Although each member of a product’s team is important, there is one role that is critical to the production of a world changing product: the product manager.

In 2005, Marty Cagan, founder of The Silicon Valley Product Group, discussed the essential skills and traits of this position in his paper Behind Every Great Product: The Role of the Product Manager. Last year, Cagan posted a follow-up article sharing untold stories from powerful female product managers through six iconic brands. We decided to share this article because it provides inspiring stories that explain the vital role a product manager plays in a company’s success. Having released over 200 apps, we can personally support Cagan’s opinion of a product manager’s significance.

Discover the issues products like Word for Mac, Netflix, iTunes, and more faced to become the iconic products they are today in the follow-up article, Behind Every Great Product.

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