Over the years, I’ve seen product management teams structured in all kinds of ways. There’s no “correct” model for where product management fits into an organization. What works for one company might fail in another. The best structure depends on several factors:
The age, scale, and size of the company.
Its current strategic focus (growth, efficiency, survival, etc.).
The skills, experience, and style of the product managers themselves.
Product management is a flexible function by nature. That’s part of what makes it so powerful—and also so prone to confusion. Below, I’ll break down three common models I’ve seen, highlight where they shine, and point out a few potential trade-offs.
1. Product Manager as Business Owner
In this model, the product manager acts as a Head of Business (aka P&L Lead). They own everything about the product, from strategy to go-to-market execution. They think about pricing, customer acquisition, margins, and growth, in addition to the usual roadmap and feature prioritization. It’s their job to understand how the product fits into the company’s larger business goals.
This model works well in:
Early-stage startups where resources are tight and roles are fluid.
P&L driven companies wherein overlap and dependencies between growth drivers are low.
Small teams where the product manager needs to be a generalist who can balance market needs, technical feasibility, and business viability.
The upside is obvious: ownership is clear. The product manager doesn’t just “represent the customer” or write user stories—they’re directly tied to the success of the business. But this model assumes the product manager has the experience (and bandwidth) to juggle all these responsibilities. That’s not always realistic, especially in larger organizations or more complex industries.
2. Product Manager as Delivery Owner
Here, the product manager is more focused on execution. Their primary responsibility is ensuring the team ships high-quality work on time. They prioritize features, manage the backlog, and keep engineering moving smoothly. Strategy and business decisions are handled by leadership.
This model works well in:
Start-ups where the product manager must know the industry and business model inside-and-out and can drive the founder's or CEO's vision without a lot of back-and-forth.
Large enterprises where organizational complexity means strategy is centralized and teams need coordination more than vision.
Environments where speed is critical, like when delivering against a tight deadline for regulatory compliance or competitive pressure.
The trade-off, of course, is that the product manager is less involved in shaping long-term direction. This role can feel like project management by another name, which isn’t always satisfying for product managers looking to flex their strategic muscles. However, for companies in execution mode, this focus can be exactly what’s needed.
3. Product Manager as Part of a Durable Team
This model emphasizes collaboration. The product manager works alongside a dedicated designer and engineering lead. Together, this “triad” owns the success of the product. Decisions are made as a team, with product managers focusing on user and business needs, designers driving usability, and engineers ensuring technical feasibility.
This model works well in:
Mature companies that have multiple products or product lines.
Organizations prioritizing incremental growth, where innovation must be embedded in a cash-cow-driven ecosystem.
Experienced teams where each of the durable team members has enough depth and social skills to know that winning is not a zero-sum game.
The strength of this approach is in its balance. Each member of the triad brings a unique perspective, and the collaboration often leads to better outcomes. The downside? It has compromise (aka mediocrity) built into the structure, thereby making bold moves more difficult.
Another aspect to consider: is a "triad" the right number or would a "tetrad" be a better option? If your organization favors data-driven decision-making, including a data scientist may not be a bad choice.
So Which Model is Best?
It depends. (Don’t you love that answer?)
The key is to assess where your company is today and what it needs from product management right now. As organizations grow, they often shift between these models—or combine them in interesting ways. And there are other models out there, too, that can work as well or better...
The secret sauce isn’t the structure itself but making sure it matches the company’s strategy and plays to the strengths of your product managers. That’s where the magic happens.
If you’re grappling with how to structure your product team—or wondering which approach fits your organization—I’d be happy to help. Whether you’re scaling up or trying to squeeze more efficiency out of your current setup, sometimes an outside perspective can make all the difference. Let’s talk.
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