Product Manager vs. Program Manager: What’s the Difference?

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They sound the same, but a product manager and program manager are two distinct positions. It’s important to understand the differences and similarities between them, as this ensures that you follow the best career path for you.

What is a Product Manager?

We have an entire blog post — What do product managers do? A comprehensive guide with examples — dedicated to providing a sound overview of what to expect as a PM. While that post is a good read, for the sake of this article we’re only going to share a brief excerpt:

Product managers are responsible for three parts of product development: problem discovery, solution finding, and finally, leading the development of the product. To do their job effectively, PMs sit across three cross-functional teams in an organization: The consumer-facing side, the builder side, and the core business side.

The exact responsibilities of a product manager vary from industry to industry, company to company, and position to position. 

For example, a PM in the blockchain space may not have the same responsibilities as one employed by a SaaS company. Even when comparing two companies in the same space, you’ll find that the PMs at each don’t have identical responsibilities.

And of course, the type of product manager also comes into play. An associate product manager won’t tackle the same tasks as a senior product manager. 

Keep reading for an overview of product manager responsibilities. 

What is a Program Manager?

Here’s how Indeed defines a program manager:

A program manager is the strategic project planner of an organization. They define and supervise different projects at the same time, which are all part of a program designed to add value to the company. They assess the impact of these projects, decide on priorities, set milestones, and ensure completion within time and costs limit. They oversee the project manager.

Program managers at some companies may share the same responsibilities as a product manager, but from a high-level view, it’s easy to see that the two positions greatly differ. 

What are the Differences?

Now that you know the basics, it’s time to answer the million-dollar question: what are the differences between a product manager vs. program manager?

The best way to answer this question is to review the primary responsibilities of product managers and program managers. 

Product Manager Responsibilities

Generally speaking, product management can be broken down into three key responsibilities:

• Discover problems.
• Find solutions.
• Build the product.

Yes, there are tasks that sit within these three responsibilities, but this is a good jumping-off point for comparing the differences between product managers and program managers. 

Product Manager Skills

The most successful product managers share various skills including but not limited to:

• Strategic thinking
• Data mining and statistical analysis
• Technical development principles
• Ability to communicate 
• Leading without authority
• Persuasion
• Prioritizing
• Delegation
• Problem-solving
• Creativity

Read our blog posts on PM hard skills and PM soft skills for more information. 

Program Manager Responsibilities

Now, let’s examine some of the most common program manager responsibilities:

• Creating program schedules and ensuring that all team members stick to them. 
• Justifying project adjustments.
• Signing off on major expenditures and budget changes.
• Requesting and distributing resources, including both budget and manpower. 
• Identify risks associated with the product or project.
• Managing a team and meeting with stakeholders to share progress, challenges, and goals. 

Program Manager Skills

Just the same as product managers, program managers lean on various skills to perform at a high level. These include:

• Stakeholder management
• Conflict resolution
• Communication skills
• Resource management
• Milestone planning
• Process mapping
• Scenario analysis

Many of these skills — such as communication — are shared by product managers. 

A Side by Side Comparison: Program Manager vs. Product Manager

Are you getting closer to understanding the difference between working as a product manager and working as a program manager?

A side-by-side comparison can help you clear up any gray area. Let’s examine four key differences:

Transitioning from Program Manager to Product Manager

Are you currently employed as a program manager? Are you enticed at the thought of switching to a career in product management?

Transitioning from program management to product management may be easier than you think. Our recently published blog post on transitioning into the role of product manager can act as your guide.

While making your final decision on whether to transition, there are five areas of focus:

• Mindset: Why do you want to change career paths? Why do you want to become a product manager? What are you seeking in a PM career?
• Value proposition: Conduct a personal SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis to understand how your skills as a program manager translate into product management. 
• People: Hiring managers, mentors, and support systems. Talk to anyone and everyone you can to understand the ins and outs of both positions. This will help you decide if a transition makes sense. 
• Project: Do you have product-related experience? Can you build a product from scratch to gain experience and enhance your knowledge?
• Process: Prepare for the interview process by answering potential questions, partaking in mock interviews, and varying your focus on every last area of product management (design, execution, metrics/analytical, and strategy).

Summary

Product manager vs. program manager. Now that you know the differences and similarities, you can decide which path is right for you. If you decide in favor of becoming a product manager, you’re in the right place. We can help you choose a company, prepare for your first interview, and find other aspiring PMs for group practice. And that’s just the start!