Product manager is the one who designs a product to solve a problem, how to pick a problem to solve? We are living a life based on two major needs 1. biological needs 2. The system needs. Biological needs are food, shelter, clothes and sex, system needs is the system which has been building to live a life as one entity — The universe. To me, the system has numerous sub entities and processes. For instance, agriculture, transportation, banking, telecom, goods etc. Being a user, every citizen knows how the system works and few problems in it.

Now, we have second type of people who are part of business life cycle and being a user. We have third type of people who are employed in the system and running a business. However, a person who runs the business has 360 degrees view of the business life cycle. Let’s recall our first question, how to pick a problem?

How to pick a problem?

To pick a problem one should be the part of a problem. It helps in two ways 1. Since a person is being experienced the problem, he/she knows pros and cons of it 2. The person who is experiencing the problem can solve it easily. However, creativity, problem solving skills, and enthusiasm are the fuel boosters. To me, these three boosters should be part of academic curriculum. So, people who are part of business life cycle are the people who know which problem to pick.

What is domain knowledge?

Let’s pick an Ecommerce (marketplace) business to understand what domain knowledge is? What are the problems here to solve?

• Robust web application.
• merchant integration and management.
• Inventory.
• Accounts.
• HCM (Human capital management).
• Delivery.
• Returns.
• Payments.

Let us consider the bundle of above 8 parts as an ecommerce system. Blend of the business, process, integration, problems, and best practices is the domain/field. Indeed, employees and businessmen who are part of this domain knows the pros and cons better.

Who is a product manager?

A product manager is a person who designs products to solve problems. We understand how to pick a problem to solve. Who is the better person to solve? Now, the problem that we are solving in this article is how to turn a product manager who has domain knowledge successful? We have two options.

1. Picking a person who is a domain expert from the system and train to be a product manager.
2. Pick a product manager and put in the system for some time to gain the domain knowledge.

How to solve with technology?

Technology is the best option to solve complex problems. Automation helps simplify tedious process to follow, complex problem to solve, avoid manual errors, simplify tracking, monitoring employees and process, monetization makes simple, saves a lot of time, efforts, and money. Eventually, a product manager who is with technology background can solve a domain problem accurately and permanently. So, a product manager with a technology background, domain expertise and having below skills.

1. Creativity.
2. Problem solving skills.
3. Enthusiasm.
4. Deep analytical skills.

is the man who can solve major problems of the society, capable enough to increase the GDP of a country and eventually, keeps the economy healthy.

The current problem

Majority of the IT companies are recruiting pure techies as product managers to solve domain problems. Over a period, the techies are being transformed into mediators between engineering team and business users. Few companies are recruiting domain experts and solve the problem with technology, over a period, these domain experts are being transformed as volcanos 🙂 because though they know the domain lack of technology expertise makes them odd man out in the system.

How to bridge the gap?

Eventually, HR experts are the ones who can take the problem to solve. However, the gap is still a gap here because the HP people remain as just domain experts in the system. I think we are getting into a loop :). Of course, we are creating complex loops instead of keeping it simple. Let’s deal it in a different article 🙂

Take Away

1. Domain expertise works as a backbone to solve problems.
2. A product Manager with technology and domain expertise can solve real problems.
3. The key: Identifying and deploying a right product manager will indirectly help to a nation’s GDP.
4. Recruitment process should be more creative and realistic while hiring the talent.

Another good read

Hiring better product leadership is essential