Day in the life as a Product Manager

Hi! I’m so excited to be writing today’s blog post about a day in the life of a Product Manager. By way of introduction, my name is Meenakshi Sharma and I am a Product Manager on the Enterprise Process Engineering team.  In my role, I have the opportunity to focus on the deal closing process.  I get to work with different groups at the firm including Deal Teams, Compliance, Finance, etc. to optimize processes.  What does a Product Manager do? - A Product Manager is responsible for setting the vision of the software or ‘product’ they support. Being a Product Manager involves knowing the business/users you support, developing a roadmap, working with developers and focusing on product development.  Although every day looks a little different, below is a typical day in my life as a Product Manager.   

7 AM 

I get into the office between 7-730 AM.  I like to grab breakfast from the pantry, catch-up on emails, and get settled into the day.  I review my calendar for the day and prepare any materials needed for meetings.  I also like to make a to-do list and prioritize anything that may need immediate attention.

8 AM

My team is co-located in several different time zones, so the morning is spent catching up with the team and going through any open questions or blockers. The team consists of Business Analysts, Developers, and QA testers. The meetings are also an opportunity for team members to have design discussions focused on getting feedback from others.  

10 AM 

I spend the mid-morning working on new functionality. This will typically involve writing documentation, and requirements, creating process flows, mock-ups, etc. One of my favorite parts about my role is the ability to collaborate with others. As I'm working through new functionality, I will often grab a conference room and whiteboard.  

12 PM 

Lunch time! I take a break and grab something to eat.  We have great food and a culture that encourages eating together. I like to step away from my desk to get a change of scenery and catch-up with others. 

1 PM 

The afternoon is spent catching up with stakeholders across the firm.  These meetings are normally used for working on requirements, open questions or discussing progress.  Materials such as process flows, or mockups are often used to facilitate the conversation. I may also spend time with members from my team testing newly developed features before we release them to our users. The review process also allows us to make iterative changes.

5 PM

Most of the meetings for the day have wrapped up and I spend time documenting meeting notes.  I’ll take a quick look at what meetings I have the next day and prepare anything in advance if needed.   

6 PM

Head home! I hope this was a helpful insight into what a day of a Product Manager looks like at KKR!

Disclaimer

The views expressed in this blog post are the personal views of Meenakshi Sharma and do not necessarily reflect the views of KKR. Neither KKR nor the author guarantees the accuracy, adequacy or completeness of information provided in this blog post. No representation or warranty, express or implied, is made or given by or on behalf of KKR, the author or any other person as to the accuracy and completeness or fairness of the information contained in this blog post and no responsibility or liability is accepted for any such information. Nothing contained in this blog post constitutes investment, legal, tax or other advice nor is it to be relied on in making an investment or other decision. This blog post should not be viewed as a current or past recommendation or a solicitation of an offer to buy or sell any securities or to adopt any investment strategy. This blog post may contain projections or other forward-looking statements, which are based on beliefs, assumptions and expectations that may change as a result of many possible events or factors. If a change occurs, actual results may vary materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date such statements are made, and neither KKR nor the author assumes any duty to update such statements except as required by law.