Insights from a Product manger for Technical Communicators

Introduction

This interview was conducted on Thursday the 5th of December, 2024 from 14:20 pm - 15:40pm (CST). The meeting was held and recorded on Zoom. The interviewee is Tosin Onaneye, a seasoned Product Manager with at least a decade’s experience in the field. Tosin was a former colleague of mine in Seamfix Limited (Nigeria) and we have worked together on a few projects within and outside the organisation. He agreed to do this interview because he has worked with many technical communicators and technical writers in his career. I deemed him fit for the interview as well because technical writing is my current career path and choice, and the insights he provided are valuable to everyone in this field.

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1 .  Can you share a bit about your background and your role as a product manager? How does communication play a role in your day-to-day responsibilities?

“I got my first degree in Microbiology and my second degree in International Business Management and Information Systems Management. I’ve also worked as a Business Analyst in the financial services sector, identity management sector, and payments sector.

Product management is a bridge between business and technology because we try to solve problems for consumers using technology. The idea is that we use technology to ensure that a business or consumer’s problem is solved, and that the product is useful to them as well. The ultimate goal of a Product Manager (PM) is to ensure and guide the success of a product or service, and lead cross-functional teams that are responsible for developing and improving the product.

For communication, as a PM, you need to understand the vision of the organization in terms of revenue and services. As a PM, it’s one thing to understand it, but it’s another to articulate that vision because you’ll be communicating it to different stakeholders in the team. You’re essentially the voice of the product, regularly updating stakeholders such as your team members, customers, or the management team.”

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2 .  What are the key challenges you face in communicating complex technical information to diverse audiences, such as stakeholders, team members, and clients?

“A major challenge is trying to get some kind of alignment and buy-in (agreement) from all the stakeholders. Not everybody might be moving on the same wavelength as you, so you need to develop the patience to communicate several concepts over and over again to ensure there is agreement on what needs to be done.

Personally, that’s the only challenge I experience in product management.”

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3 .  How do you ensure that technical documentation aligns with project goals and timelines?

“When you receive technical documentation, you review it as a Product Manager (PM) to see how it aligns with your project’s goals. If the details aren’t clear enough, the next step is to seek clarification.

Afterward, you create a product specification document that outlines what needs to be done, who is responsible for each task, and the specific timelines. Once this is complete, you share the roadmap with all key stakeholders and gather their feedback to ensure alignment with the goals.

After alignment, I constantly check in with all stakeholders to track the project’s progress against our agreed timelines and goals.”

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4 .  What tools or platforms do you rely on to manage and streamline communication within your projects?

“There are a myriad of tools I use as a PM to communicate daily. I use platforms like Slack, Teams, Microsoft Teams, and Google Chat/Hangouts. For project management, I rely on Jira and Microsoft Azure. For documentation, I use Microsoft Word, Excel, Google Sheets, and Google Docs. Of course, it goes without saying that we also use emails to communicate among team members.”

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5 .  Can you describe a time when effective communication played a critical role in resolving a significant issue or achieving a project milestone?

“In terms of achieving a project milestone, we once had limited time to reach our goals. One thing we did was communicate clearly with the client and vice versa. We then prepared a document that captured all their needs properly, including the goals, deliverables, and milestones. This allowed us to explain that it would be best to approach the project in phases (1, 2, 3), with key deliverables identified in each phase. The most important deliverables were boxed into Phase 1, while additional items were added to Phases 2 and 3. This approach helped us manage expectations and ensure everyone was on the same page.

As the project progressed, we maintained clear communication, especially when there were minor setbacks that delayed our deliverables. We communicated through emails and clear, detailed updates, ensuring the client was kept informed every step of the way. This also helped eliminate any ambiguities during the process.”

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6 .  How do you balance the need for thorough documentation with the need to maintain project momentum?

“When documenting, it’s always good to focus on what is essential. I follow the 80-20 rule: I document or prioritize 80% of the most important decisions—things that deliver the most value. Instead of documenting every detail, I focus on the key aspects of the project, leaving out less critical information (AOBs or side conversations outside the main goals).

I also adopt an agile approach to documentation. The team works with a main document that contains the essential details to guide their assignments, and we refine it as needed over time. This way, we avoid overwhelming the team with unnecessary information, especially when the timeline is tight. By focusing on what matters most, the team maintains momentum through the already established documentation. The remaining 20% consists of other deliverables and details that may emerge during the project but aren't critical from the start.”

