Why to Treat Every Team Member Like a Product Manager

The technology industry is competitive, and half of all startups fail within the first five years. To stay competitive, software companies need to approach innovation creatively—thinking differently and leveraging team members at all levels to inform product development, ask questions, and make incremental adjustments, to ensure the product is delivering maximum value to customers. 

At my company, our philosophy is that every team member should think like a product manager. They should feel empowered to flag improvement opportunities from wherever they sit in the business. They should escalate issues as soon as they arise. And the product and customer feedback loop should be constant, candid, and run as flat as our organizational structure.  

In our 10+ years in business, we’ve found this philosophy to not only directly contribute to a more rigorous and consistent innovation pipeline but also serve as a critical differentiator for us. Here’s what enabling everyone in your organization to think like a product manager can do for your business.  

I’ve always supported a flat organizational structure. No egos, no single person putting themselves above the business. Customer success and building exceptional products are our two North Stars, always. And we work collectively—at all levels of the business—to keep our ship steered in that direction.  

Additionally, I’ve always believed that insights and value-add ideas stem from all levels. The best way to curb impact or innovation potential is to confine your roadmap or strategy to a single individual or team. As Sundar Pichai said, “A diverse mix of voices leads to better discussions, decisions, and outcomes for everyone.” That principle applies to engineering and product outcomes just as much as anything else.  

Diversity of thought is a powerful differentiator when it comes to building a robust and iterative innovation pipeline. While individuals on the product or engineering teams may have the most intimate knowledge of your technology, your marketing and sales teams may have a better understanding of your customers, and their primary concerns and pain points. Your field team might have a more robust perspective of the broader market landscape, including trends and demands taking shape outside of your organization.  

Especially for smaller organizations that are looking to grow and scale with limited expendable resources, what’s the best way to quickly and efficiently build out your product marketing organization, for example? Challenge everyone to think like a product manager. And solicit new perspectives, opinions, and feedback on your product, innovation philosophy, customer success strategy, and more, whenever possible—not just from those within your business, but from your community as well.  

Another part of challenging individuals within your organization to think more like product managers is this: If individuals see an issue with the product, flag it immediately. Anyone at any level should escalate an issue directly to senior leadership without any fear of repercussion. That’s a principle I live by.  

You don’t need to be an engineer or a product manager to spot problems. And if that same issue goes unsolved and impacts customers, it can cause huge consequences—even catastrophic effects—for your organization, your reputation, your relationships, and your bottom line. There’s nothing that I dislike more than learning about an issue that I could have helped solve sooner.  

Another part of thinking like a product manager is being okay with people telling you no. Technology is a team sport. And the best teams operate free of egos. Having a product-first mindset means understanding that the no’s aren’t personal. They’re just redirects, challenging you and your team to focus on different efforts that will have a more immediate impact on propelling the business forward. 

In my opinion, thinking like a product manager is all about having an iterative mindset. And while every organization and business leader will operate with different business goals, leadership styles, and ideas of success, I’m of the mind that innovation truly stems from all levels. The more that you can cultivate that level of collaboration, active participation, and critical thinking across your organization, the better the business outcomes will be as a result.  

The best way you can empower your business in 2025 is to encourage your employees to think like product managers—no matter what their role may be. Everyone in your organization has the opportunity and potential to make life better for customers, driving the business forward as a result. And as a business leader, that should always be the end goal—having your people drive customer (and business) outcomes every step of the way.