Wait a minute... are we actually speaking the same language?

The Product Manager — the bridge between business areas, people and goals

In many companies, different teams are working towards the same goal, but talking past each other. Sales, technology and customer success are all specialized disciplines with their own expressions, goals and ways of thinking. They work with the same products and customers -- and yet it seems like they don't always understand each other. Why? Because they don't necessarily talk the same language.

This is not a matter of disagreement -- quite the contrary. Most teams agree about what is important, but they express it in different ways. This is where the product manager comes into play.

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The product manager: the bridge that brings the organization together

A good product manager is the glue in an organization. They unite different functions, build understanding across and ensure everyone is moving towards the same goal. The Product Manager translates technical language into understandable, concrete and actionable steps for the entire organization. They ensure that all actors — regardless of their role — are not only heard, but understood.

It's not about being a middle manager or administrator. It's about driving focus, prioritising properly, and ensuring teams have a shared understanding of what should be built, why it should be built, and for whom.

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When Product Management Works — and When It Doesn't

In organizations where product management works well, there are fewer misunderstandings, projects have clearer direction, and teams perform better together. When this function is missing, we see the opposite: resources are wasted on the wrong measures, communication fails, and good ideas die along the way.

The product manager fills a critical need: to be the link between strategy and execution, between vision and realization. This is why the role is often called “product CEO”. Not because the product manager has all the power — but because they have the overall perspective and responsibility to create interaction between subjects, business and customer needs.

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Is your organization rigged for product-driven success?

If you want to deliver products that truly create value, you need to invest in more than technology and development capacity. You need to invest in clear product management — and give the product manager the mandate, trust and support to do their job.

Because in a world where the pace is high and the competition fierce, it's not necessarily those who work the most who succeed best -- it's those who work hitchhiking.

And it starts with the fact that we speak the same language.

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