a stronger technical background and are more focused on the technical aspects of product development, while PMs tend to have a broader focus on the overall product strategy, market positioning, and customer needs. Individuals who have a strong technical background and enjoy working closely with development teams ...Read More

Being the most technically advanced person on the team is not necessarily a prerequisite for a technical product manager to be helpful. While technical knowledge is certainly important, the role of a technical product manager involves more than just technical expertise. They are not expected to do everything a software engineer would do. Here are some ways in which a technical product manager can be helpful even if they are not the most technically advanced person on the team: Customer empathy: ...Read More

The ideal product manager-to-engineer ratio can vary depending on the nature and complexity of the products being developed, the size and stage of the organization, and other factors such as the development process, company culture, and resources available. However, a common rule of thumb is to aim for a ratio of 1 product manager to 8-10 engineers. This ratio provides enough product management oversight and guidance to the engineering team while allowing engineers to have enough autonomy and ow ...Read More

The role of a technical product manager (TPM) is different from other product managers in that TPMs typically have a deeper technical background and are responsible for managing the development and implementation of technical products or features. TPMs work closely with engineering teams to ensure that product features are designed and built in a technically feasible way and that they meet the needs of both customers and the business. They are responsible for understanding the technical requirem ...Read More