Do Project Managers Really Need Technical Skills?
Do project managers really need technical skills?
The definitive answer is yes.
Cool, so let’s pack up this post and get moving then, shall we?
Okay, but hold on. Here’s where it gets a little hairy:
- How do you define “technical” skills?
- What companies and industries are we talking about?
- Does a PM's team and company size matter?
After talking to nine seasoned project managers, reflecting on my own experience, and keeping the above considerations in mind, I’ve come to you with an objective and forward-looking perspective on what project managers need to succeed in 2025 and beyond.
What Do We Mean By Technical Skills?
So let's start from the beginning. When we talk about technical skills, we're not talking about basic Excel entries or comfortability with Google’s ecosystem. If you’re working in the 21st century with a laptop and Wi-Fi, these constitute basic digital literacy.
I tapped Karen Chong, Senior Program Manager at Stellar Elements, and to her, “technical skills are skills in technical areas such as programming and databases.”
So a technical skill would be knowing how to write code in languages like Python, Java, C++, etc., to create software, applications, or websites. Or understanding how to design, manage, and interact with databases using tools like SQL.
Although knowing how to code is a valuable technical skill, it's not the only one. Consider the skills needed to analyze data, navigate cloud platforms like AWS or Azure, or understand cybersecurity threats.
These are what some people might call “hard” skills—rather than “soft” skills like communication, leadership, teamwork, and time management.
Also, it’s important to remember that technical skills will look different depending on the industry a project manager is in. For example, a PM at a software development company will need different technical skills than a PM in a construction company.
The Argument That Says “No”
According to the Project Management Institute, up to 90% of a project manager’s time is spent communicating.
I can attest to this—much of my time as a project manager (specifically my role as Writing Lead at a mental health startup) went into asking team members for updates, relaying feedback to the CEO, making sure we met all deadlines as a team, and most importantly, keeping all stakeholders realistic about the achievable outcomes.
Notably, PMI also places a great deal of importance on “power skills”—communication, problem-solving, collaborative leadership, and strategic thinking. The need for these skills is backed by cold, hard data—courtesy of PMI, who, safe to say, are quite fond of their power skills brainchild.
Their research shows that organizations that focus on power skills do better at completing projects that meet business goals. Also, they waste less money because of poor project performance compared to the global average (4.8% vs. 5.2%), and much less than companies that ignore power skills (8.8%).
Fred Baker, Principal Consultant and Founder at Integrated Human, maintains that the ability to learn and adapt as a project manager is more important than any specific technical skill.
And he does have a point:
You can become king of PowerBI and the client switches to Tableau. There are transferrable skills between the two, but the more important part is your ability to learn and adapt to what is needed.
So basically, there is a strong case that transferable, non-technical skills play a bigger role in a project manager’s success than technical expertise. But before we call it a day, let’s take a look at the other side of the argument.
The Argument That Says "Yes"
To unpack this side of the argument, I want to share a little bit more about my experience as a project manager.
I mentioned before that I was the Writing Lead at a mental health startup. And of course, as is the nature of the beast on a small startup team, my role didn't remain siloed to content. I was mentoring writers, replying to customer support tickets, helping designers with the UI for the app, and acting as the communicative bridge between writing, research, and operations. You get it—it's not uncommon for project managers to wear many different hats.
It was a tough role. Being a digital extrovert certainly helped, as did my written and verbal communication skills. But what made me truly successful was a fundamental grasp of technology. I'm not a coder. Nor am I an SQL expert.
Nonetheless, I took the time to get familiar with Figma for UI, Intercom for customer support, and Mixpanel for analytics—to speak intelligently about our product, and quickly swoop in and fix tiny errors like a misformatted Figma file without help from the designers.
As a result, I could inform the direction of content more confidently. For example, through Intercom, I knew that our customers often complain about the sudden jump to a paid version. How can we prime them through in-app messaging so it doesn’t come as a shock? Or, Mixpanel shows that a lot of people drop off after the third screen on one of our courses. What’s going on? Is it a UI, content, or coding issue?
