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If engineers are best suited to architect code, and user-experience designers are best suited to architect product design, and visual designers are best suited

• sardonicbryan 14y ago
  In my org, PMs have the responsibility for owning product metrics and business goals. So that means they are responsible for both pulling and analyzing user behavior data, and deeply understanding the impact of each of our feature releases from both a metrics and business goal standpoint. We also select heavily for quant analysis background, so our PMs are way better at pulling and analyzing data than our engineers or designers. As a result, they are typically the closest to really knowing what has worked and what hasn't and why, which makes them uniquely positioned to decide what to do next/prioritize upcoming features, make tradeoffs. It doesn't mean the decision making is perfect, but I like to think that if you ask our engineers and designers whether our PMs are adding value, they would agree. Our 12 month engineer retention and internal survey data indicate that that's at least directionally accurate.
• enraged_camel 14y ago
  PM is a mix of all those roles - engineering, UX, design - plus business. A good way to think about it is that the role ties the product to the company's business goals. A good PM will be able to talk to all four teams intelligently and help them channel their skills into a product that's successful.