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Table of Contents

The Third Annual Future of 3 Chapter #1 12

Product Management Report Operationalizing Product-
Led Growth Drives Out-
How We Created This Report 8 Sized Business Results
The Data
Key Takeaways
Discover the Future of 10
Product Management
Chapter #2 20
Leveraging Company Values
Combats High Employee Churn
The Data
Key Takeaways

Chapter #3 28
Hiring from Non-Tech
Backgrounds Helps Meet Record
Demand for Product Talent
The Data
Key Takeaways

Chapter #4 36
Defining Career Paths Improves
Adoption of Product-Led Growth
The Data
Key Takeaways

Wrap-Up 45
The Future is Product

The Future of Product Management Report

 3

The Third Annual

Future of
Product Management
Report
Every year, Product School surveys our
global community of Product Managers to
extract the key trends that are driving our
industry forward. This year, we had more
respondents than any other similar research
report and we engaged a group of top
Product Leaders from Silicon Valley to put
the findings in perspective. The result is a
compelling view into what the future holds
for all Product Managers.

2022
4

Here’s What’s Driving the Future

of Product Management…

Product-Led Growth is
Changing Everything
A Silicon Valley Exodus
The story we found was one of Product-Led
is Taking the Product Growth. As companies become increasingly
Mindset Global Product-Led, demand for Product Managers
is increasing like never before. This is putting
Silicon Valley is still Product Management’s unprecedented pressure on talent pipeli-
vanguard, but it’s talent is dispersing fast. nes—providing new opportunities for Product
With the New York Times reporting that San Managers from diverse backgrounds —and
Francisco’s tech workers “Cannot leave fast revealing how the surge in demand for Pro-
enough,” our research shows this mass exo- duct Managers has out-paced the structural
dus of talent is already having an impact on adaptations.
all industries. When Product Managers leave
the Valley or Bay Area, they take with them
not only their belongings, but also the mind- Product teams are
set and frameworks that have defined the
region’s rise to tech and Product dominance. Diversifying as Demand
As these intellectual assets disperse, we are for PMs Grows
seeing the proliferation of the Product Mind-
set and Product-Led Growth globally. Living in an urban technology hub and ha-
ving a technical or engineering degree are
no longer hard prerequisites to becoming a
successful Product Manager. The Product Ma-
nagement talent pool is increasingly drawing
from individuals with diverse personal and
professional backgrounds. This presents
employers with a golden opportunity to cul-
tivate diversity within their Product teams,
and incorporate a more inclusive approach
to ideation and development as they launch
new products.

The Future of Product Management Report

 5

The Future of Product

Management Report is For…

Product Managers
Throughout the report, we’ll be showing how the key
trends we’ve uncovered can help yous continue to deliver
value and enhance their impact.

Product Leaders
For those running organizations and directing Product
teams, we’ll show you how the findings of the report can
help guide your decision making in the cycles ahead.

Human Resources Leaders

If your goal is to support the career growth of your emplo-
yees, we’ll help you understand how the forces we have
identified can empower the training & education goals
of your company.

2022
6

We Surveyed 5,000
Product Professionals
An in-depth survey designed by our Working Group
was sent to the Product School community. Desig-
ned to cover a representative sample of our industry,
respondents included Product People at all levels,
from Associate Product Managers all the way up to
Chief Product Officers, and everything in between.

Our record-breaking survey reached

Product Managers...

From every continent

North America Africa Antarctica

37,4% 9,6% 0,1%

Europe South America

25,3% 5,4%

Asia Oceania
20,8% 1,5%

Across multiple industries

Technology Retail
33% 6%
Other Media & Entertainment
24% 5%
Financial Services Education
15% 5%
Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals Professional Services
7% 5%

The Future of Product Management Report

 7

From companies of all sizes

27.23%
9.38%
1001+ employees
101-1000 employees

>50 employees
14.58% 48.81%
51-100 employees

In all Product roles

26% 19% 18% 7%

Product Managers Senior /Group PMs Other Product Roles Directors of Product
3%
VPs of Product

