You should already know what means to be a good web developer or a good web designer. Now… it’s time to explain what does it mean to be a good project manager.

Like always: everyone could be a project manager. It’s easy, right? You just need to say people what they have to do and from time to time contact your client, and say what is ready, and what’s not. Sounds easy, sure.

In reality… it’s much more complicated, because success of the project mostly depends on your work.

Notice: I will write about being a project manager of web-based projects. However it’s really similar to being a project manager of any else projects.

Second notice: Good project manager has to be no-bad web developer and no-bad web designer. He (or she) has to have an experience in one of these topics and know at least basics of the second one. That’s why some of the points specified below could be similar to the points from the articles about good web developer and good web designer.

Let’s fun. Good project manager:

• needs to know what is a web server and how Internet works. Good project manager needs to know what is a web server, app server, etc (and it’s really good to know what are differences between Apache, nginx, Tomcat, JBoss, etc). Good project manager knows what is thin client, web browser, telnet, ssh, TCP, IPv4, IPv6, HTTP and knows the differences between methods POST and GET.
• project manager needs to “fight” for specification (not only in huge projects), but he/or she can work without it as well. Specification should be written by client. However project manager has to read it, talk with the client about it, specify all ambiguities and in some cases… fix specification, or even write it be his own.
• needs to know that the most important thing in this job is to create project using the easiest possible methods, as fast as it could be done, the cheapest possible ways. The easiest possible methods? Yes, all of that is because time is the most important. Why does time is so important? Because a lot of similar firms could create similar project much faster than you and then – they can simply take your users away from you. Besides… if you are not Warren Buffet, Bill Gates (read: you don’t have too much money) or you don’t even work for Google, Yahoo!, Facebook or Twitter… most likely you don’t need to pay for dedicated server (huge traffic? maybe a bit later). Good project manager should know about it.
• needs to be patient, needs to talk to clients, needs to be a mediator, negotiator, provider. Project manager is like a proxy… He meets with client, as well as with the members of his own team. He has to know how to talk with both of these groups.
• needs to know how to create good, realistic schedules. Most of the projects are late or over budget. That’s a fact. Clients hate it. IT firms hate it, as well. And everything… is because of project managers mistakes. Good project manager has to know how to create good, realistic schedules, because his job is to satisfy client and employer.
• needs to write documentations and user guides. Project manager shouldn’t write technical documentations – that should be written by IT specialist/web developer. However… all other documentations, protocols and… user guides – yes. From one side project manager knows about all basics of technical aspects and from the other side – he is not focused on it too much. He’s the best person for this work.
• needs to know how to read (and write) UML. It’s not really “must know”… but it’s worth to know it, because it’s a great method to represent web (and not only web-) applications. One more thing: it is “must know” if you are working for big clients, on big projects.
• needs to know what is SEO. Yeah! SEO is one of the most important things in web development. Good project manager needs to know what is SEO (search engine optimization) and how to build good website for search engines. Even… if your project is “a backend thing” with simple web-interface – it’s always good to know what is good and what’s not for search engines.
• needs to know what is usability. Users like easy-to-use tools and websites. Client is user. Nothing less. He likes easy-to-use applications, too. Good project manager needs to know why is that and how to build this kind of apps. In addition, it’s really nice if project manager knows what is Alertbox and heard about “Don’t make me think” book.
• needs to know differences between PHP, Python, Java, xHTML, CSS, JavaScript, etc. Good project manager has to know which technologies he can use; which technologies (and which scripts) run on client’s machine and which are not.
• needs to know what is Ajax. Simple reason: ajax applications is a future!
• needs to know when and why he can (and when he can’t) use flash. Flash animations are pretty… and that’s all. Some of them could be (and should be) replaced by ajax/javascript scripts. Good project manager has to decide when we should use flash technologies and when we shouldn’t use it.
• doesn’t need computer science degree. Absolutely not! More… in most of situations: it’s a problem if you have it. If you want to be a project manager – you need to have open mind, you must think like a client, like a potential user… not like a mathematician or even not like an IT specialist. Good project manager needs to focus on users’ needs, not on technical aspects of the project.
• has to know how it is to be a web developer and/or web designer. The best project manager of web-based projects is an open minded, experienced web developer or web designer.

So… are you a good project manager?