𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐫

Expecting them to be both is asking for failure.

Great Product Managers win markets. But Project Managers make sure that that great idea gets successfully launched to market.

I've launched at least 7 products over the years, all of them from idea to market, including B2B and B2B2C and one of my biggest takeaways is that Product Management and Project Management are not the same job - even if people think they are (and that's a common problem).

Asking a Product Manager to do two jobs doesn't work, they can't do both. The two roles complement each other, but they don't substitute each other.

When one person wears both hats, both roles suffer, strategy competes with firefighting, processes get missed and delivery ends up being rushed.

Product launches fail when there's no dedicated project manager:

➡️ Crucial details fall through the cracks between strategy and execution

➡️ Deadlines, risks and dependencies fail

➡️ Stakeholders lose alignment

➡️ Product Managers burn out trying to 'do it all', stretching between market insights, product design and delivery logicstics

Why you need Project Leadership:

➡️ A successful launch needs both disciplines:

➡️ The project manager protects timelines, resources, and execution discipline

➡️ The product manager gets to stay focused on creating customer value and market impact

Bringing in a project manager protects both the market vision and the path to launch. Strong products need strong delivery. Success requires both roles at the table.

Do you see Product Managers stretched too thin in your org? Or is project leadership already built in?