2%
6% Chief Product
Aspiring PMs Officers

With gender diversity From different ages

42%

32.5%
59,9%
Male

18.1%
37.9%
Female
5.6%
1% 0.8%

0,5%
age <20

age 21-30

age 31-40

age 41-50

age 61+
age 51-60

Gender Variant or Non-Conforming

2022
8

How We Created This Report

We Assembled a Working Group

of Silicon Valley Product Leaders
We wanted to tap into the hive mind that drives the engine of
Silicon Valley, so we pulled together a Working Group of some of
the most accomplished Product Managers working today in the
birthplace of Product Management. Together, we crafted a sur-
vey designed to go to the heart of what it means to be a Product
Manager, Product Leader, or Human Resources Leader working
with Product teams in today’s world.

Meet the Working Group

Gaurav Hardikar Eva Feng

Senior Director, Head of Product
Head of Consumer Product

Ashok Bania Marily Nika

VP of Product AR/VR Experience
Product Lead

Leonard Kongshavn Zakir Tyebjee

Global Product Lead Senior Staff
Product Manager

Felix Watson Jr. Andrew Nguyen

Product Manager Head of Product

Carlos Gonzalez
de Villaumbrosia

CEO

The Future of Product Management Report

 9

Executive-Level Organizational
Leaders Enriched our Data
with Qualitative Insights
We also interviewed eminent thought leaders at the most innova-
tive companies in order to contextualize our survey findings with
qualitative insights. These visionaries run Product teams at top
tech companies and brought a valuable, high-level perspective
to the story we had begun to uncover. Their observations are
included below and provide texture as to how these trends play
out in the real world.

Backed by Visionaries

Ebi Atawodi Manik Gupta

Director of Product VP of Product

Joff Redfern Kylie Ana Fuentes

CPO SVP of Product

Mamuna Oladipo Nikhyl Singhal

VP of Product VP of Product

Michelle Parsons Shiva Rajaraman

CPO VP of Product

Stephanie Neill Surojit Chatterjee

VP of Product CPO

2022
10 

Here’s What the

Future of Product
Management Looks Like,
Chapter by Chapter
CHAPTER #1
Operationalizing Product-Led Growth
Drives Out-Sized Business Results
PLG has gone mainstream, now the most successful com-
panies are taking it beyond mindset and into everyday
practices.

CHAPTER #2
Leveraging Company Values Combats High
Employee Churn
For top employers who can compete on compensation,
values are the biggest driver of acquisition and retention
of Product talent.

CHAPTER #3
Hiring from Non-Tech Backgrounds Helps
Meet Record Demand for Product Talent
Transitioning non-traditional candidates into Product ro-
les, combined with remote work, allows companies to
grow Product teams while advancing DE&I goals.

CHAPTER #4
Defining Career Paths Improves Adoption of
Product-Led Growth
As the Product role becomes more of a strategic function,
companies need more leaders and CPOs; more defined
career ladders are needed to get there.

The Future of Product Management Report

Let’s Discover the
Future of Product
Management

The Trend The Data Further Insight Case Study Key Takeaways
12

CHAPTER #1

Operationalizing
Product-Led
Growth Drives
Out-Sized
Business Results
PLG has gone mainstream, now the most successful companies
are taking it beyond mindset and into everyday practices.

The Future of Product Management Report

 13

Product-Led Growth Has

Fully Crossed the Chasm
It’s no longer for early adopters: The mains-
tream is embracing PLG, and all indicators
show that it is here to stay.

PLG Was Once a Tactic.

Now It’s a Mindset.
Driving revenue increase through customer-centric Pro-
duct optimization has long been one of many tools orga-
nizations have deployed. In Silicon Valley, PLG has evolved
from a tactic into an organizational mindset that is being
operationalized in business processes. This means that
every team takes shared responsibility for driving growth
through direct user engagement on the Product level. This
paradigm shift is driving a surge in demand for Product
Managers who can help companies adapt to a Product-Led
framework.

