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Co-founder/product manager skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted experts

Davide , Ph.D. Bolchini Ph.D.,

Matthew Lopresti

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical co-founder/product manager skills. We ranked the top skills for co-founder/product managers based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 8.0% of co-founder/product manager resumes contained market research as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a co-founder/product manager needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 co-founder/product manager skills for your resume and career

1. Market Research

Market research is a collective effort to collect information related to a consumer's needs and wants. It is a systematic approach that involves recording and analysis of both qualitative and quantitative data. Market research helps a business to identify a target market correctly and identify the gaps in potential consumer's expectations.

Here's how co-founder/product managers use market research:

Utilized market research and competitive analysis to implement best practices into app design.
Conducted market research, identifying target markets and value propositions for company products.

2. Product Development

Product development is the complete procedure of creating a product from concept until release of the final product. Product development has many stages after which a product is released into the market. Identifying the need, creating the opportunity, conceptualizing a product, and providing a solution, all are different stages of product development.

Here's how co-founder/product managers use product development:

Lead product development initiatives utilizing user and competitive research.
Balanced multiple disciplines, including business development, product development, graphic design, and customer support.

3. User Interface

The user interface (UI) is the area or point where a person communicates with or transfers information to an electric computer or application. The user interface enables applications to offer precise product details to their intended customer without causing any misunderstanding. Customers want modern technology to behave in a certain manner for their convenience, so it is advised to create a user interface that is simple to use, precise, and predictable so that customers are fully pleased with its services. It can make a significant difference in converting visitors into customers.

Here's how co-founder/product managers use user interface:

Created the entire User Interface for the EventMingle Community Platform.
Created improved customer experience and erected barrier to competitor entry: Collaborated closely with engineering on User Interface redesign.

4. User Experience

Here's how co-founder/product managers use user experience:

Evangelized SaaS personal networking product from initial requirements to deployed application with simple user experience.
Developed the concept, content, design, and user experience.

5. Product Roadmap

Here's how co-founder/product managers use product roadmap:

Defined the market problem through market validation, product roadmap and strategy.
Created a comprehensive business plan including the marketing plan, product roadmap, strategy, and pro-forma financial statements.

6. Database

A database is a collection of data and information which makes it easy to view, access, and manage. Databases save a lot of time and can store huge amounts of data. Databases make sorting data easier and stores it in certain fields which narrows the searching criteria. A database usually contains tables, graphs, and columns to display data.

Here's how co-founder/product managers use database:

Formed database; selected, negotiated, and implemented database provider.
Used Hibernate framework to retrieve the data from database.

7. SQL

Here's how co-founder/product managers use sql:

Worked on n-tiered architecture using JSP, Servlets, HTML, DHTML, AJAX, SQL and Data Modeling.
Customized and implemented utility software for a hair analysis system using ColdFusion and SQL Server.

8. Comprehensive Business Plan

Here's how co-founder/product managers use comprehensive business plan:

Raised $500K in venture capital with a comprehensive business plan and competitive product branding.

9. SEO

Here's how co-founder/product managers use seo:

Contributed to SEO and SEM and improved the Google Pagerank and SEOmoz domain rank.
Manage and oversee Ecommerce platform development and sales, digital marketing, SEO, Social Media platform and website maintenances.

10. HTML

Here's how co-founder/product managers use html:

Created interactive wireframes using HTML & Bootstrap to illustrate workflow, user-stories, and features.
Involved in designing user screens using HTML, DHTML, JavaScript, JQuery and JSP as per user demands.

11. Competitive Analysis

Competitive analysis is the process of assessing your competitors to determine their strengths and weaknesses, It is a part of strategic management that enables one to identify the opportunities and threats a business can face in the market.

Here's how co-founder/product managers use competitive analysis:

Worked with the Cross functional teams for Market/Competitive analysis, Offer definition/strategy, Pricing strategy and Promotions strategy for Demand generation.
Conducted detailed competitive analysis on all decorative products and recommended strategic direction for new product development for style trends and color.

12. User Stories

Here's how co-founder/product managers use user stories:

Engaged with external clients to gather and create requirements and user stories.
Create user stories and prioritize product backlog.

