Question: What is the career progression for a product manager?
I am a young engineer trying to plan out my career. I want to know what is the typical career progression (director, VP) of a product manager and how do the job responsibilities change along the way. Is product management a feeder career for CEO since it is entrepreneurial in nature?
Answer from Adam Bullied of Write That Down: This is a great question — one that I’ve personally spent a lot of time thinking about, and helping others I’ve managed think through as well.
Quite honestly, there isn’t a very “fixed” path to get to the CEO role. But, rising through the ranks of product management is pretty well understood and defined. I’ll walk through each stage of this progression, but keep in mind, this isn’t the only way to advance in a career, in product management, or to the CEO role.
But to kick this off, I will say that yes, product management is very good path to CEO. Especially within start-ups. Why? Well, because in a start-up you really need to know how to define, build, and ship products. And build the best team possible to help you. Being exposed to all different functions and disciplines early in your career (and regularly within product management) is a sure bet to be the type of individual VCs and start-ups covet.
With an engineering background, you are well-suited to be working in organizations that ship technical products. I’ve found folks with marketing backgrounds or sales backgrounds don’t usually excel in product management within companies that have highly technical products being released to market.
However, a common pitfall is spending too much time within engineering trying to solve their problems. Many individuals starting out in the role tend to want to dictate *how* something should be built, when really a product manager’s job is all about *what* should be built and *why*.
OK, so with that being said…on to the roles.
Junior Product Manager / Product Analyst / Associate Product Manager
This is really where it all starts – at least in my mind. You need to get your feet wet within the role doing small projects. This may be owning features within a release and managing them through, or doing bits and pieces here and there.
I’ve started folks out here before that I felt were very well suited to the PdM role and they are now exceeding – it’s all about making sure they have the skill set and the foundation to take that next step.
The bottom line: get some solid wins under your belt, and try to find a spot within a company that has a great product management organization. The best way to learn the role is to work for someone that really understands it.
Product Manager
So, after you gained some knowledge and had some solid wins within a more junior role, you are prepared to take over a complete product. You need to be comfortable with setting direction, developing strategy, executing, and delivering.
You should be pretty familiar with all stages of the product lifecycle and have successfully taken a product from inception through to market. It’s key you also know and understand how to gather and analyze market research (user/customer feedback and competitive intelligence, etc…).
The bottom line: ship a product. Understand, conceptually, how all cross-functions work together and use the knowledge gained from the time spent in a more junior role as a foundation to expand.
Senior Product Manager / Product Director
OK, at this point you are managing 1 large product or maybe 2-3 smaller / mid-size products so you are probably responsible for a product team, or looking to build one. Since you’ve seen this done in the past (and been a part of successful product teams before) you know how this is done.
Really, the crux here is quite similar to the product manager role. However, you will need to apply more glue. For example, if you are managing a line (as opposed to an individual product) you will need to ensure everything stays consistent and standardized.
Your team may include junior product managers, maybe a business analyst, other product managers, designers, writers, etc… It really is up for you to determine and fight for, based on what you have seen work in the past and what you require in order to ship products successfully.
The bottom line: While similar to the product management role, you really are more accountable for putting a successful product team in place and managing that team – and making sure (if you are managing multiple products or a line) that your products stick together and are cohesive and standardized.
Director, Product Management
Just like how a senior product manager is similar to a product manager, the director of the team is very similar to the role that proceeds it. You probably are managing even more products. As such, the level of detail you can handle is limited — you will require either additional product managers to take care of individual product detail or senior PMs to manage PMs, etc… This is entirely based on the size and scope of your organization.
This level really requires you to ensure there is strong cohesion and performance amongst the products you manage. Maybe you are still managing a product yourself. And really, that your PM is measured and performing accordingly.
You should be feeding your team market data as as much as you can, and working with other management-level peers within your organization to deliver things in a consistently strong fashion and always on-time and perform well in the marketplace.
The bottom line: More team management, product performance, and working with management to absorb some of the internal overhead so your team doesn’t have to. You may still be managing a product yourself depending on the size of your organization, but you are responsible for your team executing and delivering so you need a very strong knowledge of product management and how to manage those individuals.
