By Shainam Kharumnuid
One of the key challenges in Meghalaya is the widespread belief that securing a government job represents the ultimate career achievement. In contrast, in metro cities across India and abroad, government jobs are often less sought after due to the abundance of private-sector opportunities offering significantly higher salaries and broader career prospects. While government jobs provide stability and can be the better choice in certain situations, private-sector roles—especially for those with the right qualifications—offer a wider array of options and greater earning potential.
The primary issue in Meghalaya is the limited presence of private-sector opportunities, which is driven by challenges such as ease of doing business, lack of incentives, social constraints, political instability, and corruption. These systemic barriers require attention, and I plan to explore them in future articles where I’ll discuss strategies to accelerate Meghalaya’s economic development.
Before addressing these larger structural concerns, it’s crucial to first understand the different types of jobs that exist, the range of companies operating in various sectors, and how we can bring these opportunities to Meghalaya. In this article, I’ll focus on Product Management—a field primarily within tech companies—drawing from my own experience since graduating from IIT Madras and IIM Bangalore and currently heading a team of Product Managers. This field is one where only a handful of individuals from Meghalaya are currently represented and I wanted to decode this role a bit, primarily since a lot of people in Shillong do not really understand what we do in Product Management.
In today’s digital landscape, Product Management has emerged as one of the most coveted roles in the tech industry. But what does a Product Manager (PM) actually do, and why are they so critical to a company’s success? Let’s break it down.
At its core, a Product Manager acts as the captain steering a product toward customer satisfaction and business success. They don’t personally build the product (that’s the engineers’ job) or market it directly (handled by the marketing team). Instead, they determine what the product should be, why it’s worth building, and how it can effectively solve customer problems while aligning with the company’s goals.
In essence, Product Managers define a product’s vision, set priorities, and work closely with designers, engineers, marketers, and other teams to bring that vision to life. They balance user needs, business objectives, and technical constraints, serving as the glue that holds cross-functional teams together.
Product Management is often confused with Project Management or Program Management, but these roles are distinct:
•Product Management focuses on the what and why: What should be built, and why is it important? This role is about identifying customer needs, analyzing market trends, and defining the right product.
• Project Management focuses on the when and how: It ensures teams deliver projects on schedule and within scope by managing timelines and resources.
• Program Management takes a broader view, coordinating multiple projects to align with the organization’s larger strategic goals.
Think of it this way: a Product Manager decides what dish to cook, a Project Manager ensures the kitchen runs efficiently to prepare it, and a Program Manager oversees the restaurant’s overall operation. In many tech startups, however, Product Managers often take on all three roles.
Ownership lies at the heart of Product Management. A great Product Manager treats the product like their own business, taking full responsibility for its success or failure. This involves making tough decisions, advocating for customers, and constantly improving the product. They are accountable not just for delivering tasks but for driving meaningful outcomes and impacting business metrics.
Take Instagram’s Stories feature, for example. It wasn’t a lucky guess—it stemmed from a Product Manager identifying an opportunity to cater to user needs while driving business growth. Observing the popularity of short-form content on platforms like Snapchat, the PM might have discovered through research that Instagram users desired a way to share spontaneous, unpolished moments without cluttering their main feeds. The PM then worked with designers to conceptualize the feature, engineers to build it, and marketing teams to ensure a successful launch—all the while tracking metrics like daily active users, engagement and eventually contribution to ads revenue due to Stories. This level of ownership transformed Stories into a defining feature that boosted Instagram’s relevance.
The role of a Product Manager evolves depending on the company’s stage:
• Early-Stage Startups: PMs wear multiple hats, juggling tasks like user research, product ideation, and coordination with developers in a fast-paced environment.
• Mid-Stage Startups: The role becomes more structured, with a focus on scaling successful products, refining processes, and balancing growth with quality.
• Large Tech Companies: PMs often specialize in specific product areas, relying on established frameworks and larger teams while navigating complex organizational dynamics.
As digital products continue to dominate, the demand for skilled Product Managers is soaring. Companies recognize the value of having someone who understands customer needs deeply and can guide teams to build impactful solutions. It’s a role that combines creativity, strategy, and leadership, making it one of the most exciting and influential careers in today’s tech-driven world.
In a landscape where businesses thrive on exceptional products, Product Managers play a critical role in shaping innovations that matter—whether at a startup or a tech giant. It’s a career that not only challenges but also inspires, making it a path worth exploring. In fact, it is slowly becoming one of the most sought after careers at the top IITs and IIMs.
(The writer is Head of Product at Nivoda and an IIM Bangalore & IIT Madras Alum)