The Changing Role of Product Management: Iteration, Problem-Solving, & Sustainable Growth, Part 1

The Changing Role of the Product Manager

Over the past few years, I’ve found myself in countless conversations about Product Management—what it is, what it isn’t, and how it’s sometimes been twisted into something it was never meant to be. I’ve spoken with people deeply embedded in product roles, as well as those who work closely alongside them, and the sentiment isn’t always hopeful. Some claim Product Management is dead. Others believe it’s no longer needed to run a business.

I’ll admit, there were moments when I questioned it too—especially when I saw how certain organisations approached their product structures. Sometimes it comes down to inexperience, or a lack of focus on what truly matters. But more often than not, I see what I’ve come to call “the short-termism dysfunction.” A cycle of chasing quick wins, celebrating them, then rushing on to the next one—until the cracks start to show and the whole thing becomes unsustainable.

So no, I don’t buy into the idea that Product is dead—or that AI will make it obsolete. Yes, AI is changing the way we work. It’s helping us reach conclusions faster, uncover insights more efficiently, and build products with greater speed and precision. But the essence of Product Management isn’t about speed or execution alone.

The true value lies in curiosity, in guiding teams, in shaping vision and direction. It’s about asking the right questions, making sense of the answers, and aligning people around a shared purpose. AI can support that—but it can’t replace it. If anything, the role is evolving. And its core—the mindset, the leadership, the deep understanding of problems and people—is more important than ever.

So stick around till the end, as I unwrap this onion layer by layer. My Intention is to extract the role piece by piece across multiple posts so stay tuned to upcoming ones.

So where do we start?

To make sense of the evolution of Product Management, I often find myself coming back to a simple but powerful idea—start with why. Simon Sinek popularised it, but it’s something that’s resonated with me throughout my career.

For as long as I’ve worked in Product, I’ve seen it take many shapes. Every organisation seems to interpret the role—and the structure around it—a little differently. Sometimes the differences make sense, shaped by context and need. Other times, they feel arbitrary, or worse, chaotic. It can become difficult to know what’s truly working and what’s just noise.

In those moments—especially the messy ones—I’ve found clarity by asking a single question: Why?

• Why am I doing this?

• Why does this product matter?

• Why does it even exist?

• Why this feature, and not that one?

• Why solve this problem now, and not later?

It’s a deceptively simple line of inquiry. But it has a way of cutting through ambiguity and politics. It brings us back to purpose—back to what we’re actually trying to achieve. And in my view, that’s where Product Management must root itself again if it’s going to thrive in this new landscape.

When the "Why" Gets Lost

The challenge is that in many organisations, the “why” is the first thing to get buried.

It gets overshadowed by OKRs, deadlines, stakeholder requests, and never-ending backlogs. Suddenly, you’re in execution mode—shipping, reporting, and reacting—without stopping to question the purpose behind it all. And when that happens, Product teams can drift. They lose sight of the bigger picture. They start measuring progress by output, not outcomes.

I’ve seen teams deliver entire roadmaps without ever truly understanding who they’re building for, or why those features matter. I’ve seen teams so focused on speed, they forget to ask if they’re even heading in the right direction. And the worst part? Everyone feels busy. Things are getting done. But deep down, there’s a quiet sense of misalignment—an uncomfortable feeling that the work isn’t really moving the needle.

This isn’t usually a failure of intelligence or intention. Most people I’ve worked with are passionate, capable, and want to do great work. But the system around them—the way priorities are set, how success is measured, how leadership communicates—often doesn’t encourage or even allow for deep questioning. In fact, sometimes asking “why?” can be seen as slowing things down.

But here’s the truth: if we don’t make space for the “why”, we risk building products that are well-executed, but irrelevant. Polished, but purposeless.

Bringing the "Why" Back In

So how do we bring the “why” back into the heart of Product Management?

It doesn’t require a revolution—just intention. In my experience, it starts with leadership, and not just from the top.

Anyone on the team can lead with curiosity. The Product Manager, of course, plays a central role, acting as the voice that keeps asking the uncomfortable but necessary questions. Not to be difficult—but to be deliberate.