VP, Product Management
I would say at this point, you are no longer managing a product yourself. Again, depending on the size / scope of the company you find yourself a part of. For example, in GE this is probably the case, but in a start-up – not so much.
Really, your focus is here is making sure there is strong cohesion and product standardization, product planning a delivery processes are working, and everyone is being held accountable.
Additional effort is expended absorbing internal politics and overhead to ensure your team can execute effectively, and you make yourself available for assistance wherever they need it – whether that’s a customer visit, or helping shape requirements, etc… Remember – you are still there to coach and grow other PdMs.
At this point, you should probably also be thinking, “What’s my next step?” As I managed at the outset, maybe it’s an operations role – maybe it’s CEO – maybe it’s CTO, who knows? It really does depend on what you want to do. If you’ve made it to this point, it’s probably quiet clear you are prepared and poised to continue to really excel.
The bottom line: Management, management, management. Of course, staying of top of the market you are delivering to is a constant, and making sure there is a strong cohesion amongst all products is required. Of course, be expected to be held accountable at the senior management level, and be called upon to present to investors and the board of directors from time to time.
Other
There are several other roles you can explore, and may find yourself drawn to as a next step. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about operations. I suppose a title here would be VP, Operations or COO. These are very, very good spring boards to becoming a CEO – I could say with confidence that if you get to this point and are really executing well, it’s only a matter of time before you get the tap to take the reins.
14 other answers so far ↓
Product Management Career Path : Write That Down // Aug 18, 2008 at 7:02 pm
[...] I have a new question / post up at Ask a Good Product Manager – answering, “What is the best product management career path?” [...]
bob corrigan // Aug 19, 2008 at 8:51 am
There is another path, a lateral path that a PM can “leap” to after some time in the trenches. I’d recommend it for someone who is concerned that they are “too technical” and needs some perspective on other aspects of the business.
Yes, it’s marketing.
Not “marketing communications” or marcom, but either product marketing, corporate communications or corporate marketing. The PM brings a unique appreciation for the distinctive competencies of their products, and marketing is all about making sure the company “owns” that space in a consumer’s mind.
The reason I don’t recommend marcom is that it is populated by folks whose job it is to produce collateral, wrangle PR and generally manage the delivery of messaging.
Corporate communications may be a great fit if you are articulate, consistent, smart and understand what it takes to be understood.
Product marketing is the market-facing aspect of product management; at MSFT and other sites they call these guys program managers. They are technical. . . but not as technical as the PMs.
And corporate marketing is the big win if you’re at a company large enough to invest in broad-based positioning and differentiation projects (a.k.a. advertising).
I invite any of your readers to let me know if I am smoking dope.
Adam Bullied // Aug 19, 2008 at 10:59 am
Bob, while I would always tell you to lay off the dope smoking, I do 100% agree with you.
A more lateral path is a great one as well – the MSFT one is a specifically interesting case. Product Managers are really Marketing Managers (I think) and Program Managers are really de facto Product Managers.
Some people will say, “titles don’t matter” – they do and they don’t. They matter to be able to explain what it is you’ve done in your career to others; and having things that are like, “well I’m called this, but I really do this, etc…” makes that tricky.
But, yes – Bob I think you are 100% right. But no one in their right minds would ever let me touch anything to do with marketing
Saeed Khan // Aug 19, 2008 at 2:41 pm
WRT Bob’s comment, I agree with him, though it is one path that is not often made available to PMs.
The outside perception of Product Management is that it is a “technical” role and that it is not one that meshes well with traditional marketing. But the reality is that Marketing (not simply Marcom as Bob indicates) is a strategic function in a company and one that requires multi-disciplinary skills to do well.
One of the big complaints I’ve heard about many marketing teams is that they are too distant from the product or don’t understand the technology or market dynamics well enough to be effective. Unfortunately this is true.
Marketing and Product Management teams that work together effectively can have a huge positive impact on a company’s fortunes, and certainly having a marketing team, or a marketing head that understands Product Management and how to work effectively with the PM team makes that chance of success much better.
