Prodsnap Chapter#3: Types of Product Management

When you step into the world of Product Management, you quickly realize that while the core principles are the same, the scope of your role can vary dramatically based on who you’re building for. Your stakeholders, the people who rely on and influence what you build—shape everything you do as a Product Manager (PM).

In this edition, we’ll explore three common types of Product Managers, each defined by their key stakeholders:

1. Internal Product Managers

Internal PMs focus on building tools or systems for internal use within their organization, often working closely with departments like HR, Finance, or IT.

• Internal Tools PM – Focuses on internal tools for teams within the company.
• Platform PM – Manages internal platforms or tech infrastructure used by teams.
• IT PM – Oversees IT solutions and tech systems that serve internal needs.
• Growth PM (Internal Focus) – Drives internal product growth initiatives to enhance employee productivity.

Stakeholders: Internal teams (e.g., support, HR, operations)

2. Business-to-Business (B2B) Product Managers

B2B PMs build products for other companies or organizations, often involving complex business logic, contracts, and sales interactions. A B2B PM builds products for different businesses, companies like Salesforce or Oracle are prime examples. These products are designed to solve specific problems for firms rather than individual consumers.

• SaaS (Software as a Service) PM – Creates cloud-based solutions for businesses, focusing on multi-client needs.
• Enterprise PM – Manages large-scale products targeted at big enterprises with complex use cases.
• API PM – Oversees products based on API offerings that other businesses rely on.
• Partner/Integration PM – Focuses on building and managing integrations with other companies' products.
• Data PM – Builds data platforms or products that offer analytics services to businesses.

Stakeholders: Client companies, sales teams, account managers

3. Business-to-Consumer (B2C) Product Managers

B2C PMs focus on building products directly for consumers, typically aiming for mass adoption and maximizing user engagement. These PMs build products for individual consumers—think Facebook, Twitter, or SoundCloud. B2C PMs deal with millions of users and need to stay attuned to their needs and behaviors.

• Consumer PM – Manages products used by individual consumers (e.g., apps, social media platforms).
• Growth PM (Consumer Focus) – Works on growing the user base or engagement for consumer products.
• E-commerce PM – Manages products that facilitate online shopping and consumer transactions.
• Mobile PM – Focuses on mobile-specific features and apps for consumers.
• Product Marketing Manager (PMM) – Focuses on the go-to-market strategy for consumer products, ensuring alignment with user needs.

Stakeholders: Consumers (millions of them!)

Hybrid Roles (Could Fall into Either B2B or B2C)

• FinTech PM – This could be B2C if the product is aimed at individual consumers (e.g., personal finance apps), or B2B if focused on enterprise solutions for financial institutions.

How to Choose Your Path as a PM?

Each type of Product Manager role offers unique challenges and rewards. Your decision may depend on your interest in scale (small internal teams vs. millions of users), business complexity (B2B contracts vs. direct consumer feedback), or your strengths (collaborating with sales teams vs. running user tests).

No matter which path you choose, understanding your stakeholders and building solutions that truly address their needs is the ultimate key to success.

Stay tuned for the next edition, where we’ll dive into the skills every PM needs to excel in these different roles!

📩 Subscribe now to Prodsnap for more tips, insights, and guidance on becoming a successful Product Manager.

Catch up on previous editions:

• Prodsnap #1: What is Product Management?
• Prodsnap #2: What is a Product?
• Follow Ravi Barnwal for more such product content from scratch

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