What makes a good PM?

#1 Clarity on “Why” and “What” — Not Just “When”

A good PM is expected to:

• Clearly explain the problem, customer pain, and business context.

• Define outcomes, not just features or tasks.

• Prioritize what truly matters, not everything that’s possible.

#2 Realistic Planning & Honest Trade-offs

A good PM should:

• Listens to technical constraints.

• Don't over promise to stakeholders.

• Pushes back on scope creep and aligns on trade-offs together.

#3 Decision-Making That’s Data-Informed, Not Personal

A good PM should:

• Uses data, user feedback, and metrics to make decisions.

• Don't just say “Because leadership wants it” or “That’s my call.”

Engineers are motivated when they feel the solution has a measurable impact, not when it feels like the PM is guessing or taking credit.

#4 Unblocking and Shielding

A good PM should know about how to remove noise so that engineers can focus on their work:

• Clarify ambiguous requirements.

• Get quick answers from ops, legal, design, etc.

• Push back on distractions during a sprint (e.g., new sales asks mid-sprint).

#5 Mutual Respect and Ownership

A good PM engages with engineering team much early in the entire rpoject planning phase:

• Involve them in ideation, especially for technical or UX-heavy features.

• Share customer feedback and celebrate impact, not just deadlines.