2022
14 Chapter 01 Operationalizing Product-Led Growth Drives Out-Sized Business Results

The Data

The Data on PLG

From External Sources

PMs is
is one of the fastest growing roles
34% ↑
in the market. more SaaS companies are using PLG in
LinkedIn 2021 compared to 2020.
Fast Company

Zoom credits PLG

for their 30-fold increase to 300
The IT industry
million active daily users in 2020. is predicted to grow
Forbes
like crazy by 2023:
→ 104% growth rate for emerging tech
Slack, Calendly, Dropbox
→ 50% growth rate for software
claim they grew faster and more efficiently
→ 23% growth rate for tech services.
thanks to PLG
Statista
Forbes

Product-Led Growth is central achieve it. When your company

to our company’s revenue becomes Product-led, growth is
strategy, and it requires all everyone’s responsibility – and
functions – not just PM – to be you achieve it by solving for real
customer obsessed in order to customer needs, together.

Stephanie Neill
VP or Product at

The Future of Product Management Report

 The Data 15

From Our Survey

In the United States, companies of all

sizes are hiring more PMs

Companies with 1001+ employees Companies with 100-1000 employees

20%
planning to
10.21% hire 1-5 PMs
24.82% planning to
hire 11+ PMs
4.26%
planning to planning to
hire 1-5 PMs hire 6-10 PMs

This trend is repeating around the world

61.60% all companies planning to hire 1-5 PMs

21.84% from those companies

with 101-1000 employees

The top three benefits all Benefits of being Product-led

companies associated with
being Product-Led are:
37.53% 34.39% 33.93%
Meeting long-term goals Market competitiveness Attracting talent

2022
16 Chapter 01 Operationalizing Product-Led Growth Drives Out-Sized Business Results

From Our Survey

bec
au
55% of companies

se
of
see organizational updates

Product-Led
around Product teams

in
k th
ing

Organizations are including a more 43.6% of companies are hiring more

customer-centric view of product suc- PMs, 34.6% see Product Leaders dri-
cess in addition to the more traditional ving annual planning at their organiza-
business/sales metrics. tions, and 31% see more budget being
dedicated to Product teams.

34% ofor companies use CSAT

NPS scores to measure
»»»» product success
43.6%
hiring more PMs

34.6%
Product Leaders driving planning

31%
budget to Product teams

The Future of Product Management Report

PLG is Driving a Tech Sector Investment Boom 17

Further Insight
PLG is Driving
a Tech Sector
Investment Boom
As Product-Led Growth is unlocking
new and exciting revenue opportunities, The Data on How Tech
it’s hardly surprising that we are seeing a Investment is Heating Up
flurry of investments in the tech world.
Venture investment in private startups
passed $125 billion in Q4 2021, a 6.2%
QoQ volume increase.
The Venture City
“3 sectors [Technology Media
Telecommunications (TMT), Fintech, AI &
ML: all Product-led industries] are heavily
favored by investors due to the value they
produce and scalability of business models.”
The Venture City
“To compensate for VC funding
There are more than 800 unicorns (private
typically going to later-stage
companies valued at over $1 billion)
companies], startups need a solution
worldwide as of November 2021.
that is low-cost, high-impact, and
CBInsights
that will empower their expansion...
Cue product-led growth, or PLG.”

Crunchbase
PLG Companies Are
Craving Product Talent
The pivot to Product-Led Growth is making
companies more customer-centric as they ask
“why” first instead of leading with business
or sales metrics. This shift in mentality is in-
creasing the demand for Product talent. The
result is a shortage in the pipeline for these
Product roles.

2022
18 Chapter 01 Operationalizing Product-Led Growth Drives Out-Sized Business Results

Case Study
The View from
Gainsight
Gainsight, a customer success and product experience
platform, sees Product-Led Growth as an effective stra-
tegy to respond to competition. Growing competition
makes customer acquisition harder and more expensive.

Companies like Gainsight are now leveraging their product

to lower customer acquisition costs without being bound
to high-touch and costly sales resources. Gainsight’s expe-
rience shows that, even in enterprise B2B, retention and
expansion has a strong correlation with actual product
adoption. This is bringing Product Managers
closer to usage and revenue, with product “Product-Led Growth is brin-
usage metrics becoming leading indicators ging Product Managers closer to
of growth. usage and revenue, with product
usage metrics becoming leading
indicators of growth.”

