This article is also published on LinkedIn.
If your organization does not have a head of product, send this article to your CEO!
If you are a founder, CEO or C-level executive thinking about
1) whether or not to hire a product leader,
2) when to hire one … and
3) what to look for in a head of product …
then this article is for you.
Probably!
Ask yourself these questions first.
Do I need a partner who can help me think and strategize about company & product direction?
Am I building a product that I plan to scale?
Do we need some fresh thinking about the market or product in the executive team?
Can I give up some of the decision making about product direction?
Does the product management team need direction and leadership?
OR, do I need to build a product team?
If you answered ‘Yes’ to any of these questions, then you probably need to hire a product leader.
Hiring a HoP is not easy for the following reasons:
Even if you have all the above points covered, sometimes this new executive may not be a good fit because of disagreements among the executive team. At the end of the day. they must like him/her and can work with them. The challenge is that different executives look for traits that are suitable in their departments e.g. the head of sales may not like them because they are not ‘aggressive/assertive’ enough! The head of marketing may not like them because they don’t have enough of an online presence or a great portfolio. The CTO might think that the candidate is not technical enough!
These challenges can be overcome if the role can be well defined and everyone agrees that the Head of Product is a very unique role and should be treated as such. Sometimes, it might be easier to get external help to find the right person, but that also could be costly!
Your organization needs to define what type of role they are looking for. If the person is more focused on managing a team of product managers, you probably need a Group Product Manager, or a Manager of Product Management. If they are also managing product designers and/or business analysts, then you’d probably need a Director of Product.
If you have multiple products (i.e. a product portfolio), or this HoP also needs to manage other teams (UX team, UX research team, Dev), you probably need a VP of Product.
If you are looking for someone to join your executive team, focusing mainly on strategic items (and less on execution), then you’d probably need a Chief Product Officer (CPO).
If you are a startup and the candidate will not have a team, or is building a team from scratch, then a generic Head of Product role might be suitable.
These are just some guidelines, but it’s important to decide what type of product leader is needed at this stage of your company’s growth.
Great product leaders can navigate the chaos.
There is a lot of ambiguity in the market. A forward-thinking approach to adapt to market trends is key. Building products is tricky and a great leader can help navigate this chaos by setting strategic objectives that will help the teams move forward. They help align teams to sail in unison towards a common goal. This type of adaptability is a non-negotiable trait for a HoP. Successful leaders embrace change, pivot when necessary, and view challenges not as roadblocks but as opportunities for growth and improvement.
They turn the company into a product first organization.
Some companies are sales-led, or tech-led, but with a great product leader, a company can become product-led. This means the focus of the entire org is to create value for the customer.
Great product leaders can take abstract concepts and shape them into tangible roadmaps, aligning client expectations with the technical feasibility of the development team. Their strategic vision ensures that the end product not only meets but exceeds expectations.
The product leader can help adapt company strategies to market dynamics and user feedback.
Great product leaders build products the right way!
They can put the right teams and processes in place to ensure the right market insights, customer feedback and stakeholder input is taken into consideration when building products.
They inspire teams, empower, motivate and maximize productivity and innovation.
They ensure a cohesive and synchronized product development lifecycle is established. They encourage a culture of continuous improvement and creative thinking, where teams are not only focused on building, but also on paying attention to Discovery and Validation.
They build products for the long haul!
Great product leaders are visionaries that think long term, sell dreams but ground them in reality. They are not focused on the next big deal, or a project that needs to be closed in the next quarter. They build products to solve pain points in markets, not point solutions for specific customers. They ensure product strategy is continuously aligned with the company’s overarching goals, focusing on scalability of the product and the company.
They have a product sense.
They understand the unique perspectives and challenges faced by both the development team and clients, and they build products to solve customer issues. They make difficult decisions. They prioritize ruthlessly and they know when not to build, or push to sunset a product or feature that is no longer adding value. They know how to not become hostage to one customer with the largest user base, and they also do not build products for single customers.
They bridge the gap
Great product leaders bridge the communication gap between technical teams and clients, at a high level. They know how to articulate the value proposition and other complex ideas with clarity and precision. Their communication skills go beyond relaying information; they inspire and motivate, creating a shared sense of purpose among team members, conveying the company’s values and vision.
Sometimes, a product leader is reduced to just being the UX expert. Companies look for a product leader to come and fix the UX because everything else is covered by the dev team! Product management is much more than just UX. If only UX needs an overhaul, it’s best to hire a UX lead instead.
Look for people who have had product management experience!
The same way that you’d not want to hire a CFO without accounting/finance experience, or a head of sales without any sales experience, you should not hire a head of product without product management experience. They should have a track record of successful product launches under their leadership.
Look for Problem Solvers!
Exceptional Product Management Leaders excel in problem-solving. They don’t merely identify issues; they are adept at crafting innovative and pragmatic solutions, turning challenges into stepping stones for success.
Look for Leaders, not Managers!
Find demonstrated ability to lead and motivate diverse teams. Folks who are coaches that empower their team members and help them think critically and make decisions.
Test them on Strategy, not Execution!
Instead of giving them assignments and cases focused on UX design, user story creation and product launch activities, give them a case study where they are forced to think strategically, make difficult decisions and pivot if needed. These are not your typical PM assignments, reach out if you need assistance with this, we have some cases available for purchase.
In conclusion, your Head of Product Management is a catalyst for success. They are unique in their own way, and many times companies do not know what they are looking for in such a role.
The right leaders possess the acumen to navigate complexities, communicate with finesse to foster collaboration, and they have the visionary mindset to turn dreams into reality. When embarking on the quest to find this elusive unicorn, keep these traits and tips in mind—your software development, marketing, sales and customer support teams will thank you once you hire the right person.
Reach out if you need help finding a head of product. We can help you with the process of triage, interview and case study evaluation.
Mass Delairi
Product Leader
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