Skill for PM? Prioritization | 매거진에 참여하세요

What makes a great product manager?

• - Is it technical expertise?
  - Empathy for users?
  - Masterful presentation skills?

All of these matter—but none are the core of the role.

At its heart, a PM is not just a coordinator, communicator, or even a strategist.
A PM is, above all, a decision-maker. And the most critical decision they make—day in and day out—is this:

What should we do first?

Why Prioritization Is the PM’s Superpower

Limited Resources = Constant Trade-Offs

Reality check: you can’t build everything.
You don’t have infinite time, money, or people.

You can’t fulfill every user request. You can’t ship every idea. You can’t pursue every opportunity.
That’s why prioritization isn’t just a task—it’s your strategy.

Every day you face this question:

What gets done now—and what doesn’t?

If you can’t answer it clearly and confidently, your product loses focus. Your team burns out. And your roadmap becomes a graveyard of half-baked features.

Strategy = Where You Spend Your Resources

Strategy isn’t defined in a doc.
It’s defined in what you choose to build, delay, or ignore.

• - Which features ship first.
  - Which markets you target now.
  - Which fires you decide not to fight today.

These choices define your product identity and shape your company’s narrative.

How to Prioritize: The 4 Key Dimensions

1. User Value

Start with impact. Not size or complexity, but meaning.

Which feature will improve user experience the most?
Sometimes improving the login UX beats launching a shiny new feature.

2. Business Impact

How does it move the needle on KPIs—revenue, retention, conversion?

Not every user request is a business priority. Sometimes, saying “not now” is the smartest decision you can make.

3. Feasibility

A brilliant idea isn’t useful if it’s technically impossible or would drain your team for months.

Prioritize what’s achievable—with your current resources, right now.

4. Urgency

Not everything can wait.
Security bugs, technical debt, legal updates—some issues demand immediate attention, regardless of user or business value.

Why Prioritization Is So Damn Hard

Everyone agrees it’s important. So why is it such a struggle?

✅ You Rarely Have Perfect Information

Decisions are made with incomplete data, biased feedback, and volatile market conditions.
PMs must act anyway—despite uncertainty.

✅ Stakeholders Pull in Different Directions

Engineering wants feasibility.
Design wants usability.
Marketing wants virality.
Sales wants customer requests fulfilled.

As PM, you must weigh all inputs—but ultimately choose one path forward. Not everyone will be happy.

✅ Short-Term Wins vs. Long-Term Health

Quick feature hacks can drive immediate engagement, but may add tech debt.
Fixing broken onboarding may not show flashy results, but it’s foundational.

Great PMs know when to sacrifice optics for lasting value.

✅ It Gets Emotional

Sometimes you’ll have to say no to a teammate’s pet project.
Or push back on an executive’s pet idea.
Or sunset something the team spent months building.

Feelings will be involved.
But good prioritization requires emotional intelligence and thick skin.

✅ Saying “Not Now” Often Means “Never”

Delaying something isn’t neutral—it’s a choice.
And it might mean missing the window forever.

You need the courage to make these calls—even if they’re unpopular.

Prioritization Is Not Just Skill—It's Grit

Tools can help. Frameworks matter. But the hardest part of prioritization isn’t technical.

It’s emotional endurance.

You’ll Have to Make Unpopular Decisions

Sometimes you’ll disappoint your team, your users, even your CEO.
But that’s leadership.

Not being reckless—but taking responsible ownership of hard choices.

You Must Have a Center That Doesn’t Waver

In a sea of meetings, feedback, and chaos, if you don’t stay anchored in product strategy, you become a note-taker, not a decision-maker.

Great PMs stick to their convictions—even when things get loud.

Leadership = Decision Ownership

Even if you're not a people manager, PMs are de facto leaders.
Because they drive decisions that affect everyone’s work.

The real leadership test?
Not gathering opinions—but choosing direction.
And standing by it when things go sideways.

If you can’t own the consequences, no framework will save you.

Prioritization Is the PM’s Compass

Every day, PMs navigate ambiguity.
They balance input from customers, teammates, data, and the market.
And the question that guides them through it all is:

What matters most—right now?

Prioritization isn’t just another skill on the resume.
It’s the foundation of product leadership.

If you want to grow as a PM, don’t just learn tools.

Sharpen your prioritization muscle.

It’s more important than technical depth, communication skills, or years of experience.

This is what separates PMs who ship great products from those who just stay busy.