Jason Cohen - Founder at WPEngine, SmartBear & IT WatchDogs - Breaking down the 4 PM Roles

Practical Product w/ Jason Evanish

Jason Cohen is a multiple-time founder and Product Leader who joins us as the very first guest on Practical Product to break down his article: The Impossible Product Manager, a.k.a. the "Great" Product Manager.

We discuss the 4 key areas of responsibility for a Product Manager, how to align your PM's as a leader, finding the right company to work for, hiring and so much more. Jason breaks down how to master each role, and what to do as a PM when you are feeling spread too thin across each. We also discuss screening for PM's to make sure we've got the best fit, auditing your role to free up your own time, and more. Enjoy!

More on Jason Cohen:

Jason’s Blog: a smart bear
The Impossible Product Manager, a.k.a. the "Great" Product Manager
Jason Cohen on Twitter

More on Jason Evanish:

Get more product advice on Jason's blog
Follow Jason on Twitter
Get coaching from Jason or take his course

Time Codes:

(1:47) - Jason’s background and the 4 areas of responsibility for a Product Manage
(7:22) - Are there any areas of responsibility that matter more than others?
(12:21) - With 1200 employees, how do you think about getting the right PM’s aligned?
(21:33) - Not spending enough time on the “why” of your product strategy
(27:40) - How should someone screen for a PM role to make sure they’re the best fit?
(32:53) - How should a Product Leader who is looking to hire PM’s account for the 4 roles and build out their teams?
(36:53) - What should a PM do when they feel spread too thin doing all 4 roles?
(45:07) - How should Product Leaders get the entire team to align on strategy, not just the PM’s?
(48:17) - Auditing your role as a PM to free up time
(53:46) - Where can people find you online?