I had previously shared my thoughts around the differences between Product Management and Project Management; yet, life moves on, and we learn more (hopefully) and our perspectives may change as a result of that learning. At least, we’d hope it would.

I have recently embarked on this new adventure, of which I am collecting my random thoughts and idealistic diatribes on this very blog here. As part of that journey, I felt compelled to revisit the thoughts and definitions around product management and project management.

My current thought process defines those two terms as follows:

Product Management – conceive and nurture ongoing the greater idea of a product or service, its value proposition and idealistic goal

Project Management – implement the vision via smaller, logically sequenced incremental iterations (projects) that range end-to end (scope, development, test, communicate, deploy, teach)

Reflecting on those two high level definitions today, I still arrive at the conclusion that both are intricately connected, dependent on each other for insight and progress alike. As such, attempting to draw a dividing line between the two definitions would inherently cut off a vital component of each concept’s very nature, without which neither can succeed.

Which school of thought do you align with more closely? I would love to hear about it!