It’s embracing diversity.
Product management often finds itself under the microscope, more so in the last years with a recurring question about its identity. Critics, and so-called thought leaders argue that product management is facing an identity crisis, saying it lacks a clear definition and is pulled in too many directions, that whatever is dead and what not, as if this variety somehow weakens the role.
But I would argue the opposite: product management doesn’t need a singular identity, nor should it. Instead, it thrives because it comes in many flavors and colors. The day we, as a community, fully accept and embrace this diversity, we will become even better product managers.
A Spectrum, Not a Crisis
Imagine if human identity were reduced to a single characteristic. What if we were all expected to act, think, and approach life in the same way? It would strip away much of what makes us unique, dynamic, and resilient. The same goes for product management. Just as humans are multifaceted, so is product management.
While there are a core set of practices that can be found across different roles, there is no singular “correct” approach to the role, and it’s precisely this diversity that fuels innovation and resilience in product teams and within the PM community.
What makes you feel wrong with your current product job?
What might work in one context does not necessarily needs to work for others.
Product managers come with a vast array of strengths, backgrounds, and passions. Some are deeply customer-centric, others are data-driven, others are better building internal products and some are laser-focused on growth and revenue. All of them are product managers. No more, and no less. Each approach brings its unique strengths, suited to different challenges and product stages. Trying to impose a one-size-fits-all model on product management would be like insisting that every human adopt the same personality. Instead, we should appreciate how each style adds depth and adaptability to our work.
What Unites Us as Product Managers
Despite our diversity, certain core principles form the foundation of all effective product management. These principles unite us across industries, teams, and approaches and reflect the underlying values that make product management impactful.
Whether you like it or not, these principles bind us. They transcend the different styles, approaches, and frameworks we may use, serving as the common ground that defines our profession.
The Allure of the 1% PMs, and Why It’s OK Not to Be That
A lot of conversations in product management revolve around achieving the “utopian” standard of the top 1% product manager—a standard famously championed by thought leaders like Marty Cagan. Cagan describes these 1% PMs as deeply knowledgeable about their users, highly empowered, and capable of driving visionary product outcomes, not matter what. There’s a temptation to view this as the ultimate goal, as if any product manager who doesn’t meet these criteria is falling short.
But while it’s aspirational to strive for excellence, it’s equally important to acknowledge that not every product or company has the context, resources, or even the need for every product manager to fit this 1% mold. In reality, the day-to-day demands of product management are often grounded in specific organizational needs. Not every product manager needs to be a visionary leader; some excel at operational rigor, while others are invaluable for their ability to focus on small, iterative improvements that build up over time.
Much like any idealized human archetype, the idea of the 1% PM serves more as inspiration than a blueprint everyone must follow. It’s perfectly fine for PMs to excel in particular areas rather than embodying every “ideal” trait. Striving to be an effective product manager—rather than an ideal one—often brings better results for teams and products.
The Different “Flavors” of Product Management
Consider the distinct archetypes within the product management field:
• Customer-Centric PMs: These product managers live and breathe user feedback. They focus on delivering experiences that meet real customer needs and prioritize empathy in product decisions.
• Data-Driven PMs: Armed with analytics and insights, these PMs make decisions rooted in data. They bring quantitative clarity, helping teams understand trends, optimize performance, and validate assumptions with precision.
• Growth-Oriented PMs: With a focus on scaling, these PMs are strategists, concentrating on ways to expand the product’s reach, acquire new users, and drive revenue.
These are just a few examples, and many PMs embody a mix of these qualities. This variety isn’t a weakness—it’s a strength. Each “flavor” of product management brings specific tools to the table, which are essential depending on the company’s needs, the product’s stage, or the team’s goals. Rather than seeing these differences as an identity crisis, we should recognize them as valuable assets.
Product Management Compared to Other Professions
Product management is not the only field where roles and responsibilities can vary widely. Many professions—including software engineering, design, and sales—are also marked by diverse approaches, skill sets, and areas of focus.
Consider software engineering: within this field, there are backend engineers, frontend engineers, data engineers, and infrastructure specialists, each with distinct areas of expertise and focus. These engineers work together to bring a product to life, each contributing unique skills while still being united under the broader umbrella of software development. No one expects a frontend engineer to master backend architecture; instead, the profession accepts that these specializations are essential for building complex products. Product management, too, benefits from this kind of specialization across customer, data, internal and growth-focused roles.
Design is another field that showcases the benefits of specialization. Interaction designers, visual designers, system designers and UX researchers each bring unique perspectives and skills to the table. These designers aren’t expected to work identically or follow a single approach; they contribute to the user experience in ways that complement each other. Yet, they all operate within a shared framework of principles, like empathy for users and a commitment to usability, just as product managers share core principles around customer obsession, alignment with business goals, and outcome-driven thinking.
Even sales encompasses various approaches and specializations, with roles like account managers, business development representatives, and customer success managers. These professionals may work differently based on the nature of their relationships with clients or the phase of the customer lifecycle they focus on. However, they are united by a shared goal of driving value for clients and the business. Product management, likewise, has different “flavors,” but all PMs work toward delivering products that solve problems for users and achieve company goals.
These examples highlight how diverse approaches can coexist within a single profession, enhancing the overall effectiveness of the field. Product management is no different. The diversity within our field should be celebrated as it allows us to address complex, evolving challenges with flexibility and innovation. Just as other fields have come to accept that specialization and variety strengthen their teams, product management, too, can thrive by embracing its spectrum of approaches.
Diverse Approaches, Unified Goals
Product management may not have a singular identity, but it does have a unified purpose: creating products that solve problems, delight users, and drive business outcomes. Each product manager, regardless of their approach, contributes to this purpose in their own way. The methods might differ, but the mission is the same.
When we view product management through this lens, it becomes clear that the perceived identity crisis is actually a reflection of our discipline’s adaptability. In today’s dynamic market, where user expectations and technological possibilities are always evolving, a rigid, single-style approach would be limiting. Embracing diversity in our approaches allows us to meet challenges head-on, with the right perspective and tools for each situation.
Embracing Diversity to Build Stronger Products
The product management community is strongest when we recognize and celebrate our diversity. When we bring together PMs with different approaches and perspectives, we create teams that are more agile, creative, and resilient. By fostering a culture that values the unique strengths each PM brings, we position our teams—and our products—for success.
The product community doesn’t need to pick one “identity.” We don’t need to limit ourselves to a single way of working or thinking. Instead, we can lean into the fact that product management will look different from one team to the next, from one product to another, and from one company to the next. This variety isn’t a crisis; it’s the very foundation of our adaptability and relevance.
Let’s Celebrate the Many Colors of Product Management
Product management doesn’t need a single, definitive identity. Like human identity, it is diverse, adaptable, and constantly evolving. By celebrating the spectrum of approaches in product management, we can build stronger products, support more innovative teams, and become better product managers ourselves.
The next time someone says product management is facing an identity crisis, let’s offer a new perspective: that we are in fact embracing a dynamic, varied field that’s reflective of the many challenges and opportunities we tackle every day. Product management’s identity lies in its diversity, and it’s high time we celebrate that.
And while the concept of the 1% PM can be inspirational, it’s okay to embrace the idea that not every PM has to meet that ideal. We can be impactful by leaning into our strengths and understanding that “great” in product management comes in many forms. Let’s allow this diversity to be our strength and recognize that we don’t need a utopian standard to make a meaningful impact.
Robiert Luque 