As the competition across industries is increasing, growth is becoming more critical than ever. Companies are now seeking innovative ways to scale their operations and remain competitive. In this regard, growth product managers (GPMs or growth PM) have emerged as the perfect solution. The growth product manager skills have become of great value for modern businesses.
They focus on driving growth metrics like user acquisition, engagement, retention, etc., unlike traditional product managers who are responsible for product development.
In this article, we bring the several growth product manager skills required to land this role and succeed at this position. We will discuss skills such as analytical, strategic thinking, experimentation, technical proficiency, project management, and more.
Also read: Product Manager Interview Process and Preparation
Essential Growth Product Manager Skills
The demand for growth product manager skills is increasing rapidly as this position is becoming of significant value for companies. Modern organizations have realized that they need individuals with a holistic understanding of their products as well as target customers and can use this information to enhance the product. This way the companies want to improve the user experience & customer journey.
The following are some of the key growth product manager skills that an individual at this position should possess.
- Analytical skills
- Strategic thinking
- Experimentation & A/B testing
- Technical proficiency
- Project management & organization
Mastering Analytical Skills: A Key to Success for Growth Product Managers
One of the most important growth product manager skills is analytical thinking. Since the GPMs work in a highly data-driven environment where they have to make decisions on solid evidence-backed decisions rather than intuition, they must have the ability to analyze significant amounts of data.
Often they have to track key performance indicators (KPIs) like conversion rates, customer lifetime value (CLV), user retention, and more. A solid understanding and expertise of analytical tools like Google Analytics, Mixpanel, SQL, and others can help them do their jobs better.
By analyzing such vast amounts of data, a growth PM can identify growth opportunities and inefficiencies in the user journey. Using this information, they can make plans to optimize the product and marketing strategies, while ensuring that they align with the company’s growth targets.
This is a must-have growth product manager skill because it helps in carrying out tasks such as identifying a drop-off point in the user funnel or uncovering a high-potential market segment, and more.
Strategic Thinking: A Crucial Growth Product Manager Skills
Another core growth product manager skill is strategic thinking. It is important that they align their initiatives with the company’s goals and targets. They must understand the organization’s long-term vision as well as immediate business needs. For this, they must be able to look at both the big picture and pay attention to the minutest of details.
Additionally, the GPMs must also be able to prioritize tasks based on their potential impact ensuring that the resources are allocated appropriately.
Strategic thinking is a practice that involves balancing quick wins with long-term growth strategies. An individual who has mastered this growth product manager skill has a higher chance of succeeding in this domain.
Also read: The Product Manager Career PathÂ
Experimentation and A/B Testing: Core Tools in a Growth PM’s Toolkit
At the heart of growth product manager roles is experimentation. A GPM that does not experiment drastically reduces their chances of success in this sector. They are responsible for designing, executing, and analyzing the results of different experiments to test new features, marketing campaigns, and user experiences.
A/B testing is one of the most powerful tools in a growth product manager’s arsenal. It helps them compare the different versions of a product or a strategy, analyze their performances, and determine which is better for the company.
However, to run different experiments, the GPMs need to have a strong and deep understanding of different statistical principles and approaches. They have to set clear hypotheses, select the best metrics and ensure that the experiments are statistically appropriate.
After running the experiment or tests, they have to gather and analyze the data to determine actionable insights. The GPMs have to run several iterations of different experiments to gain a deeper understanding of the product as well as the customers to enhance their overall experience and achieve the company’s growth targets.
The Importance of Technical Proficiency in Growth Product Management
The GPMs have to be technically sound and proficient. This is another core growth product manager skill that helps such individuals perform exceptionally in their domain and achieve success. While they do not have to write code, having a sound understanding of the technical concepts is valuable to GPMs.
With this skill set, they can effectively communicate with the engineering teams to navigate through product limitations. In addition, this growth product manager skill also helps them in making informed decisions about which features to prioritize and develop plans to implement them.
Familiarity with technical tools & platforms like Tableau for data visualization, Optimizely for A/B testing significantly boost the GPM’s ability to analyze data and track performances. Additionally, with this growth product manager skill, they can also evaluate and determine the feasibility as well as implications of different growth strategies. It allows them to ensure the growth strategies are aligned with the technical capabilities of the company.
Also read: How to Become a Product Manager? Your Step-By-Step Guide
Mastering Project Management & Organization as a Growth Product Manager
One of the most important growth product manager skills is project management & organization. Typically, they have to work on several initiatives simultaneously, because of which they need to be an expert at project management.
The GPMs have to prioritize tasks, manage the timelines, and ensure that the projects are executed effectively and as per the scheduled deadlines.
Organizational skills help growth product managers to track the progress of different projects, manage resources, and adapt to changing priorities.
A GPM with exceptional project management skills can juggle multiple projects at once while ensuring their quality is maintained at desired levels without missing deadlines.
For a growth PM, managing complex workflows and coordinating across teams and departments is an essential growth product manager skill necessary for delivering results to drive business growth.
Also read: Top 10 Highest-Paying Product Management Jobs in 2024
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FAQs: Growth Product Manager Skills
Q1. What are Some Common Challenges Growth Product Managers Face in their Role?
Growth Product Managers often face challenges such as aligning growth strategies with company-wide goals, managing cross-functional teams, and balancing short-term wins with long-term growth. Additionally, they must navigate data privacy regulations, handle limited resources, and adapt to rapidly changing market conditions.
Q2. How Does a Growth Product Manager Collaborate with Other Departments?
Growth Product Managers work closely with various departments, including engineering, marketing, sales, and customer support. They collaborate with engineers to implement technical solutions, with marketers to refine campaigns and messaging, and with sales teams to optimize the customer journey. Effective communication and a deep understanding of each department’s goals are crucial for successful collaboration.
Q3. Can Someone Without a Technical Background Become a Growth Product Manager?
Yes, individuals without a technical background can become Growth Product Managers. While technical proficiency is a valuable skill, it’s not an absolute requirement. Many GPMs come from diverse backgrounds such as marketing, business, or finance. The key is to develop a solid understanding of data analysis, strategic thinking, and customer experience, and to work closely with technical teams.
Q4. What is the Difference Between a Growth Product Manager and a Growth Marketer?
A Growth Product Manager focuses on product development and user experience improvements to drive growth, often working closely with engineering and product teams. In contrast, a Growth Marketer primarily focuses on marketing strategies, user acquisition, and conversion optimization through channels like social media, SEO, and paid advertising. While their goals overlap, GPMs typically have a broader scope that includes product changes, whereas Growth Marketers focus more on external marketing efforts.
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