Mickey Alon
CTO and Founder

The Future of Product Management Report

What This Means For You… 19

Key Takeaways
What This Means
For You…

Product Managers
You are in demand
As companies pivot to Product-Led models,
demand for Product talent is higher than ever
before.
Human Resources
Experience in a Product-Led company Leaders
counts
When sifting through opportunities, pay extra Get your talent pipeline ready
attention to roles in companies that are alre- Focus on building out pools of talent ready to
ady Product-Led. You will experience greater supply you with a surge of PLG experienced
opportunity for career growth, and find your- Product Managers. This is top priority–it’s
self more in demand in the long-term. going to be more competitive than you think.

Orient your team around PLG priori-

Product Leaders ties
Work with Product Leaders to help orient new
Cultivate a growth mindset hires and development around Product-Led
The scope of growth has increased! It’s not Growth frameworks and methods.
only for marketers or your growth teams. PLG
is now everyone’s responsibility. Cultivate a
mindset that everyone in your organization,
no matter their department, has to play a role
in driving growth.

Recruit growth-oriented PMs

Talk to your hiring teams about looking for
growth-oriented Product Managers who can
kickstart or fuel this shift in your company.

2022
20

CHAPTER #2

Leveraging
Company Values
Combats High
Employee Churn
For top employers who can compete on compensation,
values are the biggest driver of acquisition and retention
of Product talent.

The Future of Product Management Report

 21

With More Options Than

Ever, Product Managers
Need the Full Package
to Stick Around
Product-Led Growth has driven a surge in de-
mand for Product Managers. But what attracts
people to PM roles is not always the same
as what keeps them there. To succeed as a
beacon for Product talent, employers need to
update their understanding of compensation,
leadership and company values.

2022
22 Chapter 02 Leveraging Company Values Combats High Employee Churn

The Data

The Data on Hiring and

Retaining Product Managers

From External Sources

Top 2 industry for

career growth PMs are
Tech is the second greatest industry
for career growth.
149% ↑ more likely to
receive a promotion
compared to any other role making it a highly
LinkedIn
attractive career path.
Linkedin

6.2% ↑ Average Increase in

Tech salaries
In 2021 the
Tech salaries are increasing around
the world. turn-over rate
Hired was between 6 months and 2 years for PMs.
Amplitude

$147,000 average
salary
for PMs in the US in 2021.
Amplitude

The Future of Product Management Report

The Data 23

From Our Survey

66.3% of PMs PMs are

changed jobs in the last 2 years. well paid.
Those based in the US made:

61-90K USD/year 8.09%

91-120K USD/year 28.98%
121-150K USD/year 20.1%

150-180K USD/year 24.8%

32.64% of PMs 26.11% of PMs

only plan to stay at their current are actively looking to transition companies
organization for 1-2 years. within the next 12 months.

Staying at their organization Looking to transition companies

Years Years

Now 2 Now 1

2022
24 Chapter 02 Leveraging Company Values Combats High Employee Churn

Further Insight

Compensation Can Attract

Product Managers
Almost a third of Product Managers would transi-
tion to a new role if offered greater compensation.
Product Managers know their value and cannot be
bought cheaply, but the compensation package isn’t
the only thing that motivates them.

30.1%
of PMs value
flexible work

but 31.29%
would leave their
current role for better
compensation
31.03%
value the types
of products the
work on

Values Keep Them Around

Product Managers are highly motivated by the oppor-
tunity to work on products that are consistent with
their values, as well as for company culture, and the
flexible lifestyle that can be associated with work in
the tech industry.

The Future of Product Management Report

Competitive Compensation Depends on The Product Career Path 25

Competitive
Compensation Depends on
The Product Career Path

Where does your company

fall on the PM salary band?

