Product Management: A day in the life of a Lead PM
I joined Knowde because I enjoy solving problems, and the problem of building a marketplace for chemicals is as complex of a problem you’ll find today. Knowde is creating change in the world's most ubiquitous industry by connecting chemical suppliers to customers from first encounter through transaction.
Reading Time: 2minutesSean Fahey is a Lead Product Manager on Knowde’s Search & Discovery team.
Product Management: Taking the lead
I joined Knowde because I enjoy solving problems, and the problem of building a marketplace for chemicals is as complex of a problem you’ll find today. Knowde is creating change in the world’s most ubiquitous industry by connecting chemical suppliers to customers from first encounter through transaction.
At Knowde, I lead the Search & Discovery team. My team is responsible for making sure customers can easily find exactly what they’re looking for within the largest industry on Earth.
Day to Day
Lead product managers at Knowde are tasked with moving their team’s key metrics forward––metrics which often relate to solving user problems.
Whether this is done by identifying small areas for enhancements and experimentation in our Product, or by undertaking large feature sets to improve core areas of our application, the goal is always to solve real customer problems
It’s vital that LPMs have a strong vision for their team at least a year out. Developing clearly defined goals ensures our team continues to move forward with a purpose, prevents stagnation, and drives innovation.
I work closely with important stakeholders from departments throughout Knowde to make sure we’re getting the largest picture possible of our users. Then, we consolidate all feedback and research to develop and implement solutions that effect change.
Tips for Aspiring LPMs
One of the most important qualities of a successful LPM is ownership. We need to own the problems we tackle, own the solutions we provide, and own the outcome of our work.
Ownership demands a deep understanding of your product at every level. It also means that you primarily celebrate your team’s efforts when you succeed, but take full personal responsibility for any failures. If someone on your team makes an error, it’s because you didn’t put them in a place where they could succeed––product management is a team sport.
A good PM should be able to answer any question about their product, but a great PM should empower their team of developers and designers to know just as much.
You must continually work to improve in your domain, and work with your team to lift each other up. No one is successful in a vacuum. In Knowde‘s Product department, we believe the team is greater than the individual, and I’m very lucky to be surrounded by such a wonderful team.
