Though the titles are sometimes used interchangeably and the work may overlap, Product Managers and Product Owners differ. Not all companies have both roles. Smaller companies often have one person taking on the role of both the Product Manager and Product Owner. Product Owners are usually found in agile companies that use Scrum.
Product Manager
Product Managers are strategically focused. Their main goal is to make the product successful with both the customer and in the market. Some of their responsibilities include:
- Setting the strategy and vision of the product to align with business and user goals
- Building a product roadmap
- Works with engineers, designers, and stakeholders
- Requirements evaluation
- Stakeholder management
We have a blog post explaining what Product Management is in more detail.
Product Owner
Product Owners are tactically focused. They turn the Product Manager’s strategy into tasks and work with other teams in the company to make sure the tasks are being completed.
Some of their responsibilities include:
- Be the customer proxy
- Representing the interests of the stakeholders
- Keeping the product backlog prioritized
- Work with the Scrum team
- Articulating user stories
