How Are Product Managers and Project Managers Related? Are They Like NTR and Ram Charan in RRR?

Who among Bheem (Jr.NTR) and Ram (Ram Charan) best suits the Project Manager &Product Manager roles?

Let’s start…

A Technical Project Manager manages cost, schedule, quality, stakeholders, resources, scope, communication, risk, and procurement.

In contrast, a Product Manager or Business Systems Analyst (BSA) is responsible for gathering requirements, building solutions, and elaborating on those requirements. This includes making product decisions about what features to include or exclude, and ensuring the product meets the required specifications.

Does this mean a Project Manager is irrelevant for Scope & Quality? Not quite. Upon closer inspection, we find that Project Management (PMBOK) encompasses two key areas: scope and quality. This is where the roles of Product Managers and Project Managers overlap.

Ram (left) & Bheem (right) — Overlap = Conflict ? Who among these 2 are PjM & PdM?

So, how do we navigate this overlap/conflict of responsibilities?

Should a Project Manager ignore scope and quality, leaving them to the Product Manager?

NO, WHY?

1. Scope and business requirements are typically obtained from business stakeholders. However, who ensures these requirements are detailed and detailed enough for developers to understand? This impacts project scope & quality.
2. If requirements are not sufficiently elaborated, what assumptions will developers make? How will this impact the quality of the product?
3. Are we looking at a detailed Business Requirements Documents (BRDs) approach? Or should we opt for user stories instead? BRDs are often associated with waterfall methodologies, whereas user stories are more agile.
4. Will the development process involve Test-Driven Development (TDD), where testers or QA teams are involved from the outset? This increases project quality.
5. Will the testing be done at the end of the project — risking quality constraints? Will they be tested incrementally and demoed in an agile way?

A Technical Project Manager decides on these approaches.

Ultimately, it’s up to the Product Manager to accept or reject the product. If the quality is subpar, the Product Manager can reject the product. If a product manager rejects the product, it requires a rebuild. Rebuild needs cost, time & resources.

At this point, it’s up to the Project Manager to figure out how to implement the necessary rebuild within the cost, resource, and schedule constraints.

So — While the Product Manager owns scope and quality, the Project Manager has a significant say in determining or adjusting these aspects, considering cost and other project constraints.

BONUS: Why should a project manager be Technical?

If the Product Manager hasn’t defined requirements clearly, the Project Manager must push for clearer definitions. This is where the Project Manager’s technical expertise comes into play, helping to detail requirements and enhance project quality. By proactively acting, quality is not delayed, and costs and schedules are reduced.

Finally —

In conclusion, I hope this clarifies the responsibilities of Product Managers and Project Managers. Both roles must complement each other to ensure projects run smoothly.

PC: RRR movie.

If you’ve watched RRR, you can expect Product and Project Managers to have their share of conflicts and disagreements. However, like the movie’s heroes, they must ultimately work together to achieve project success.

Who among Bheem (Jr.NTR) and Ram (Ram Charan) best suits the Project Manager &Product Manager roles?

Project Manager is a servant leader (PMBOK), so a Project Manager’s success lies in helping the team succeed — so if you’ve watched RRR, Bheem helps Ram succeed , So Bheem is a Project Manager and Ram is a Product Manager.