CPO

VP of Product

Director of PM

Group PM

Senior PM

Product Manager

Associate PM

$50K $100K $150K $200K $250K $300K $350K

Glassdoor

CPO Director of PM Senior PM Associate PM

Up to $327k USD Avg: $200,654 USD Avg: $164,098 USD Avg: $103,634 USD

VP of Product Group PM Product Manager

Avg: $237,525 USD Avg: $200,711 USD Avg: $138,489 USD

2022
26 Chapter 02 Leveraging Company Values Combats High Employee Churn

Case Study
The View from
Product School
Product School is the leading education provider for Product
Managers and the companies that hire them. While they tra-
in Product Managers, they also hire them on their education
team to build out their training products and enhance their
student’s experience. This gives Product School deep insight
into what actually makes Product Managers tick.

People don’t usually go into Product Ma-

nagement because they want to follow or- “Product Managers want to
ders and constantly seek approval. Rather, be independent thinkers and
they want to be independent thinkers and problem solvers with room to
problem solvers with room to innovate. innovate”
Even in a space that may not be as techno-
logically “sexy” as self-driving cars or virtual reality, there are
still many chances to innovate within an industry, leverage
emerging technologies, and shake up the status quo. When
a Product Manager doesn’t feel like their current gig is giving
them that chance, they’re likely to look elsewhere for a job
that will let them scratch that itch.

Rachael Larsen
Head of Education

The Future of Product Management Report

Key Takeaways What This Means For You… 27

Key Takeaways
What This Means
For You…

Product Managers
Think beyond compensation
Compensation will always be a factor, but
choosing your job is a two-way interview.
Dive deep to understand the product, and
make sure the company and product aligns Human Resources
with your interests and values. Leaders
Communicate company values
Make it crystal clear how your company, ma-
Product Leaders nager, team, and product align with the value
of the candidates you are interviewing.
Clearly communicate the meaning of
your work Compensate competitively
Be clear with your teams about how the pro- Top talent is aware of their market-value and
ducts they are working on deliver value for will demand top salaries and benefits, even if
them as individuals, and how that aligns with they are just starting out.
the whole company’s vision.
Invest in your team’s development
Make your team feel fulfilled and Double-down on training and onboarding me-
empowered asures to show your company’s commitment
Build a team culture that encourages mentor- to values and to nurturing talent.
ship and empower team members to express
their needs and wants when it comes to va-
lues and interests.

2022
28

CHAPTER #3

Hiring from Non-

Tech Backgrounds
Helps Meet
Record Demand
for Product Talent
Transitioning non-traditional candidates into Product roles, combined
with remote work, allows companies to grow Product teams while
advancing DE&I goals.

The Future of Product Management Report

 29

Surging Demand for PMs

is Forcing Employees to
Expand Their Hiring Pool
With PLG putting companies under pressure
to recruit Product Managers at record speed, Flexible Hiring is Changing
employers are having to look beyond tradi-
tional sources to find enough talent to meet
the Face of Product
their needs. This means that Product Mana- Management
gers are being recruited from more diverse
backgrounds than ever before. Diversity of background doesn’t necessarily mean diversi-
ty of demographic, but it can. With flexible hiring practi-
ces and openness to remote work, recruiters can start to
recognize that the PMs of tomorrow can and should look
different than the PMs of yesterday. This has implications
for career structures (see Chapter #4) as companies will
need to work to ensure fair and equitable advancement
for Product Managers of diverse and hitherto underre-
presented backgrounds.

2022
30 Chapter 03 Hiring from Non-Tech Backgrounds Helps Meet Record Demand for Product Talent

The Data

The Data on Diversity

in Product

From External Sources

The gender distribution in Product remains skewed. Product Managers educational backgrounds
LinkedIn Amplitude

Business
Female Male 23%
34.2% 65.8%

Computer
science
Our overall survey respondents were: 15%

Among product profesionals, the most common university

Female Male Gender Variant or
majors include business, computer science, social science,
37.9% 59.9% Non-Conforming
engineering and humanities.
0.5%

*the rest preferred not to say

BUT when we broke down the survey respondents

by role type, in the PM role, our respondents were

Female Male Other

14.51% 13.39% 0.6%

Showing more female than male

The Future of Product Management Report

The Data 31

From Our Survey

Backgrounds

More than

50% of PMs
now have a background in
non-Product roles.