One way I’ve seen this work is by building small rituals into the product process that create space for purpose. For instance, starting every discovery workshop or feature planning session with a simple alignment check:“What problem are we solving, and why now?”

It’s not flashy. It’s not a big framework. But done consistently, it can shift the mindset from “what are we building?” to “what are we really trying to achieve?”

Another approach is through vision crafting—revisiting and refining the product vision regularly, not just as a poster on the wall, but as a living narrative that the whole team can connect with. When a team understands the vision—and sees how their work contributes to it—they’re far more likely to make meaningful decisions and challenge the status quo when it doesn’t fit.

Leadership also means protecting the space to think. It’s hard to ask “why” when you’re running from meeting to meeting or chasing KPIs like a to-do list. Teams need breathing room to reflect, to step back from the roadmap, and ask: Are we still heading in the right direction? Has anything changed? What have we learned?It’s not about slowing down—it’s about being thoughtful with the speed we already have.

And finally, bringing back the “why” means encouraging a culture of inquiry. When teams feel safe to question assumptions, to challenge direction, and to explore alternatives, better products emerge. It’s not always comfortable—but it’s where the real value of Product Management lives.

The Evolving Skillset of the Modern Product Manager

Let’s be honest—Product Management isn’t getting any easier. The expectations have grown, the tools have changed, and the space we operate in is constantly shifting. But that also means there's never been a more exciting time to be in this role.

If you’re a PM today, you’re not just shipping features—you’re shaping direction, challenging assumptions, and helping your team focus on what truly matters. And to do that well, you need more than a backlog and a roadmap. You need a mindset that embraces uncertainty and skills that go beyond execution.

Here’s what I believe you need to lean into now more than ever:

• You must be able to tell a compelling story. It’s your job to connect the dots—to paint the picture of where you're heading, why it matters, and how each decision feeds into that vision. Storytelling isn’t fluff; it’s how you align your team, influence stakeholders, and bring clarity to complexity.

• You need to think strategically. That means stepping back from the day-to-day and asking, “What’s the long game here?” You have to be comfortable making trade-offs, spotting patterns, and understanding how your product decisions tie into the bigger business picture.

• You must be fluent in data—but not ruled by it. It’s not just about dashboards. It’s about asking the right questions, interpreting what the numbers are really telling you, and knowing when to trust your instincts alongside the evidence. Data helps you navigate—but it shouldn’t drive you blindly.

• You have to enable your team, not just manage it. You're not a feature factory supervisor. You’re there to create clarity, remove blockers, and empower the people around you to make great decisions. When your team feels ownership, energy, and focus—you’re doing your job right.

• You need to stay adaptable. With tools like AI reshaping how we build and learn, you need to stay open to new workflows, new ways of thinking, and even rethinking how you use your own time. The tools will change. The mindset shouldn’t.

This role is evolving—but the core of it hasn’t changed: being curious, being human, and being relentlessly focused on solving the right problems. If you keep that at the centre of how you work, you won’t just survive this shift—you’ll thrive in it.

Where Do We Go from Here?

Product Management isn’t dead. It’s just growing up. And like all growth, it comes with discomfort, change, and reflection. But it also brings opportunity—opportunity to rethink how we lead, how we build, and how we stay true to purpose in a world obsessed with speed.

If you’re feeling the shift, you’re not alone. Many of us are asking the same questions, trying to find balance between what works today and what will matter tomorrow. My hope is that by stepping back and reconnecting with the “why,” we can keep shaping this craft into something meaningful—not just efficient.

So if you’re doubting the role, or thinking about stepping away from Product Management altogether, ask yourself: Why am I doubting this? What’s the root cause? Is it the role itself, or how it’s being practised where you are? Sometimes, the problem isn’t Product—it’s the context it’s been placed in.

In the next article, I’ll dive into what this evolution means for product teams: how roles are shifting, where tension points often show up, and how we can build healthier, more purpose-driven product cultures without losing momentum.

Thanks for reading—and stay tuned for part two.