13. A/B

A/B is a type of testing that compares the original version, A, to a variants, B. There is normally some metric attached to the test that is then monitored to determine which variant, A or B, should be used after the experiment ends.

Here's how co-founder/product managers use a/b:

Conducted A/B tests for existing social media applications to determine their effectiveness in achieving business value.
Documented game design best practices gleaned from direct A/B experimentation and company-wide learning.

14. KPIs

Here's how co-founder/product managers use kpis:

Defined strategic direction and KPIs, made recommendations to leadership and executed on approved direction.
Generated KPIs to monitor business performance and provide input for continuous improvements.

15. UI

Here's how co-founder/product managers use ui:

Engaged in UI design to ensure quality products.
Created unique ordering platform with slick UI.

What skills help Co-Founder/Product Managers find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on co-founder/product manager resumes?

Davide , Ph.D. Bolchini Ph.D.

Professor and Chair, Director, Human-Computer Interaction Program, Indiana University

In my experience, our most successful MS HCI graduates (https://soic.iupui.edu/hcc/graduate/hci/masters/) take the time to put together a compelling online portfolio that showcases their project experience and skill set in action, as applied to specific research opportunities they had with faculty or projects they worked on during their UX internships in the industry. The personal brand of UX junior professional can be greatly enriched when the portfolio includes not only what the student has done, but why and what was the design rationale behind the process and the results, what was the larger context and goal of the project (especially in large collaborative projects), and what was the specific role and contribution of the student. The discussion about the portfolio of a candidate has become a key ingredient of the interview for UX jobs, besides other important activities such as UX design exercises or remote assignments.

What co-founder/product manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Matthew Lopresti

Associate professor of Philosophy and humanities, Hawaii Pacific University

Captains of industry are often asked about the traits they look for in new hires. Critical thinking is always a must, as well as excellent written and oral communication skills.

These are the core competencies of the discipline of philosophy. Top-notch communication abilities begin with a depth of ability to understand nuanced, complex details, and then turn around and clearly communicate these complex ideas in easily digestible bits of information. It is no coincidence that students who graduate with philosophy degrees repeatedly dominate graduate and law-school entrance exams like the GRE and LSAT; they are often the sharpest thinkers with the quickest minds

What technical skills for a co-founder/product manager stand out to employers?

Patrick Lindsay

Assistant Lecturer, Miami University

Most all employers expect full competency in creatively using technology for communications. By that I don't mean mobile devices or social media usgae. I mean a widespread working knowledge of technology tools (apps, software, etc). Employers are seeking those candidates who can convey thoughts, ideas, responses in a multi-faceted way. Basic competency in written correspondence is no longer enough. Employers want to see daily business communication not only contain demonstration of good writing (grammar, syntax, formatting) but also being able to create embedded images, video, and relevant web links to better communicate. And not just for a big fancy client presentation, but consistently in regular communication. Further, they want words supported by data; support words with numerical evidence. As such, advanced excel skills and real experience in data sources and extraction stand out to employers.

Similarly, they expect professional virtual audio-visual communication. It is not enough to just be on the Zoom call. The expectation is to be prepared, to be engaged, to be aware of the audio and video angles and backgrounds. To demonstrate active listening as well as enthusiastic, energetic, even animated talking. Body language and facial expression are even more enhanced in virtual communications.

If there was a positive outcome from being thrust into an academic world that was all virtual, it was the need to learn new technical skills, not only for classwork, but also for social interaction. This will not only be appreciated by employers, but for many, expected.

Do you want to know more?

List of co-founder/product manager skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a co-founder/product manager resume and required skills for a co-founder/product manager to have include:

Market Research
Product Development
User Interface
User Experience
Product Roadmap
Database
SQL
Comprehensive Business Plan
SEO
HTML
Competitive Analysis

User Stories
A/B
KPIs
UI
UX
Product Management
JavaScript
Product Strategy
Product Vision
Software Development
Go-To-Market Strategy

Saas
QA
Business Development
Venture Capital
Search Engine
User Feedback
Product Lifecycle
Pitch Deck
Product Launch

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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