There should be no Junior Product Managers

As a craft, we are shooting ourselves in the foot. There is overall in the market a huge influx of product managers, and we have ended up in a place where we are hiring too many product managers of too low quality, ending up hurting the value that the PM craft is overall delivering.

A junior PM can not only add zero value but can, in the end, create negative value, as they have an entire team that needs their guidance and a product that needs to grow in the right direction. The price of mediocracy is exceptionally high!

Junior PMs simply lack the breadth of knowledge, product sense, business understanding, and raw experience to deliver the needed impact.

Often, it’s better not to have a PM than to have the wrong PM!

Don’t hire straight out of school. If you want to hire someone who has not yet been a PM, ensure they are at least senior level in their current role. Senior engineers, designers, account managers, marketing or support roles are great places to find PMs

Don’t hire any PMs before your company has more than 60 people. Until then, founders, designers, and engineers should cover all PM responsibilities.

The best PMs are ex-founders who are taking a break from starting companies. Don’t settle for less energy and entrepreneurial spirit when choosing a non-founder.

If you are a young person who wants to break into the fantastic world of Product Management, look at it like any other senior leadership role. There are a few steps to take first while you continue to learn all the parts of the craft needed to succeed as a PM. The best you can do is to spend your spare time building and launching a product by yourself!