Questions

I've been helping startups as VP Product and am now considering freelancing. Whether you're early stage or growth stage, I can see the need for a dedicated PM, but a good PM in whatever shape or form is way better than a dedicated average PM. So I'm curious - would you hire a freelance PM to help you out ?

I would surely hire one. The product manager is usually the most important member of any development team. Their responsibilities range from the most minute of technical details to the broadest of managerial duties.
Product managers are also typically the sole link between the executive staff and the development team. This gives them the tremendous responsibility of translating concerns, woes, and final drafts between the two ranks. Apart from all of this, they must also be able to determine the quality of a product and its marketability. These state the obvious benefits of hiring a product manager, but, what about freelance? Freelance product managers are growing in popularity due to their array of skills and vast well of experiences. By the nature of the craft, freelancers are typically world-weary workers with the ability to read and assess a situation moments after being acquainted with it. This means that freelance product managers do not typically need a lengthy onboarding process or much in the way of training. For businesses, this saves a lot of time and money as they do not have to onboard, train, and then assess an employee. There was a time when fulfilling the responsibilities of a product manager was simply impossible. Sure -- you could communicate via telephone and fax, but such a demanding role would require more interaction than that. Now, with video conferencing, company cloud services, and business communication apps, working remotely is nearly identical to punching in at work. Simultaneous and asynchronous communication can be done facilely. Product managers can regularly check in with executives, clients, and team members to provide updates, offer solutions, and communicate objectives.
One of the many reason’s freelancers are seeing a surge in demand: costs. Hiring a full-time employee is often accompanied by hidden fees. Office space, per diem allowances, reimbursements, onboarding, and other administrative costs. If you are looking to tighten the belt, but you need a product manager, relying on a reputable freelance marketplace may be a good option for you. Often freelancers can be hired quickly through marketplaces, further reducing costs on your organization. Freelance product managers are more flexible as they are not beholden to a scheduling commitment or physical commute. Reducing costs for both employer and employee makes this a symbiotic and mutually beneficial arrangement. In addition, product managers often charge lower hourly rates as freelancers than a typical salary. Even if the salary and hourly rate are equivalent, you are only paying for a single project, making freelancers more affordable.
Freelance marketplaces have been around for quite some time now. Marketplaces like Upwork, Guru, and People Per Hour have attracted millions of contractors to their site and have helped companies complete thousands of jobs. High-volume general marketplaces are not the only freelance marketplaces exploding in popularity, however. Top-tier talent marketplaces like Toptal, Gun.io, and Scalable Path are also becoming staples in the talent industry. These quality marketplaces vet their talent and often provide matching services. In addition, some even offer money-back guarantees, making the experience both efficient and risk-free. Freelance product managers can help add perspective, especially when they are coming from high-quality marketplaces.
Besides if you do have any questions give me a call: https://clarity.fm/joy-brotonath


Answered 3 years ago

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