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Guide overview
  • 1. What Is Product Management?
  • 2. What Is a Software Product?
  • 3. Software Product Manager
  • 4. Product Owner
  • 5. Product Management Life Cycle
  • 6. Product Management Roadmap
  • 7. Product Management Software and Tools
  • 8. Product Backlog
  • 9. Product Management OKRs
  • 10. Product Requirements Documents
  • 11. Product Management Metrics and KPIs Explained
  • 12. Product Analytics
  • 13. Comprehensive Guide to Lean Product Management
  • 14. Best Product Management Resources for Product Managers
  • 15. Practical Product Management Templates
  • 16. FAQ
  • 17. Glossary of Product Management Terms
Guide overview
  • 1. What Is Product Management?
  • 2. What Is a Software Product?
  • 3. Software Product Manager
  • 4. Product Owner
  • 5. Product Management Life Cycle
  • 6. Product Management Roadmap
  • 7. Product Management Software and Tools
  • 8. Product Backlog
  • 9. Product Management OKRs
  • 10. Product Requirements Documents
  • 11. Product Management Metrics and KPIs Explained
  • 12. Product Analytics
  • 13. Comprehensive Guide to Lean Product Management
  • 14. Best Product Management Resources for Product Managers
  • 15. Practical Product Management Templates
  • 16. FAQ
  • 17. Glossary of Product Management Terms
  1. Product Management Guide
  2. FAQ
  3. Product Owner

Project Manager vs. Project Owner

3 min read
Anna Grigoryan
Anna Grigoryan Director of Product Management, Wrike

What Is the Difference Between a Project Manager and Project Owner?

Every project must have a leader and managers to drive the vision. The project manager and project owner occupy senior positions in the project management hierarchy. The titles are often used interchangeably, but there are distinct differences in their job roles. 

The project manager vs. project owner positions can be explained as:

  • The project manager is involved in the day-to-day functioning of the product team.
  • The project owner is responsible for the larger picture of the project.

A project owner must ask, “What is this project achieving?” and “Why is it important for the organization?” 

The project manager makes sure that the requirements defined by the project owner are met. They focus on the questions “How?” and “Who?”

Project manager vs project owner

Project owners have ownership over the project in the sense that they are accountable for the project’s success or failure. Project managers, on the other hand, work on streamlining the daily operations of the project.

A project owner creates the project vision, sets objectives, secures funding from a project sponsor, and acts as an ambassador for the project. They identify problems and solve them. Assembling the team, communicating, and keeping them motivated are all the responsibilities of a good project owner. 

Once the foundation for the project is laid and a team is in place, the project manager comes into play. Capacity planning, achieving product milestones, and reporting project progress to the project owner are duties a project manager performs.

It is not unusual for the project owner and project manager roles to be performed by the same person in small to mid-sized organizations. However, in a mature organization, each role is defined explicitly, with processes planned meticulously.

Further reading

blog post

What Do Project Managers Do?

blog post

How to Streamline Product Development With Project Management Tools

blog post

Backlog Grooming Best Practices You Need to Know

blog post

4 Things to Keep in Mind When Building a Product Launch Template

What are a project manager’s responsibilities?

A project manager’s primary responsibilities include:

  • Project planning and scheduling
  • Ensuring budget compliance 
  • Escalating critical issues
  • Stakeholder communication and updates
  • Resource allocation
  • Vendor management
  • Risk analysis

What are a project owner’s responsibilities?

A project owner’s main duties include:

  • Motivating the team
  • Communicating the project’s value and seeking stakeholder buy-in
  • Assisting the project manager in managing team performance
  • Providing leadership in big-picture project activities
  • Championing the project and seeking project sponsors
  • Taking ownership of the project’s success or failure

These are a few significant project manager vs. project owner differences. While these are the standard roles in large companies, their responsibilities can vary and may overlap.

Product Owner 3 questions
How to Become a Product Owner Why Is Product Owner Important? What Is the Difference Between a Project Manager and Project Owner?
Anna Grigoryan

Anna is a Director of Product Management at Wrike and a seasoned product leader with over 15 years of experience in the tech industry. She has successfully led multiple engineering teams, ensuring the delivery of high-quality products featuring mobile and web experiences, seamless integrations with other platforms, and innovative white-labeled solutions.

#product owner #project manager
Product Management Strategy
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  • Project Manager vs Project Owner
  • Importance of The Product Owner
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