Educational
backgrounds for PMs

Bachelor’s Degree Master’s Degree Tertiary* PhD

42.04% 37.6% 16.71% 1.57%

*University or college education but no degree

Tools

60.9%
of Product teams Outside of the US
are using at least 1 type of low-code/ Product teams outside of the US use
no-code tool. low-code/no-code tools more than
teams within the US, suggesting they
60.9% are able to hire from an even more
diverse talent pool.

2022
32 Chapter 03 Hiring from Non-Tech Backgrounds Helps Meet Record Demand for Product Talent

Further Insight

Demand is Driving Diversity

While Product Managers were once largely drawn
from tech backgrounds, the data shows that this is
no longer the case. More Product Managers from a
wider diversity of backgrounds means fresh perspec-
tives and more talent that can drive companies to be-
tter understand and reflect the needs of their users.

But There is Still

Work to be Done
With men still outnumbering women in the Product
world by almost 2:1, it is clear companies can still do
more to attract talent from a more diverse pool of
candidates. At a time when companies are hiring at a
fast pace, recruiters need to be open to considering
qualified team members from non-traditional sources
in order to keep up.

The Future of Product Management Report

The View from MURAL 33

Case Study
The View from
MURAL
MURAL is a digital-first visual collaboration platform that
helps Product Managers plan and executive launches and
work with designers. DE&I has always been core to MU-
RAL’s mission. This is reflected in their diverse team, which
is gender-equal and reflects seven different languages
and nationalities.

MURAL’s commitment to DE&I has allowed them to

build products that also reflect a diverse and inclusive
user base: Their new (Beta) Screen Readers tool enables
people who are visually impaired to take part and colla-
borate with their team members using MURAL. This is a
fantastic example of a culture of DE&I
being reflected at every stage of an or- “A commitment to diverse hiring
ganization, from team composition right can allow companies to to build
down through product features. products that also reflect an in-
clusive user base.”

Gefen Lamdan
Principal Product Manager

2022
34 Chapter 03 Hiring from Non-Tech Backgrounds Helps Meet Record Demand for Product Talent

Key Takeaways
What This Means
For You…
Product Leaders
Define what DE&I means for your
Product Managers teams and your products
Background is no obstacle Set clear goals and expectations around how
Do not let the fact that you are from a non- diversity can bring value to your product’s li-
tech background (or any other aspect of your fecycle and your team’s morale.
background) hold you back. In fact, it can
actually be a strength especially if it aligns Set meaningful expectations
with an organization’s DE&I goals. Focus on Train your recruitment, HR and management
building your portfolio, and shoot your shot. teams not to expect every Product Manager
you hire to fit an outdated image of what a
Inclusivity applies to Product, too PM should be. Diversify expectations, and the
Inclusivity is a mindset that can be applied candidates you attract will follow.
to building products. Employ that in your
day-to-day work and show how the diverse
perspectives you bring to the table can better
serve your users.
Human Resources
Leaders
Diversify your hiring to meet DE&I
goals and attract talent
Hiring from diverse locations and back-
grounds can help with your company’s DE&I
goals, which can also make you a more at-
tractive prospect for engaging with top, va-
lue-driven talent.

Train your team on the importance of

DE&I
Invest in training on DE&I and clearly defi-
ned company goals for hiring. Train to instill a
DE&I mindset across your organization so it is
reflected not only in your recruitment and HR
practices, but also in the products you build
and your company leadership.

The Future of Product Management Report

 35

The best Product Managers of tomorrow may not look

or talk the same as the Product managers we were
accustomed to hiring or seeing yesterday. The world is
changing, and the people who build products need to
reflect the people who will use them.

Michelle Parsons
CTO at

2022
36

CHAPTER #4

Defining Career
Paths Improves
Adoption of
Product-Led
Growth
As the Product role becomes more of a strategic function, companies
need more leaders and CPOs; more defined career ladders are
needed to get there.

