Podcast: 3 Types of Product Managers



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I recently had the opportunity to join the Product Love podcast to talk about all things product management with Eric Boduch. I spent a fair amount of time detailing my framework for the 3 types of product management roles that exist in the industry, which I affectionately call builders, tuners, and innovators. The builder is probably the most classic product manager. They’re focused on driving the roadmap and building features to serve user needs. They understand how to prioritize feedback, solve real user problems, and deliver delight. On the other hand, tuners try to optimize existing experiences such as monetization or growth flows. Tuners can be likened to growth hackers who focus on metrics and want to move the needle. And finally, when you are bringing a brand new product to market, regardless of whether you are at a startup or at an established tech company, the task requires a unique set of skills as an innovator to discover and reach product/market fit.

I also hit on a variety of other product topics, including why I leverage case interview questions in interviews, the 5 different paths to your first product manager role, the importance of the art of being compelling, understanding the difference between coachable vs un-coachable product management skills, how to prioritize a roadmap, developing a continuous feedback river, and more!
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