What Does a Product Manager Actually Do?
Breaking Down the 'Mini CEO' Myth for Product Managers
Are Product Managers 'Mini CEOs'? This phrase, popularized in the book The Hard Thing About Hard Things, has sparked both acclaim and criticism. While I disagree, the author, Ben Horowitz, is not someone to dismiss lightly. As the co-founder of Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) and an investor in companies like Airbnb, GitHub, Lyft, and Coinbase, he undoubtedly knows a thing or two about leadership.
To grasp Horowitz's perspective, let's first visualize the role of a Product Manager. What do they actually do? They make strategic decisions, coordinate cross-functional teams, and operate with a comprehensive product vision. Sound familiar? These responsibilities closely resemble those of a CEO, though limited to a specific product.
Yet, critics—and I count myself among them—argue that the analogy doesn't always hold water. Product Managers (PMs) come in many flavors. Look at all these labels: Technical Product Managers, focused on the most technical aspects of a product; Growth Product Managers, centered on user growth, revenue, and engagement; Data-Driven Product Managers, aiming to improve team decisions based on data; B2C or B2B Product Managers, focused on either end-consumers or business-oriented approaches; Mobile Product Managers, Platform Product Managers, API Product Managers, Digital Product Managers… oh, and let’s not forget Hardware Product Managers and even AI Product Managers. There are more types of Product Managers, but let's not go too far down that rabbit hole.
Essentially, the main challenge for all these profiles is balancing expectations while navigating an extremely flexible role. And isn’t that what a CEO does? A Product Manager is a facilitator who brings together various disciplines to make things happen.
But what do all PMs have in common? Despite their differences, they share key responsibilities:
Understanding the user: Every decision stems from a deep comprehension of user needs and problems.
Bridging teams: PMs connect design, engineering, stakeholders, and users to create cohesive solutions.
Purpose-driven work: Each product aligns with a mission that inspires teams to deliver measurable, attainable, and relevant results.
Facilitating decisions: PMs enable collaboration, foster agility, and guide decisions through data and outcomes.
In the end, you might agree or disagree with Horowitz, but one thing is certain: not all Product Managers are short.