Uzair Ahmed’s Post

Many Product Managers today have an exaggerated focus on "being technical" I.e. sql queries, api calls with Postman, understanding every technical detail of what the engineers are discussing etc. This creates misconceptions around being a Product Manager in KSA where the domain is new & immature. Technical expertise can be valuable, however, the following areas are often ignored yet they are just as critical for driving outcomes as a PM: 1. Strong business/commercial acumen 2. Financial awareness 3. Understanding marketing and growth opportunities 4. Leveraging the power of continuous discovery 5. Quick validation without code 6. UX/UI fluency #Productmanagement #Riyadh

Many Product Managers today have an exaggerated focus on "being technical" I.e. sql queries, api calls with Postman, understanding every technical detail of what the engineers are discussing etc. This creates misconceptions around being a Product Manager in KSA where the domain is new & immature. Technical expertise can be valuable, however, the following areas are often ignored yet they are just as critical for driving outcomes as a PM: 1. Strong business/commercial acumen 2. Financial awareness 3. Understanding marketing and growth opportunities 4. Leveraging the power of continuous discovery 5. Quick validation without code 6. UX/UI fluency #Productmanagement #Riyadh

Technical skills can be valuable for Product Managers but they should complement, not dominate, the PM’s role.

Technicals and all can be learned easily, but understanding business and knowing when, how, and what to communicate are the real skills of product managers anywhere. I hope that one day product management can be clearly defined in all regions. There are lots of misconceptions in this field, and that is what we're trying to cover on our channels. So, stay tuned for clearing up the concepts of product management and other related topics. #ProductManagement #Communication

I owe The Riyadh product community the truth! I’m not going to follow the crowd in KSA and tell you false truths just because they are popular and trending in Riyadh. I will always tell you how to be an effective product manager even if it opposes strong beliefs people have, some common examples: 1. Marty Cagyn’s inspired is game changing! Reality: It’s actually very misleading, companies are not built around product teams. Product teams are a support function for sales and operations. 2. Agile is the answer to product problems! Reality: actually not that important, so minimise talk about it and talk about your key business objectives, metrics, user feedback etc and how you can positively impact these areas! 3. Mastering Jira is critical! Reality: Jira is one tool and there are many others you can use. Product Management is not about tools, it’s about driving impact for your business and users. 4. Spending hours writing user stories Reality: Product Managers are not just ticket writers. They need be storytellers representing users and business strategic goals with data and real life examples. The sooner these hard truths are understood, the sooner product management will grow in Riyadh, Jeddah and the rest of KSA! #ProductManagement #Riyadh

Simply and effectively put by Muhammed Zaulifqar - product is tedious and complex and can lead to frequent frustrations at all levels. Communication and understanding can go a long way in resolving these frustrations. #productmanagement

Common Product Management Misconception in KSA: Product Managers should spend most of their time sitting with engineering & living in JIRA to feed them user stories. The more user stories I write = the more work I've done just like Engineers writing code... That's right isn't it? Yeah, not quite.... User stories is the last & most simplest step... before that we need to think about strategy, prirotisation, user discovery, stakeholder alignment, metrics, ux/tech discovery etc. Then we can think about writing the final requirements for engineers. The main point to think about here is... great product managers are not judged by user story writing volume. They are judged by their ability drive & align the organization around making product & organizational developments which will impact key metrics/goals. Engineering should typically spend take around 20%-25% of your time. The rest of your focus should be around strategy, metrics, discovery, driving alignment & supporting go-to-market. Small secret: I hate using JIRA & try my best to minimsie the time I spend in the tool so I can focus on true product management #Riyadh #ProductManager #Jira

Common Product Management Misconception in KSA: Product Managers should spend most of their time sitting with engineering & living in JIRA to feed them user stories. The more user stories I write equals to the more work I've done just like Engineers writing code... That's right isn't it? Yeah, not quite.... User stories is the last & most simplest step... before that we need to think about strategy, prioritisation, user discovery, stakeholder alignment, metrics, UX/tech discovery etc. Then we can think about writing the final requirements for engineers. The main point to think about here is A great product managers is not judged by user story writing volume. They are judged by their ability drive & align the organization around making product & organizational developments which will impact key metrics/goals. Engineering should typically spend take around 20%-25% of your time. The rest of your focus should be around strategy, metrics, discovery, driving alignment & supporting go-to-market. Small secret: I hate using JIRA & try my best to minimize the time I spend in the tool so I can focus on true product management #ProductManager #Jira

Sometimes, engineers forget how much their PMs actually do to keep things from falling apart. Imagine trying to keep designers, engineers, marketers, and salespeople happy all at once. That’s a PM’s daily life. They’re like chefs in a busy kitchen, ensuring every dish comes out perfectly. Honestly, PMs are the real heroes who keep everything organized. They make sure the product makes sense, meets user needs, and aligns with business goals. And yes, they attend a lot of meetings, but someone has to keep everyone on track. Being a PM is a tough job, but someone’s got to do it. So, next time you see a PM, maybe offer them a coffee – they probably need it. And don’t forget to say a few words of gratitude.

What does it take to be a great PM? The great PMs I’ve worked with are very different from each other. That’s why it is an awesome job. You see people who are full of energy and able to motivate people through their ideas, people rooted in technical capabilities, or people people who get things done through relationships. That said, all great PMs are goal oriented. They’re able to get things done, focus, prioritize. One mistake junior PMs at big companies make is to go to too many meetings and think their work is done. A good PM defines what it takes to achieve thier goals. Less effective PMs let their schedules sway how they get things done and it gets in their way.  Great PMs care about their users. They use their product. They do not finish when the spec is done but make sure to to use a working version inside and out. They have great follow through to get things done. #productmanagement #goaloriented #goodpm #greatpm