Data Tools for Product Managers

As a product manager, your job mainly comprises analyzing customer needs within a larger business objective. As you develop your product, your team relies on you for your vision, expertise, and insights to shape the end product under development.

The data tools you use to make your work easier and more data-driven while streamlining your process contribute to your and your team's overall success.

Manage Product and Productivity

Managing your product may come as second nature to you, but managing productivity is an inescapable reality for everybody. For this, we all need tools to help us make the most of our time and data.

Here are a few, some of which you probably use and some you may be interested in.

1. Analytics Platforms: The most obvious one is to place a tracking method to know user behavior and engagement on whatever version of your product, whether live or in test mode.

Options include Google Analytics, Mixpanel, Simple Analytics.

2. Feedback and Collaboration: Product development garners feedback, so you'll need a way to track all those requests. Collaboration would be between your team and any other contributing members during development. Both work together to deliver solutions for your customer's needs and expectations.

Options include UserVoice, Product Board, and Aha!

• Aside #1 - Balancing Resources: As a product manager, you will face situations where you have to prioritize allocated resources. Balancing these resources to achieve a larger goal while maintaining customer satisfaction is one of the many balancing acts of a good manager.

3. Relationship Management: CRMs to manage customer interactions and keep track of sales and other client data is needed to make sense of the vast amounts of data daily.

Options include Salesforce, Hubspot, and Folk.

4. A/B Testing: Your main job is to understand customer needs and preferences and translate that for your product. A/B testing tools are your gateway to a treasure trove of information to help you make those decisions easier.

Options include Optimizely, VWO, and Convert

• Aside #2 - Priorities: You will hear many ideas, not just of your own but also from your stakeholders, employees, and customers. You decide what is worthwhile to pursue and feasible to develop in line with the product vision.

5. Product Analytics: You need to analyze the performance of your product across various metrics. Reports, visualizations, and KPIs will help you make the necessary data-driven decisions.

Options include Amplitude, PostHog and Tableau.

6. Customer Support: The only way to improve is to listen. Your customer inquiries, issues, and feedback are the driving force and idea bank for the constant iterative development cycle you are in. This is one of the most important integrations you will make with your process.

Options include Zendesk, Freshdesk, and Intercom

• Aside #3 - Familiarity: As industry and markets evolve, so do the products being created. Your role comprises more than just focusing on your development; it also involves being in tune with what your competitors put on the market.

In summary, collaboration is one of the cornerstones of a good product manager, apart from being in tune with each phase of development using the tools outlined above. Building your network through industry events, conferences, and online communities allows you to connect with your peers, new ideas, and market developments as you grow in your role as a product manager.

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