5 Things I (Developer) Should Understand About Product Managers (with Diana Vidstrom)

I recently had the opportunity to speak with Diana Vidstrom (linkedin), an experienced product manager with a technical background. She agreed to brainstorm our product idea, and man, did I learn a lot. Here are the five key things I took away from our conversation.

My name is Till Carlos and I document how my development teams become more effective. Today, we’re diving into the world of product management and what developers like us need to understand about it.

1. There are 2 different personas. Which shall we focus on?

Diana highlighted two main groups that typically require product management expertise:

New Project Starters: Often developers or technically inclined individuals launching their first product. They usually need help with backlog prioritization and initial product strategy.
Established Software Companies: These organizations require ongoing product ownership to ensure timely delivery and alignment with business goals.

We agreed that focusing on the first group could potentially add the most value, especially in the early stages of a project.

2) Product managers are in demand

Diana confirmed that product managers are in high demand across the industry.

Key points:

Many companies are actively seeking skilled product managers.
“Body leasing” (contracting out product managers) is common.
The role varies significantly between companies, requiring different soft and hard skills.

Diana’s current role involves working with a team of 30 developers plus ML specialists, focusing on identifying high-value features for both short-term and long-term product development.

3) Anyone who deals with technical teams has to know certain things

Product managers interfacing with development teams need to:

Create clear, actionable specifications (even a well-written Google Doc can suffice).
Ensure outsourcing companies fully understand project requirements.
Consider technical aspects like database scalability, expected traffic load, and customer acquisition projections.
Anticipate future technological needs and trends.

4) Business owners struggle the most

Diana pointed out that business owners often face challenges when delegating product innovation:

Difficulty in assessing whether a project is on track.
Uncertainty about who is responsible for delays or issues.
Reluctance to dive deep into product details, preferring high-level oversight.

This creates an opportunity for product managers to serve as a vital link between business goals and technical execution.

5) Advice for Till: Start with a checklist

Diana suggested creating a comprehensive checklist for business owners. This could include:

Key questions to ask outsourcing companies.
Benchmarks for common development tasks (e.g., time required for UX/UI prototyping).
Red flags to watch for in the development process.

Such a checklist could serve as both a valuable tool and a potential lead magnet for consulting services.

Idea: speak to business owners.

Who is responsible? Are they good enough to do the job?
For them it’s sometimes hard to say, what’s wrong.
Tt’s always a game of playing around. the business owner is annoyed of going back into the product, to understand who is not doing their job.
Or: who is underestimating the deadlines.
That’s the perfect moment to bring in outside help.

This conversation highlighted the complexities of product management and the importance of bridging the gap between technical development and business goals. As developers, understanding these challenges can significantly improve our project outcomes.

Watch the full interview here: [YouTube].

What’s your experience with product management? Share your thoughts below.