Picture this – Working from your favorite cafe or while watching the sunset on a beach. Sounds awesome, right? You can make this dream come true by becoming a remote product manager.
The role comes with a blend of freedom as well as high-maintenance responsibilities taking you away from the daily hustle and bustle of the office grind.
Let’s dive into details without any further ado.
What Is a Remote Product Manager?
A remote product manager also looks after strategy and product development while working at their own comfort from anywhere in the world.
This is different from a typical product manager role – remote product managers tend to work outside their company’s main office.
The common practice allows product managers to easily work with teams across various time zones promoting a culture of flexibility.
Even though an additional word is attached to the role, it stays similar to an in-office product manager having four main responsibilities:
- Defining product goals
- Creating Roadmaps
- Managing cross-functional teams
- Making sure the product meets customer needs
Remote Product Managers tend to communicate and manage their workflows a bit differently – depending hugely on tools such as Zoom, Trello, Slack or Asana to stay connected with teams as well as their work.
The setup helps organizations in exploring an extensive talent pool and ensures product managers working in ways that are convenient for them.
Even though flexibility is a strong plus point for the role, a greater set of self-management and communication skills are required.
What Are the Benefits of Working as a Remote Product Manager?
A remote product manager role comes along with a variety of benefits for the employee as well as the employer too.
First, flexibility is a game changer for remote product managers since they have more control over their schedules. The reason – No daily commute promoting time management and demoting stress at the same time.
Another benefit is visible increase in productivity. Most remote product managers are more comfortable in their home workspace which helps them stay focused. They do this with the help of multiple tools which usually aren’t used in the office workspace.
Companies hiring remote product managers have the biggest advantage in terms of accessing a broader talent pool. It helps them hire the best employees with location hindrance.
Cost Savings is a key perk as well. With employees working from anywhere in the world other than their office, companies can save up a lot of money on office spaces and other expenses.
Lastly, a remote product manager job prompts employee satisfaction. They tend to shoot up satisfaction, since employees can enjoy the freedom to work from anywhere they feel the most productive.
The flexibility of remote product manager roles leads to higher retention rates, as it gives them a chance to realize the work-life balance that comes out of it.
What Are the Challenges Faced by a Remote Product Manager?
Working as a remote product manager sounds fun but like everything else, it also comes with its own challenges.
A big disadvantage of the role is communication gaps. It’s not easy to have quick and simultaneous conversations if you’re not in the office together – this often leads to a lot of confusion.
You can use multiple tools and still fail to meet the productive outcomes of a face-to-face conversation. This is true especially when you’re working across different time zones.
Following along the same lines, Team Alignment is also a common challenge. Companies usually need to put a lot of effort and strain their energy to make sure that everyone is on the same page.
Another difficulty in working as a remote product manager – building trust and relationships. It’s even more difficult to develop bonds when you do not meet someone in person.
Working in a remote job puts you in a position where you need to be very intentional about associating with your teammates – this can feel forced sometimes.
Lastly, if you fail to realize the work-life balance, the role can end up being a tricky one for you. If you fail to separate work and home, you can find it very hard to switch off at times. Hence, setting boundaries is very important and you need to be disciplined.
How To Succeed as a Remote Product Manager?
If you want to succeed as a remote product manager, it is important to set up a few important habits. Here’ how you can make your remote work life more enjoyable:
Find Balance Between Work and Personal Life:
Usually, when you’re working from home it’s unavoidable for you to drag your work into personal time. To avoid this, you need to set specific working hours and stick to your timetable.
No one wants to get burnt out, it doesn’t matter if you’re working from home or in-office, so schedule your breaks accordingly. Taking a brisk walk and shutting down your screen from time to time helps a lot.
Dedicated Workspace:
A dedicated workspace helps you focus a lot – find a quiet place and organize everything you need to ensure maximum productivity.
It can be as simple as a desk with adequate lighting and survival kit at your fingertips. A sense of productivity naturally emerges when you associate your setup with your work.
Keep Communication Open and Clear:
The most important element in sustaining a remote product manager role is good communication, even over-communication works as a matter of fact.
Keep your toolkit ready – with tools like Slack, Zoom and even Email, you can stay connected constantly with your teammates using the right amount of effort.
Stay Accountable and Keep Information Flowing
You need to be accountable and keep everyone in the loop while working remotely. Continuously share your progress with everyone so that they’re aware of where they’re heading towards.
This transparency is important to build trust and keep your projects moving forward. It doesn’t matter if it’s a weekly update or a daily one, invite your team to access information at all times.
Conduct Research Remotely:
Product development needs thorough research and gathering insights, even in virtual mode. Just like your teammates, it is important to stay connected with your users too.
Keep in touch with them through:
- Online Surveys
- Remote User Testing
- Feedback forms
Conclusion
Being a remote product manager represents flexibility and smart strategies. There are a lot of benefits attached to the role but of course they come with a few bumps.
But, with the correct set of tools, excellent communication and a dedicated workspace, you can definitely overcome the challenges and make your remote job an awarding one.
So, are you ready to enter the remote PM World?
FAQs
A remote product manager is in charge of a product’s overall success, from development to launch and beyond. They collaborate with a team of engineers, designers, and marketers to create and release products that cater to users’ demands and bring in money for the business. Even when team members are not physically present, remote product managers must be ready to competently communicate and interact with them.
The salary for a remote product manager can vary depending on experience, skills, and location. However, the average salary for a remote product manager in the United States is $145,609.