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7 .  What role does collaboration between product managers and technical writers or communicators play in project success?

“This is a good question. Technical writers are actually key partners to product managers because we are building for developers. What technical writers (TWs) do is help us communicate how the product works—they explain the product, its benefits, and how the target audience can use it. As a product manager (PM), my role is to ensure the TW understands how the product functions, almost like duplicating my understanding of it. I involve the TW every step of the way so they know exactly what we are building. With that knowledge, the TW can research how to create newsletters, FAQs, or product documentation targeted at users. The TW then frames the message in a way that connects with the audience in the simplest way possible. Essentially, the PM and TW work together to ensure the message is clear and reaches the right users.”

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8 .  How do you adapt your communication strategies when working with cross-functional or multicultural teams?

“Firstly, it’s important to understand the team’s dynamics. Some people have technical backgrounds, and others do not. This affects how well you communicate with each team member. Secondly, I make sure to use clear and inclusive language, avoiding jargon unless absolutely necessary. When talking to the technical team, I may use jargon, but when speaking to a mix of technical and non-technical people, I simplify my language to ensure everyone is on the same page. During meetings, I encourage active participation by making the environment inclusive, so everyone feels heard, regardless of their role. I also send out agendas and pre-reads in advance so everyone has context and can come prepared to discuss the topic. As the meeting moderator, I practice active listening, ensuring I can provide the appropriate feedback and help attendees feel engaged. Additionally, I use collaborative tools like whiteboards and chat rooms on Zoom or Teams to address questions and feedback in real time.”

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9 .  What trends or emerging practices in product management do you believe are shaping the future of technical communication?

“In product management, we use tools like Confluence, Jira, and others to document information related to the product. Today, live documents are the trend, allowing stakeholders to view, update, and comment on them in real time. For instance, when I need to quickly document something, I use Confluence or Microsoft Word to outline the product's goals and share the link with others. This allows for real-time feedback from engineers or clients, which improves collaboration. Teams are moving away from static documents to living, evolving repositories that grow with the product lifecycle. We also rely on bite-sized content like FAQs, quick-start guides, or video tutorials, making it easy for users to find information without going through lengthy text. Additionally, we’re seeing more use of visuals, such as Figma, Canva, flowcharts, user journey maps, and wireframes, to create engaging content that complements technical documentation. This shift means that technical writers must stay on top of trends, as there’s always something new to adapt to.”

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10 .  How do you handle decision making under pressure and what kind of documentation or methods do you use to do it?

“As a PM, there are multiple frameworks that I use when making decisions. We call them prioritisation frameworks. When we make decisions that align with the business goals, we use the RICE framework – reach, impact, confidence and effort. For reach; how many people will gain from the service that we are creating? What is the range, scope, proximity or coverage will this span across? For impact; how will this influence the users on a set scale (e.g. 1- 5, 1- 10, etc.)? For confidence; how certain are you about the fact that the product/service will reach and impact the target audience? For effort; this covers the number of resources (engineers, clients, audience, management, and other stakeholders) that will be needed to ensure the success of the project. All these factors determine my decision making under pressure because they help me to prioritise tasks, allocate resources effectively, and assess the feasibility of the project.”

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11 .  What advice would you give technical communicators to enhance their effectiveness when working with product/project managers?(To offer actionable advice directly to the audience.)

“First things first, as a TC, when collaborating on a project, you need to understand the goal and the bigger picture of the project, and also understand who your stakeholders are (e.g. team mates, customers, third parties, management teams, clients, etc.). It is important to build a strong relationship with your product manager as well so that you can establish open communication lines and proactively seek input from them. TCs should also attend as many meetings as they can so that they can understand the work that needs to be done. This plays a significant role in your work as a TC and how you can offer value to the product or project. Understand that priorities may shift when you’re on the project. You also need to consistently seek feedback from the PMs to ensure that your documents are aligned with the project or product’s goals. You also need to track your progress regularly throughout the project by adhering to status timelines and updates. Speaking of timelines, you need to factor drafts, reviews, and feedback into your timelines to ensure some level of discipline and flexibility, because again, priorities change throughout the project’s timeline. Learning how to use product management tools like flowcharts, Figma, Jira, Azure, etc. will teach you how to be a strategic partner in the organisation. That’s about it.”