Inside a PM's role in developing voice technology products

Have you ever wondered why voice-enabled products can feel intuitive in one instance and frustratingly inaccurate in another? These voice-enabled products have a lot of challenges to build, as discussed here, and as product managers, our job is to bridge the gap between technology and user expectations. Voice technology is rapidly transforming the way we interact with digital products. From intelligent assistants to customer service chatbots, voice-driven interfaces are becoming a core part of user experiences. However, building a successful voice enables products to have their own challenges. Unlike traditional graphic user interfaces, voice technology relies on robust microphone hardware, speech recognition, and real-world environmental factors that can significantly impact user interactions.

Here is a simple flow diagram showing the lifecycle of a voice-enabled product:

In this article, we will look at the critical role of product managers in developing products associated with voice technology, their challenges, and their key responsibilities in delivering seamless and intuitive voice experiences.

Transitioning from Engineer to Product Manager in Voice Technology

Making the transition from engineering to product management requires a mindset shift. As Victor Kosonen describes, transitioning from an engineer to a PM means evolving from a problem-solver focused on technical solutions to a leader prioritizing user needs and business impact.

Moving from a profound technical role into product management is an exciting yet challenging transition. Coming from a core engineering background, I was always used to solving technical problems, fine tuning voice processing algorithms, optimizing audio quality, and debugging complex system interactions. My world revolved around technical constraints, system performance, and engineering roadmaps. But as I stepped into product management, I realized that success was no longer about writing the best algorithm only; it was about delivering the best user experience while balancing business needs and engineering capabilities.

One of the most significant shifts was learning to step back from the immediate technical solution and instead focus on the bigger picture. As an engineer, the first instinct is always diving into technical details. Still, as product managers, we must develop a broader perspective of understanding market needs, defining user personas, and prioritizing product features based on impact rather than technical elegance. Instead of solving problems with code, I had to solve them by aligning teams, defining product vision, and making trade-offs that served both users and the business.

Another key to learning was communication. As an engineer, I mostly interacted with other technical folks. However, as a PM, we are constantly engaged with stakeholders from diverse backgrounds including designers, marketers, executive leaders, and customer support teams. Each team had different priorities, and we must ensure we were all driving toward the same goal. For me, it was no longer just about improving the voice recognition model; it was about ensuring the product delivered real value to users.

If you are an engineer considering a move into product management, I advise developing a deep curiosity about user needs and business strategy. Technical expertise is a great asset, but to be a successful PM, you must complement it with a strong understanding of what makes a great product and how to bring it to the market.

Understanding the voice-first user experience

Now, let's explore what makes voice-first experiences unique and why they require a different approach than traditional graphical interfaces.

Have you thought about how different designing for voice is compared to visual interfaces? Unlike traditional screens filled with buttons and menus, voice interactions rely entirely on spoken language. A well-designed voice experience should feel natural, respond quickly, and minimize user friction. As a product manager, one of your biggest challenges is ensuring that voice technology understands diverse speech patterns, accents, and dialects. 

Another key aspect is error handling. Unlike a traditional user interface where users can see their options, a voice system must gracefully recover from misinterpretations without causing user frustration. How do you design a product that anticipates user intent while allowing flexibility? Understanding the nuances of conversational AI and how people interact with voice interfaces is critical to building successful products.

Defining product requirements for voice-enabled experiences

One of the most complex aspects of voice product management is defining the correct requirements. However, it does help if you come from an Engineering background and have a deep understanding of the technicality. Unlike traditional software, where interactions are primarily predictable, voice products need to account for various user behaviors and real-world conditions. Have you considered how latency impacts user experience? A slight delay in response time can make an interaction feel unnatural, leading to user frustration. This is true in the case of phone calls or voice assistants.

Similarly, how do you handle wake words and accidental activations? A voice assistant responding too frequently to unintended triggers can have a wrong impact on the user experience. Product managers need to work closely with engineers and data scientists to optimize speech recognition accuracy while ensuring the product is intuitive and efficient. Balancing user expectations, technical constraints, and business goals makes voice product management uniquely complex.

Collaboration with cross-functional teams

Building voice-enabled products is not a solo endeavor. Have you considered how many teams must collaborate to bring a voice product to life? Engineers develop and refine AI models, UX designers create conversational flows, and marketing teams ensure the product resonates with users. PMs must also collaborate with customer support teams to analyze feedback and improve voice interactions based on real user experiences.

Successful collaboration in cross-functional teams is not just about assigning tasks, it's about creating alignment, fostering clear communication, and building shared ownership. Product managers must be translators between technical teams and business stakeholders, ensuring everyone works toward the same product vision. As Mridula Kidiyur explains, managing cross-functional teams requires PMs to develop strong influencing skills, facilitate open communication, and resolve conflicts effectively. Without these skills, voice products can become disjointed, with engineering, design, and marketing moving in different directions.

Addressing AI and voice challenges

Voice technology is powered by AI, which is inherently imperfect. How do you handle speech recognition errors that occur in noisy environments? How about ensuring your voice product supports multiple languages and dialects? These are some challenges product managers face when working with AI-driven voice interfaces.

Context awareness is another significant hurdle. If a user starts a conversation about the weather and then asks, "How about tomorrow?", does your voice product understand they are still referring to the weather? Training AI to maintain context across interactions is complex, but it is crucial for creating a natural conversational experience.

Testing and iterating in voice technology

Unlike visual interfaces that can be manually tested through traditional QA methods, voice experiences require extensive real-world testing. Have you tested your voice product with users from different demographics who speak in various accents and environments? If not, you might be missing critical flaws in recognition accuracy.

Testing voice technology isn't just about lab conditions, it's about understanding how real users interact with the product. A voice assistant that works perfectly in a quiet room might struggle in a bustling café. Continuous iteration, based on real-world data, is essential to improving accuracy and usability over time.

Moving beyond feature factories

Many product managers fall into the trap of treating their teams like feature factories, focusing on shipping more features instead of solving real user problems. Voice technology is not just about adding new commands or skills, it's about creating meaningful interactions that improve user experiences. Marty Cagan explains in this article that accurate product teams focus on outcomes rather than output. Are you measuring success by the number of features delivered or how effectively users engage with your voice product?

Wrapping it up

The role of a product manager in voice technology is unlike any other. You must balance technical constraints with user expectations and ensure seamless cross-functional collaboration. More than that, you must advocate for users, ensuring that voice products are intuitive, inclusive, and trustworthy.

As voice technology continues to evolve, the need for strong product leadership in this space will only grow. Have you all thought about what steps each of us can take to deepen your expertise in voice product management? Whether learning more about conversational AI, working closely with engineers, or refining your UX research skills, now is the time to invest in the future of voice technology.