Saeed
Stewart Rogers // Sep 10, 2008 at 10:07 pm
Nice article here about product marketing:
http://www.buyerpersona.com/2008/09/product-marketing-priorities-are-a-mess.html
HP // Feb 19, 2009 at 1:14 pm
I am currently looking to transition into the retail industry via a product management role. Would you say that the above is applicable to the corporate retail as well? Thank you!
Ashish Jain // Aug 18, 2009 at 8:49 am
Well, first of all there are some very good points listed and shows a career progression of a product manager. But the real challenge and question is what the right steps you need to take to progress on this path? I am sure gaining experience by managing more projects, product lines hones your knowledge and skills but is there anything a product manager must focus on to become better and increase their credibility in the industry? I have around 5 years of product management experience and in the midst of transitioning jobs. I have been looking out to find what can I add to my resume (other than experience) that increases my chances of landing a Senior Product Manager position.
Mohammed // Oct 15, 2009 at 8:19 am
Hi,
I am an MBA with more of a Business and Market analysis kind of experience. With the various changes my organisation has gone through, I’ve ended up from being a Business COnsultant, Market research analyst to now being a junior member of a Product Management team. My firm operates in the BSS vendor market. Please help me in carving a meaningful role in my new team which is made of mainly technical people (IT profiles basically).
PM // Dec 4, 2009 at 1:20 pm
Hi , I am working as Product Manager with a leading private sector bank… But I am really not sure whether Its the right choice for me looking at my educational background.. I am an Electronics Engineer with MBA in Finance.
Please guide whether, ths Banking Industry is a right choice for me?
Ranjana // Jan 3, 2010 at 2:42 am
Hi …
the insights given above are really good for a prospective product manager. I have done my MBA in product marketing, but I am not able to get a head start to become a product manager. Though I am keen and ready to take up junior management roles as well as long as the path is right. Could some one guide me on this….Prior to my MBA I have 4 1/2 years of experience in international marketing of textiles. And even after doing MBA, I am being offered roles into international marketing of textiles, which i want to get away with.
Bob Corrigan // Jan 3, 2010 at 10:55 am
Ranjana,
The first thing I’d ask is why you want to be a product manager if you’ve got all this education as a product marketer. Take the jobs! An international marketing job sounds like a lot of fun: travel, expense accounts, customers, very creative, etc etc. If you *really* want to become a product manager, forge a very close relationship with your product manager in your product marketing role. The only thing that’s holding you back is practical experience – so go get some by learning how your team works.
Ranjana // Jan 5, 2010 at 11:05 am
Hi Bob,
Thanks for the comments. My irony is…I am not getting that first click from where to start my product managers career. It can happen either in FMCG ( which is too crowded) , consumer durables( not getting the right click) , apparel retail ( again not getting the click).
Where ever I apply even for a junior level position in product management, they ask for previous xpericne in similar domain and that is where I get stuck…
Bob Corrigan // Jan 5, 2010 at 11:56 am
OK, I can help with this.
There is a difference between “having the title” and “doing the work”. Find some product management-like activities you can do in your current job, whether that is market analysis, release prioritization, whatever. Better yet, find something your product management cohorts would like to do if they had the time, and do that.
When asked by some dingus what your domain experience is, you can tell them – truthfully – “in the environment I worked in there was a lot of cross-over between product management and product marketing in terms of tasks; here is what I did that you might consider a traditional product management task, and here is how I integrated that work into my go-to-market activities. . .” etc etc.
In the space you’re in, however, product manager may equate to brand manager – they may be looking for someone with P&L responsibility, which is hard to borrow from the person who has it.
But even in that scenario, I strongly recommend that you figure out what a product manager does, start thinking like one, then start acting like one. Someone will notice you and tap you as a less-risky alternative than going outside to hire someone.
As Chevy Chase said in Caddyshack, “Be the ball”.
Ranjana // Jan 6, 2010 at 11:22 am
Hi Bob,
Thankyou so much for all your help in guiding my path. I will act upon what you have just said and will barge in with questions as and when they come to my mind while following what you had advised.
Thanks a ton, Ranjana
What do you think?