Now this is more of an opinion than fact, but completely based on what I have been exposed to across a variety of industries, independent start-ups and larger funded start-ups.
Most founders in smaller independent businesses assume the position of Product Management, as a result of defining what their product does and essentially creating the road-map to take it to market.
So if you have a founder fulfilling the Product role, should you still hire a Product Manager? And what should this look like?
Product Management- typical candidates
Product Management isn’t a qualification and has only really spurred out of the digital era and gained pace in the last 3 years.
Product Managers I have worked with come from a variety of backgrounds including;
– Marketing
– UX/ UI
– Raw Technology
– Project Management
What makes a good Product Manager?
A blend of experience and with an appreciation of three main areas- Customer Experience, Marketing and Technology. Being technologically astute and naturally analytical tends to pay dividends in Product Management roles, attention is absolutely key, along with strong networking skills and the ability to deal with senior stakeholders, both internally and externally.
Holding the overall vision of the product is key, so foresight is essential. The continuous focus of; How will the Product be made? Delivered? Marketed?
In a startup business you have a unique advantage of being totally ‘about the product’. But when someone founds a startup, they define the overall strategy, vision and ultimately it becomes personal- but is this a good thing? – Is this layer of attachment, without the objective view causing a problematic Product Manager? 
The distinct difference between startup founders and Product Managers, is the founder ultimately becomes a technical CTO or a business-focussed CEO, therefore lacking that understanding of all the elements that make a product manager key to the success of a product. A Product Manager needs to ensure the team is focused on the right things, and that means both the business/ founders vision and what the customer wants- therefore giving the Product an objective view!
It’s widely noted that the main reasons startups fail are because the marketplace is ignored, there isn’t the market need for their product/ service, or it doesn’t have the right team innovating the product and leading it to market! A Product Manager is key in validating a businesses vision and translating that into a viable proposition going to market.
Because of the intrinsic emotional capital that most founders develop with their business and product, they are fearful to bring in a Project Manager becuase the product vision will be taken from them, hence the resistance to creating a product function – This is evident in first time entreprenuers and younger business models more so than serial founders!
But I genuinely believe there is so much to be said for the investment of a strong product function, it becomes the facilitator to the product vision as opposed to a unit redefining the vision…
It’s appreciated the move from an idea to a functioning business is difficult in itself, but some of the issues around hiring product managers come from the misconceptions of what a Product Manager actually does. Granted it’s a new role which has spawned growth in the last 3- 5 years which has ultimately led to the definition of Product Management meaning different things to different people.
Startups benefit from strong product managers early in the product life-cycle, which I have witnessed creating higher probability of success. Focusing on the product and being involved with every aspect relating to success, including development, design, implementation, marketing and customer service- the pieces of the product which need to be accessed from the early stages, not after launch.
If your business is based on a digital product, then you need a Product Manager from day one! Ultimately, they will be the conduit needed between the strategy/ business vision/ CEO/ Founder and the Consumer/ User, it’s the Product Manager that will string the life-cycle together to ensure success.
I work with many founders who are passionate about their business, and as a fellow entrepreneur- I understand! I have founded businesses, grown products and I get the strain it puts on you and the difficulty of detaching from managing every meticulous detail of something you have created.
But for the success factor, every start-up needs a strong Product Manager!
*If you are reading this as a Founder of a Start-up and are completely alien to the thought of talent attraction then please don’t hesitate to get in touch. You have your vision for the business and product, work with me as an extension of your team to help define and deliver a talent attraction vision- it’s what I specialise in.
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