Post by Carl Woodruff

We’re hiring product managers for a job that no longer exists. After spending 15 years in product across Fortune 100s, consulting, and now independently, I’ve noticed the role changing faster than many organizations seem to realize. We used to hire product to write requirements, manage backlogs, prioritize work, and keep delivery moving. Those aren’t what separates great product leaders anymore. The hardest part of the job has always been understanding the real problem, making decisions with imperfect information, aligning people with different priorities, and knowing when to say no. Technology is accelerating many of the previous table stakes; product is becoming more strategic, not “dead”.