I succeeded in my role because if things went sideways, I knew where to look, how to interpret the data, and whom to relay it to.
However, it’s important to consider my example in context: I was working in a team of a dozen people, in a software development company, and completely remotely. I didn’t need to have heavy technical skills—just the ones that lubricated the processes of approvals and shipping.
Megha Sharda, the then-Behavior Science Lead at my former company, who worked closely with writers, researchers, and engineers, echoes this sentiment: “I'm not counting MS Office and Googling as skills. But the basics of whatever software and tools the project at hand requires are important.”
So moral of the story: PMs do need role-specific and company-specific technical skills, especially when working in small teams. Even a small grasp on important technical skills can help you fast-track processes that are vital to overall project success.
Melody MacKeand, a certified project manager and founder of her own consulting firm, adds that "technical expertise is more commonly required with smaller organizations as their team members are usually wearing multiple hats. The larger the organization, the more squarely someone would sit within a specific role.”
She recommends that aspiring PMs "gain more breadth of knowledge rather than depth of knowledge," focusing on areas like UX/UI, QA basics, and content management systems.
For this question, I also spoke with Katy Flatt—Director of Culture and Operations at a freelance collective, Optimist—and one of my current project managers.
She’s able to see the forest for the trees and give me an answer with a strong consideration of the remote-first nature of 21st-century work environments:
“I mean, the goal of the role is truly to keep projects on time, on budget, and grease the wheels. Having a low-technical process just introduces a lot of friction and potential for error.”
She acknowledges that while some projects might be managed with low technical skills, "it's not terribly efficient unless managing a scant amount of projects. It is certainly less likely in the world we live in now, where we have so many remote and hybrid workers. Some amount of technical acumen needs to be applied by a PM to create and maintain systems that allow for the ease of transfer of projects, following up and feedback with stakeholders, presentations to clients, and others involved.”
She adds:
“I know at least one person who would be an amazing project manager, but they have low technical skills and it's truly the only barrier to them crushing it.”
And this tracks: 46% of projects in companies with poor project management technology exceed budgets.
So, Who’s Right?
Everyone! (Well, almost everyone.)
While you need some measure of technical skills as a PM in our digital-first world, the truth is, there's no single right answer when it comes to the level of technical skills required for project managers.
It depends on a variety of factors:
- Industry: A PM in construction might need to be proficient in CAD software, understanding building codes, and interpreting blueprints. On the other hand, a PM in healthcare might need to be familiar with electronic health records (EHR) systems, medical imaging technology, and data privacy regulations.
- Company size and structure: In a small startup, a PM might be responsible for everything from setting up project management software to troubleshooting website issues. However, in a large corporation, a PM might have a dedicated IT department and can instead focus on coordinating with specialized technical teams.
- Project type: A PM leading a website redesign project will need a sound knowledge of front-end development and UX/UI principles. But a PM overseeing the implementation of a new CRM system will need to understand data migration, system integration, and user training.
- Individual strengths and weaknesses: A PM with a background in data analysis might excel at tracking project metrics and identifying potential risks. And a PM with strong communication skills might be better suited for managing stakeholder expectations and facilitating cross-functional collaboration.
How To Approach Technical Aspects Of Projects If You’re Not A Technical Person
So, what if you're not a technical person?
You need to be able to “speak the language” of the skill to translate what needs to be communicated, according to Laura Sliva, an interdisciplinary graphic designer.
Melody calls this being technically-adjacent: “PMs should have a basic understanding of the technical language so they can speak thoughtfully in technical spaces.”
Here's how to approach the technical side of things even if you're not a “tech person”:
Experiment With No-Code Tools
No-code tools use visual interfaces and drag-and-drop elements, so you can build things with no need to write any code. It's a great way to get a feel for how software is built and how different parts work together.
As a project manager, even if you're not a coder, this can be super helpful. You'll have a better understanding of the development process, which can make communication and collaboration smoother.
Plus, no-code tools are fantastic for experimenting and testing out ideas.
