Documentation
Is there a need to write a lot of documentation when you are a Product Manager? Yes.
I don’t think I would know half of what I know about the product(s) I work with if I hadn’t generated 90% of the documentation library for it, and still do so today. I could see some PM’s losing that desire, and not want to get their hands dirty with something a technical writer or documentation department would handle. I say, screw that, and get in there.
At the end of the day, you need to be an expert in the product, and my belief is that the best way to do that is to write the docs for it that clients and team members internally use day to day. First off, you learn. Second, you gain visibility with those folks relying on what you’re writing to perform their jobs effectively.
Regardless of how many PM jobs I hold throughout my career, I know 100% that I will always make it a point to write a large piece of the documentation for the company. Another important lesson that I’ve learned when it comes to writing all this content: make sure you know what types of docs you are writing, who they are for, where they fit in process, and communicate why they exist and how to use them effectively.
If you sit down and think about all of the knowledge a small business (nevermind an Enterprise) generates in any given week, it will blow your mind.
My opinion? If you want to be a good Product Manager, make sure you can write the docs, and talk about their value and why they exist. It’s really key, since a lot of folks look to you (or your team / group) to deliver all of the product information they will use to do their jobs. It’s all really cool when you think about it, even if writing documentation doesn’t feel all that cool.
Just a thought.
