What Does It Mean to Be a Project Manager?

Being a Project Manager (PM) means being responsible for planning, executing, and closing a project, ensuring that objectives are met within the expected time, budget, and quality standards. It’s not just about managing tasks but also about leading teams, managing risks, and making strategic decisions to guarantee project success.

Being a Project Manager does not mean being a technical expert but rather an expert in management and leadership. The role involves coordinating teams, optimizing resources, and ensuring projects are successfully completed.

Difference Between Project, Program, Portfolio, and Product

🔹Project: A temporary effort to create a product or service. Example: Developing a new mobile application.

🔹Program: A set of related projects managed in a coordinated way. Example: Developing multiple banking apps (payments, investments, online banking).

🔹Portfolio: A collection of projects and programs aligned with an organization’s strategic objectives. Example: All technological initiatives of a fintech company.

🔹Product: The final outcome of a project or set of projects that delivers value to users. Example: A fully functional online banking app available to customers.

🔹Operations: Ongoing activities necessary to keep the business running. Example: Server maintenance and technical support.

Difference Between a Project, Program, Portfolio, and Product Manager (Roles)

🔹Project Manager (PM)

Focus: Managing a single project from initiation to completion.
Key Responsibilities: Planning, execution, risk management, budgeting, and ensuring project success within scope, time, and cost constraints.
Example: Overseeing the development of a new mobile application.

🔹Program Manager

Focus: Managing a group of related projects (a program) to achieve a broader business goal.
Key Responsibilities: Coordinating multiple projects, ensuring alignment, handling interdependencies, and optimizing resources across projects.
Example: Overseeing multiple software projects like a mobile banking app, online banking platform, and a payment gateway.

🔹Portfolio Manager

Focus: Managing a collection of programs and projects aligned with the company’s strategic objectives.
Key Responsibilities: Prioritizing projects, allocating resources, balancing risks, and ensuring the portfolio contributes to business goals.
Example: Managing all technology initiatives in a fintech company, including mobile banking, cybersecurity, and data analytics projects.

🔹Product Manager

Focus: Defining the vision, strategy, and lifecycle of a product to meet market needs and business objectives.
Key Responsibilities: Market research, roadmap creation, feature prioritization, and working with development teams to build a valuable product.
Example: Deciding what features should be included in a mobile banking app based on customer needs and competitive analysis.

Key Difference Summary:

• Project Managers focus on execution and delivery.
• Program Managers ensure multiple related projects work together.
• Portfolio Managers align all projects/programs with business strategy.
• Product Managers define what to build and why to maximize customer and business value.

Project Life Cycle

1. Initiation: Define the project and obtain approvals.
2. Planning: Establish objectives, scope, schedule, and costs.
3. Execution: Carry out planned activities.
4. Monitoring and Control: Track progress and make adjustments if necessary.
5. Closure: Formally complete the project.

Key PM Roles in Software Testing

The PM does not perform tests directly but ensures the testing team has everything they need:

• Test Planning: Ensuring testing is included in the project schedule.
• Resource Allocation: Coordinating testers, tools, and testing environments.
• Supervision: Monitoring test progress and resolving bottlenecks.
• Result Review: Analyzing reported defects and validating quality.

Example: Ensuring a team of testers has access to tools like Selenium or Postman and that testing is conducted on time.

Key Skills for a PM

Management Skills (Top Priority)

• Planning and Organization: Define schedules and resources.
• Leadership and Communication: Coordinate teams and resolve conflicts.
• Risk Management: Identify and mitigate problems.
• Decision-Making: Assess information and determine the best course of action.

Example: A PM must ensure that the team has adequate resources and time to develop an application without delays.

Technical Knowledge (Complementary)

• Understanding Software Development: Familiarity with Agile methodologies and tools.
• Project Management Tools: Experience with Jira, Trello, Azure DevOps.
• Technical Language: No need to code but should understand concepts like APIs or software architecture.

Example: Knowing the difference between frontend and backend helps communicate effectively with developers.

Key Diagrams for a PM

• Gantt Chart: Represents schedules with tasks and dates.
• Critical Path Method (CPM): Identifies tasks that impact overall project duration.
• Flowchart: Visually represents processes.
• RACI Matrix: Defines roles and responsibilities.
• Ishikawa Diagram: Identifies root causes of problems.

Example: Using a Gantt Chart to plan an app’s development, including design, coding, and testing phases.

💪 Technical knowledge helps, but effective management is the key to success. 🚀

Francisco Cobos

🐢 “Poc a Poc” (Little by Little)