What is the role of a Product Manager ?

Product management is still a relatively new and evolving role. Hence we come across this question often in various formats & forums. 

This my take that I shared in an interview with Product Nation. Hope this will bring some more clarity for aspiring product managers.  

A product manager has to perform three key roles in an organization: Envision, Evangelize and Execute.

Envision 
This means having a clear picture of the problem you are trying to solve, the solution and the strategy that will lead you there. It requires deep understanding of target users, the existing solutions and competitors in the market and a compelling case for why your solution will win over the existing alternatives.
 
Evangelize 
An equally important aspect of my role is evangelizing  your vision to your team. The more you focus on this the easier it’ll be to execute. And once the team is convinced with your vision, you’ll be amazed to see the change it’ll bring to the output. 
 
Execute
Remember the quote from The Social Network, “If you guys were the inventors of Facebook, you’d have invented Facebook.”
It is one of the most critical aspects of product management and means doing whatever it takes to ensure your product ships.