The Future of Product Management Report

 37

Product Managers
Are Taking Their
Seat at The Table.
Companies Still Need
to Provide the Chairs
The growth of the Product Manager role has
outstripped organizations’ ability to cater to
them. This means that Product Managers of-
ten lack a clear vision for advancement within
their companies due to structures and proces-
ses not keeping pace with the growth of the
function. With PLG raising the importance of
the product role, more defined career ladders
can have flow-on benefits organization-wide.

2022
38 Chapter 04 Defining Career Paths Improves Adoption of Product-Led Growth

The Data
The Data on Product
Career Paths
From External Sources

94% employees
say they would stay at a company longer if it
invested in their learning and development.
Linkedin

$240,000
Is the average estimated cost of losing a
Product Manager.
TheAdamThomas
*While training usually costs a few thousand.

“A great product team has a foundation in good

judgement and strong execution. Moving forward, it’s
much more important to build your ‘super team’ with
backgrounds beyond engineering alone.”

Shiva Rajaraman
VP of Product at

The Future of Product Management Report

The Data The Data on Product Career Paths 39

From Our Survey

Product teams

Only

37,14% of companies 45.69% do not have

regularly assess PMs specific PM onboarding
Only one third of companies of Product Professionals at companies with
regularly assess their Product 1001+ employees say their companies do
teams’ level of experience, maturity, not have an official onboarding program
and expertise on a regular basis. that teaches a specific way of doing Product
Management at that company.

Obstacles to Growth

42.4% 43% 38.5%

of PMs of PMs of PMs
report being overloaded the state that being overloaded at said lack of personal budget and
majority of time in their role. work is stopping them from employer financing prevented
learning more PM skills. them from upskilling.

Career Ladder
What place in the career ladder are PMs
currently holding?

Product Managers Product Leaders

Team Leaders Individual Contributors Team Leaders Individual Contributors

34.73% 57.18% 63.49% 17.46%

2022
40 Chapter 04 Defining Career Paths Improves Adoption of Product-Led Growth

As Product grows
in importance, the
PM career ladder is
reaching ever higher
3% Chief Product Officer

VP of Product
5%
11% Director of Product

Group PM/Product Lead

11%

19% Senior Product Manager

41% Product Manager

10% Associate Product Manager

The Future of Product Management Report

As Product grows in importance, the PM career ladder is reaching ever higher 41

Further Insight

To Retain and Utilize Talent,

Companies Need to Invest in
the Product Career Roadmap
How does one advance from Associate Product Ma-
nager all the way to Chief Product Officer? What
does the career path look like at your organization?
Companies need to treat the career pathway like a
product, and build out the roadmap so each rung of
the career ladder is clear.

The PM Role is Still

Evolving Day by Day
The Product role is evolving with more Individual
Contributor (IC) tracks emerging much like what
we’ve seen with marketing or engineering functions.
Companies need to stay relevant by ensuring that
the most in-demand career paths are open to their
team members.

Individual Contributor
2.18%
Product Manager
21.66% 15.53% 4.25%

1.58% Senior Product Manager

Product Leader

Team Leaders Director of Product

Associate Product Manager

13.16% 8.61% 7.91% 6.33% 1.48%

2022
42 Chapter 04 Defining Career Paths Improves Adoption of Product-Led Growth

The Skills Product

Managers Need
Are Changing Too
Two forces are simultaneously putting pressure on
the skills Product Managers need to succeed in their
Here’s what Product
roles: The rapid development of technology, and the Managers we Surveyed
rising importance of the PM position in the context
of Product-Led Growth.
Want to Learn More About

60,1% Building a Product Strategy

43.9% Persuasive Storytelling

36.1% Cross-Functional Leadership

32.6% Leading without Authority

“When Product Managers come
onboard, they want to know 28.5% Stakeholder Management
what the roadmap for their
careers looks like. You have to
invest in building clear career
paths for both your individual
contributors and managers.” The Most Important Skills for
the Next Decade, According
Joff Redfern
CTO at to PMs we Surveyed

