Finding the fit in Product Managers and their Ethos

How to know if a company or a hire is a fit based on their traits or ethos

Every individual has a personal ethos that guides their behaviors and actions. These are the traits and personalities that make us human. If you take two people and give them a similar challenge or circumstance, the way they go about resolving will be different. The end result may be the same. How people behave, respond, decide is influenced not just by their training, skills, experience but also by their ethos.

In the dynamic world of product management, the success of a product often hinges on the ethos of the product manager. An effective product manager embodies a set of core values that drive their decision-making process and ultimately shape the product's trajectory. In this blog post, we will explore the essential ethos of a product manager and how it influences their approach to various aspects of product development.

For example, personally, I hate wastage of any kind. It could be time, resources, money. And that essence seeps into my work. When I work on a product, I look for savings opportunities. It could savings of time for a customer, savings in effort for development. Anything that allows for efficiency. I’d rather invest upfront time designing something that has lower probability of waste downstream. Someone else, would probably not care too much about efficiency.

Here are some other ethos I have seen in other product managers in my experience. There are many more than this short list.

1. Satisfy Customers - “at any cost”
   Customer satisfaction lies at the heart of a product manager's ethos. They go above and beyond to understand customer needs, desires, and pain points. They relentlessly seek feedback and strive to align the product with customer expectations, ensuring that customer satisfaction is the driving force behind every decision. They want to make sure that customers receive value from the product and timely help.

   
   So that’s great. This is actually a very valuable ethos and well suited for B2B product managers. The challenge is that some PM’s will go out of their way to help all customers. Even if it comes at any cost. For example, you may have a one off low revenue customer whose priority should be lower than a high impact customer. A dissatisfied customer is something this PM cannot tolerate and will go out of their way to help them.
   
   Or maybe a customer has complained about a minor bug. Do you want to solve for that now? It depends what else is on your plate. You’d rather focus on improving features or solving bugs that impacts many customers first before you get to this specific customers bug.
   
   The issue is you have to make trade offs all the time. If you can solve for all customers with the resources available to you, then go for it. But like most B2B orgs, you are likely resource starved. You have to prioritize.
   

2. Data, Data, Data
   Informed decision-making is a key characteristic of a successful product manager. They have a deep appreciation for data and use it as the foundation for their strategies. By leveraging data-driven insights, they can validate hypotheses, identify trends, and make data-backed decisions that minimize risks and maximize opportunities.
   
   The issue is that sometimes just being data oriented is not sufficient. You need to understand the context of your analysis and weigh it against other analysis. Just because you are thorough with your data does not necessarily mean your analysis is conclusive or relevant.

   
   Some product managers swear by their data and that’s a good thing. Just don’t lose sight of the broader context.
   

3. Consensus driven
   Effective collaboration and stakeholder alignment are critical for product success. A product manager that seeks consensus among cross-functional teams and stakeholders is so important in B2B. They understand the value of diverse perspectives and actively involve others in the decision-making process to foster a sense of ownership and promote collaboration.
   
   The challenge is that sometimes there are too many divergent opinions and priorities. In their quest to obtain maximum consensus, the PMs go into analysis paralysis mode or end up in endless meetings. The idea of not getting buy in from a stakeholder is anathema to them.
   
   The reality is that it is impossible to keep everyone happy. It’s OK to get consensus but at some point you have to make a call and move on with the task. Yes, you do need buy in from executives or customers who are funding the tasks. Being prepared with pros and cons etc will help you get your point across. Also, understand the quality of the objection you are getting back. Are they rooted in facts? Can you prove or disprove? And if you still get push back from a particular stakeholder, then acknowledge it. As a starting point, learnt to accept the fact that you may not be able to get 100% consensus
   

4. Tech-Driven
   In today's tech-driven world, a product manager must have a strong grasp of technology trends and advancements. They are continuously learning and exploring new technologies to stay ahead of the curve especially these days with AI. A tech-driven ethos enables them to make informed decisions about technological integrations, platform choices, and future-proofing the product.

   
   Your decisions as a product manager should not be dictated by technology though. Rather you should focus on the customers, their pain paints and the value your users will receive. Lead with that and then justify the tech choices.

   
   Remember, your job as a PM is to solve a customer problem and not implement a specific technology or the next buzzword. For example, you are not implementing AI in your product. You are using AI to solve a customer problem. Can we solve the problem with something other than AI? Maybe. And if so, weigh the pros and cons. Don’t be married to AI as a solution. Be open to ideas. Once you shift your mindset that you are in it to solve a problem, it will be easier.
   

5. Design-Obsessed
   Similar to the tech driven PM, I have seen a few PM who are design obsessed. They spend inordinate amount of time over UI elements.
   
   Again, it’s a good skill to have and in some cases attention to details is actually important. So long as you maintain sight of your north star. Whatever your PM goals are e.g. retention, growth, etc your design insights should support your core goals.
   
   Almost every aspect of your product should be designed well and you should obsess over it. However, in B2B, you do get into situations where a feature is only used once and perhaps it does not need to be pixel perfect. For example, connecting your platform to email provider or social media. It’s a one time set up by an admin. Compared to say dashboards or reports which is seen daily by all users. Obsess over the design of features that will be used frequently by the core users.
   

6. Perfection-Obsessed
   A product manager with a perfection-obsessed ethos never settles for mediocrity. They strive for excellence in every aspect of the product, from features to documentation. This ethos drives them to constantly iterate, refine, and improve, ensuring that the product's quality exceeds customer expectations.

   
   And in some cases this is an excellent ethos where the margin of error is low. I can think of applications in Med tech where perfection is a requirement.
   

7. Progress/Growth Driven
   Lastly, a product manager with a progress or growth-driven ethos is constantly looking for ways to propel the product forward. They set ambitious goals, monitor key metrics, and drive the team towards continuous improvement. This ethos fosters an environment of innovation, adaptability, and growth, allowing the product to evolve and succeed in a competitive landscape.
   

None of these ethos are actually bad, in fact, I would argue each of them serve a valuable purpose. The question is when and for what stage of the organization.

If you are in discovery stages of your product, then being design or perfection obsessed will harm you. It will get in your way of finding the patterns of problems you are trying to solve. It is better to be progress driven.

If you are in a mature company in a competitive environment, then being design obsessed is an advantage. It allows you to build a differentiated product or experience.

If your product is tech heavy e.g. API based, then being tech driven is an advantage so that you are able to better empathize and make quicker and informed decisions.

By incorporating these considerations into your hiring process, you can increase the likelihood of finding product managers who embody the desired ethos. Remember, the right ethos sets the stage for exceptional product management, enabling teams to deliver remarkable products that satisfy customers, leverage data, foster collaboration, embrace technology, and drive progress and growth.

Choose wisely, and your product management team will become a powerhouse of innovation, efficiency, and success.

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I am available for a free 30 min call where we can talk about your product management challenges.