Is it just me, or do I see an explosion in the number of self-styled product management gurus hawking all sorts of courses on LI and Youtube? They claim credibility based on their purported experience of having previously worked in a FAANG ( statistically mostly Meta or Google). I feel these chaps are selling ice when the Product Management market is frozen solid. Even as most FAANGs are looking to hire very few product managers, most advice is still targeted at generalist product manager profiles and focussed on tips to clear the rubric style of interviewing prevalent in some FAANGs. Product management is evolving into a deep technical domain-specific venture in the future, and generalist PMs will soon get weeded out.
This..."Product management is evolving into a deep technical domain-specific venture in the future, and generalist PMs will soon get weeded out."......This is the problem...not enough Product Managers with true business skills. If we had Product Managers with above average-true-business skills we wouldn't have so many layoffs because their product(s) would be generating significant revenue. Hell, the consultancy's wouldn't be in business. Remember...product handles..."the what and the why"....and engineering handles "the how." Product management is not about being a glorified errand boy and doing everything and anything.
My 2 cents 1. In engineering led or design led orgs products aren’t empowered and end up being errand boys 2. Generalist/business PMs with 0 understanding of the product suck at defining “the what and the why” 3. We need specialist PM based on domain + business knowledge
Microsoft is another story. I’m not sure you have the depth and breadth of product experience to opine given your comments. Microsoft is new to product management and has always primarily leaned on program management. Most current Microsoft TPM’s call themselves product but don’t engage in the full continuum of product management functions one would expect….account execs engage in quasi customer segmentation for example. Generalist pm’s aren’t really pm’s because of the aforementioned reasons and more. It’s kind of a duh that a pm should learn their area. No, the true problem at Microsoft is people dont know what product is….how can any pm be expected to flush out the what and the why when sales owns most pm functions.
Yea like Lenny's podcast, which I actually enjoy and get something of value. He's bringing $1M annually these days: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/01/20/lenny-rachitsky-the-key-to-success-is-quality-and-consistency.html
He brings in over 1M annually now - it’s in the headline…
Corrected
It’s not just Product Management. In every aspect, too many influencers trying to sell coaching services. so many FAANG employees looking for a side hustle for some reason