Do you want to see how a new feature works? Whip up a quick prototype with a no-code tool and get feedback before investing a ton of time and resources in development.
Re-read Written Communication
A lot of important information gets exchanged in writing, whether it's a conversation in Slack, updates in GitHub, or documentation in Notion (or a Notion alternative). This is especially true for remote teams that don't have the luxury of frequently meeting face-to-face.
Technical discussions can be especially tough to follow. They're packed with jargon and complex details. It sounds simple, but remind yourself to slow down and re-read. It lets you:
- Digest at your own speed: No more frantic skimming. Take your time, look up those weird acronyms, and actually understand what's being said.
- Spot potential problems: Re-reading helps you catch those "wait, what?" moments before they turn into major roadblocks.
- Keep everyone aligned: Make sure the whole team is on the same page, even when you're not in the same room.
Pairing
Pairing up with someone—anyone—can be really helpful when you need to solve a problem or get something done. Grab your tech lead for a quick sync. Pull a developer aside for 10 minutes. That direct collaboration is invaluable.
That’s how I developed an eye for UI—by “pairing up” with a UX designer to understand how mobile usability may impact the readability of our content.
Use Analogies and Metaphors
The language of technical concepts can sound foreign. Make them more understandable with analogies and metaphors.
For example, cloud computing is like a bank vault for your data. Safe, secure, and accessible from anywhere with an internet connection. No need to worry about maintaining the vault yourself—the bank (cloud provider) takes care of all that.
Find a Technical Lead
Every project has a tech expert—someone who really knows their stuff. Your job is to find them! This is your go-to person for all things technical. They can answer your questions, help you understand the jargon, and basically be your lifeline when things get complicated.
How To Build Future-Proof PM Skills
I asked my pool of experts: If you had to choose ONE technical skill for the future of project management, what would be your pick?
Two skills came out on top:
Technical Problem-Solving
Chong stresses that project managers need to be technologically adaptable. This means going beyond just knowing about different technologies and developing the ability to quickly learn and apply new tools and systems as the project develops.
“If it's a design agency, I'd say learn Keynote and PowerPoint, or Figma. If it's AWS, I may say cloud computing. So if I HAD to just pick one, it'll be the ability to solve problems in technical areas, which means you'll have to learn whatever that technology is to a certain degree.”
A best-selling author and regular contributor to the World Economic Forum and Forbes, Bernard Marr, posted this poll on his LinkedIn profile where problem-solving emerges as a clear winner for a tech-driven future:
Application of AI
Every year, approximately $48 trillion is invested in projects globally. Yet, a shockingly low 35% of those projects are considered successful, according to the Standish Group. Clearly, something needs to change. And AI seems to be the key.
Gartner predicts that by 2030, a staggering 80% of project management tasks will be run by AI. Powered by big data, machine learning (ML), and natural language processing.
Matthew Fox, a DPM community expert, says that project managers need to understand the "application of artificial intelligence," and that it will be vital for them to have "a working knowledge of what it does both for projects and individuals.”
This isn't some futuristic fantasy—it's happening now.
In an article by Harvard Business Review, "How AI Will Transform Project Management," the authors highlight how AI-powered tools automate routine tasks, provide real-time status updates, and facilitate seamless communication between team members.
The digital assistants analyze historical data, project plans, and user interactions, capturing critical project information and providing tailored support. The recently announced Oracle project management digital assistant is an example of this trend.
With all these changes on the horizon—from AI to whatever comes next—it's time to answer our original question. (Again.)
The Final Word
The real question isn't if you need technical skills—it's which ones you need and how deep you should go.
Being "technically adjacent" is where it's at—you don't need to be the most technical person in the room, but you should know enough to understand what's going on, catch potential issues, and know when to tag in the experts. This is doubly true now that a lot of us are working remotely and living with digital tools.
As Fred Baker put it (and I love this): The real power is being able to learn and adapt.
In a world where today's hot new tool is tomorrow's old news, that might just be the most technical skill of all.
