Why Freelance Product Managers Are More Popular Than Ever

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.

Product management can be done remotely

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.

Utilizing freelance product managers can help reduce costs

One of the many reasons 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’re looking to tighten the belt, but you’re in need of 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 aren’t 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’re only paying for a single project, making freelancers more affordable.

Quality freelance marketplaces are becoming more popular

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 aren’t 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’re coming from high-quality marketplaces.

Conclusion

Most of the freelancers are at-will and, by and large, which is an aspect of the work that is appreciated by both sides of the agreement.

Since it is usually performance-based, owners will typically get the most out of a freelance product manager who is ready to delegate tasks and get projects finished. These traits elucidate the reasons for the growing popularity of freelance work.

Some businesses today are even going fully remote and offer the complete office experience for their employees without the need for office rent and utilities.

Networks of people come together every day to produce products at the same rate, if not faster, than in-house development teams. It proves, once and again, that freelance product managers are not just a cost-effective solution for intermediary work but they are also the wave of the future.

More and more companies are employing remote strategies with incredible results and exuberant employees. Remote and freelance work offers a wealth of benefits that make it more profitable for the owners and more enjoyable for the employees.

Hiring a freelance product manager is a great way to bring a product together and bring a development team to the top of their game.