If you want to be a bad product manager, let the politics of working in an organization get you down. If you want to be a good product manager, be tenacious about leading your product through the organizational minefields.
If you want to be a bad product manager, make sure your product has lots of options. If you want to be a good product manager, make decisions for your users rather than giving them too many choices.
If you want to be a bad product manager, surprise users with major changes to your product. If you want to be a good product manager, make sure customers and regular users are well-informed about major changes to your product.
If you want to be a bad product manager, you need to always be actively managing your product and available to answer any questions. If you want to be a good product manager, work to get your product and the supporting organization stabilized so you are able to take time off.
If you want to be a bad product manager, insist that everything be done the best possible way as soon as possible. If you want to be a good product manager, be clear about whether you want something done “right” or “right now.”
If you want to be a bad product manager, don’t make any decisions until you’ve fully researched every possible angle and discussed its implications with all relevant stakeholders. If you want to be a good product manager, be informed and decisive.
If you want to be a bad product manager, never think of discontinuing a product. If you want to be a good product manager, phase out products when appropriate.
If you want to be a bad product manager, don’t let other people developing products talk with actual customers. If you want to be a good product manager, encourage others within your organization to learn about customers and users through first-hand interaction and help facilitate it.
If you want to be a bad product manager, create a strategy based only on beating your competition. If you want to be a good product manager, create a strategy based on defining your own place in the market.
If you want to be a bad product manager, dictate solutions. If you want to be a good product manager, clearly articulate market problems and needs and the associated requirements.