27.2% Soft Skills

23.9% AI and ML

17.1% Data Analysis

The Future of Product Management Report

The View from Amplitude 43

Case Study
The View from
Amplitude
Amplitude is a powerful data analytics platform used by
thousands of Product Managers worldwide. Amplitude
doesn’t just serve Product Managers: It hires them, too.
Amplitude’s senior staff have witnessed the huge demand
placed on the Product talent pipeline, and had to make
changes to the way they onboard and bring new people
into their culture and structures.
“Onboarding, mentorship and
Amplitude has seen their onboar-
ding process extend out from a ma-
Product Ops are the tools that
tter of days to a matter of weeks. successful companies use to pro-
This is still rare: Often junior PMs vide top Product Managers with
are thrown onto teams with a “sink a home for their career growth.”
or swim’’ mentality, and senior PMs
still have little room to grow. Onboarding, mentorship and
Product Ops are the tools that successful companies like
Amplitude are using to not only attract talented PMs, but
to provide the structures and pathways they need to stick
around and enjoy a home for their career growth.

John Cutler
Product Evangelist & Coach

2022
44 Chapter 04 Defining Career Paths Improves Adoption of Product-Led Growth

Key Takeaways
What This Means
For You…

Product Managers Product Leaders

Take charge of your career growth Provide structured career advance-
Companies may not be ready to lay out a pa- ment tracks for your team
thway for your advancement, but this doesn’t Get your business in order and start building
mean you need to stay stagnant. Actively your advancement tracks. This trend is in its
seek out responsibility and proactively make early stages, but if it follows a similar path
the case for your own upward trajectory. Free as marketing, engineering, or design, be pre-
career path resources are your best friend. pared to set these structures into motion at
your company.
Learn how to say “yes” to the right
things Give your team the space and gui-
In an environment in which your company dance they need to grow
may be inexperienced at managing PMs at Be careful not to overload your Product
different career stages, you may need to be teams. Give them time and space to learn,
very selective about what you agree to take grow, and discover their role. Provide spa-
on. Be sure to track the impact of your work ce and opportunity for ongoing education,
to validate future advancement. mentorship, and to build the foundations for
career advancement.

Human Resources Leaders

Build and communicate career pathways
Ensure these pathways exist within your organization, and
are clearly communicated both organization-wide as well
as to potential candidates.

Train your employees to advance their careers

Invest in training programs that give clear career advance-
ment guidelines for Product talent in your industry. Find
training that helps your Product people meet the needs
of the role at various stages of seniority.

The Future of Product Management Report

 45

WRAP-UP

The Future
is Product
The rise of Product-Led Growth has changed
everything. While some companies have caught
up on the trend, many others, even in Silicon
Valley, have their work cut out for them.

2022
46

Help With
Your Next Steps

Become More Product-Led

→ Build Winning Product Experiences from Gainsight
→ Create a North Star Framework from Amplitude
→ Use Flywheel Frameworks for Optimization from Amplitude

Recruit Top Product Talent

→ How to Hire PMs from Recruitment.com
→ PM Jobs Board from Product School
→ Product Manager Salaries in 2022 from Product School

Build a Diverse Product Team

→ Why Diversity Matters from Product School
→ How to Attract, Hire, and Grow Diverse Product teams from Product School
→ Applying DE&I from Product School

Build Out Career Paths for PMs

→ Example of Career Path Definition from Dropbox
→ Example of Career Path Map from Wise
→ Example of Product Organizational Structure from GitHub
→ Product Career Vision Planner from Product School

→ 5 Key Skill Areas for Product People at All Levels from Intercom
→ 6 Templates to Set Your Team Up for Success from Mural
→ Why Check-Ins Matter from Mural
→ Designing a Hybrid Work Culture from Mural

The Future of Product Management Report

 47

Product School is the leading provider

of training and certification in Product
Management to individuals and teams.
Our certifications are trusted by product
teams at global change leaders including
Nike, Goldman Sachs, Kaiser Permanente,
Walmart and PwC.

2022
Take The Next Step
Contact Our Enterprise Team