PRODUCT MANAGER
Missions, activities, skills, training
Product manager
Introduction to the Product Manager profession
What is a Product Manager?
The Product Manager manages a product in its entirety (marketing, communication, commercialization), from conception to the end of its life cycle.
He or she plays a central role in coordinating teams and making strategic decisions to ensure the product’s success in the marketplace.
Importance in the video game industry
The Product Manager’s role involves constantly adapting to innovations, technological developments and emerging trends.
To succeed, the Product Manager must take into account the specificities of the “video game” product, which must :
- offer a captivating and immersive gaming experience, taking into account players’ needs and preferences
- offer creative innovations (in gameplay, graphics or functionality) to stand out in a competitive market
- adapt quickly to rapidly evolving technologies and player preferences
- be technically sound, with no major bugs or performance problems, to guarantee a smooth gaming experience
Key skills for a Product Manager
Technical and analytical skills
Product Management includes understanding the technical aspects of the product, the ability to interpret data, evaluate performance and take the necessary decisions to optimize product strategy.
Product Managers have an in-depth knowledge of agile processes and principles.
In the video game industry, the job of Product Manager involves a solid understanding of :
- the video game market (trends, competition, player expectations)
- business models specific to the video game sector (monetization)
Personal qualities of a Product Manager
- Leadership
- Excellent interpersonal skills
- Problem-solving skills
- Ability to anticipate and make strategic decisions
- Critical, analytical and innovative thinking
- Strong initiative
- Autonomous and proactive
- Fluency in English
- Creativity
Product Manager tasks
- Manage the product development cycle, from conception to launch
- Define the product vision, prioritize functionalities to be developed
- Work closely with the tech and design teams to design a high-quality product
- Participate in product development: planning sprints, prioritizing the backlog, writing user stories, daily with tech.
- Collaborate with marketing and sales teams to develop launch, positioning and product marketing strategies.
- Analyze marketing pipeline performance and challenge internal teams to meet targets.
- Manage and motivate project teams (evaluation, setting and monitoring objectives).
- Conduct competitive intelligence to detect new opportunities
- Implement and maintain quality control and continuous improvement measures.
Training to become a Product Manager
Education and qualifications
Many Product Managers have advanced degrees, preparing them to take on strategic and operational responsibilities in product development and management.
In addition to theoretical training, internships, group projects and previous professional experience in fields related to product management are essential to complete the profile of the future Product Manager.
Programs at ISART Digital
The Creative Strategy Management program at ISART, in partnership with Excelia Business School enables you to master the methodology of strategic management of an innovative product.
Career and professional development
Career opportunities and business sectors
Product Managers have a wide range of career opportunities in various sectors: video game studios, technology companies, retail industries, financial services for start-ups… Their expertise is in demand in areas where product management is crucial to commercial success.
Product Manager career development
A Product Manager can progress to Brand Manager, Marketing Director, Communications Director, Product Director or Lead Product Manager.
Starting out as a Product Manager
Find an internship as a Product Manager
ISART’s Master includes periods of work experience in companies.
To find an internship, students can draw on the school’s network; participate in speed-recruiting/netlinking events during industry meetings.
How to find a job as a Product Manager
Job hunting involves creating a professional network, consulting Product Manager job offers, highlighting relevant experience in the field, taking part in netlinking events…
Other jobs that might interest you
Other jobs in video games, data and publishing could be of interest to you:
The Data Project Manager coordinates and plans the management of complex projects based on the creation of added value from databases.
The Data Analyst studies large databases in order to extract information to help decision-making.
The User Acquisition Manager is in charge of generating traffic to an application, game or website, while ensuring that the operation is profitable.
The Brand Manager develops, implements and monitors the marketing strategy for one or more video games / or a brand’s innovative product throughout the entire life cycle of the game / product, from the design phase to the end of its commercialization.
In the video game industry, the Publishing Manager coordinates the strategy for publishing and distributing a video game to consumers.
He or she oversees all stages of publishing, from the development phase through to publication of the game, in compliance with the studio’s quality standards and expectations.
The Marketing Director draws up the marketing strategy to increase brand awareness and improve the promotion of the company’s products/services.
He/she plans, implements and supervises all the company’s marketing actions.
