From Individual

Contributor to
Director of Product
Table of Contents
Why We Wrote This Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 03

When and Where Makes a Huge Difference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 05

A Typical Work Week . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 07

What Makes a Good Director of Product?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Rewards and Tradeoffs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

FROM INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTOR TO DIRECTOR OF PRODUCT 2

 Although it’s quite common for individual contributors in
nearly every profession to aspire to more senior roles, product
management is a bit of an anomaly. For one thing, our profession
is still in its relative infancy compared to other roles in the business
world. There’s still plenty of confusion regarding what we actually
do, whether we should sit within marketing or engineering or form
Why We Wrote This Book our own teams, and if senior product leaders even deserve a seat
at the executive table. There simply isn’t a lengthy track record of
As a product leader, I’m often asked by product managers product managers reaching the highest perches of power.
earlier in their careers what it takes to rise through the
ranks and become a product executive. Additionally, there is absolutely no shame in NOT wanting to be a
senior leader. Product managers already have their hands full and
interact and impact so many parts of the business that they may not
feel the same urgency to climb the corporate ladder. They may also
not want to give up the aspects of managing a product that drew
them to the profession to begin with.

FROM INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTOR TO DIRECTOR OF PRODUCT 3

That’s why some companies actually have two distinct career tracks within While there’s nothing wrong with spending your entire product
product management, readily acknowledging that someone may want to management career as an individual contributor, many product
simply master their craft versus lead and mentor others. There’s no shame professionals have loftier professional goals in mind. But leveling up from
in this. We don’t ask great artists to put away their brushes and paints to product manager to Director of Product represents more than a pay raise
teach younger artists and we’ve probably all met sales executives or CTOs and a new business card. It really is a completely new job.
who might better serve their organizations by dialing for dollars or churning
out code. Understanding the delta between these two roles and fully grasping their
sometimes overlapping, sometimes divergent responsibilities is key to both
But for those who really do have their sights set on leading product succeeding in the job and deciding whether that promotion is something
teams, this book is a helpful guide to prepare yourself for this journey and you actually desire.
understand what to expect. It’s not for everyone, but it might be right for you.

FROM INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTOR TO DIRECTOR OF PRODUCT 4

 The life of a product manager is never the same from one day to
the next, but they’re typically working on some of the following:

01 Collecting, reviewing, and categorizing user feedback

02 Reviewing product analytics, metrics, and KPIs

When and Where 03 Performing market research on competitors + industry trends

Makes a Huge Difference 04 Writing user stories

05 Grooming the product backlog

The actual duties and breadth of any product
management job vary wildly from one setting to the next. 06 Updating the product roadmap
Some product managers are given the keys to the strategy,
07 Giving product demos
prescribe packaging and pricing, and get a seat at the
table for major decisions, while others serve in a more 08 Meeting with their colleagues in sales, marketing,
limited capacity, simply translating organizational goals development, customer service, and operations to foster
and customer feedback into actionable development alignment, answer questions, and generally be of service
items for the product. A company’s attitude and respect
for the role dictate many of these distinctions.

Individual contributors are using communication skills, data

analysis, and attention to detail to ensure the vision for the product
matches the execution, from what gets built to how it’s messaged
and sold in the market. They sit at the nexus of the strategic and
the tactical, removing obstacles and keeping things on track while
keeping the customer experience top of mind.

FROM INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTOR TO DIRECTOR OF PRODUCT 5

In general, individual contributors spend their time fully immersed in the For smaller and/or newer companies, a Director is far more likely to be a
day-to-day duties of managing their product—or their pieces of a larger player-coach rather than a full-time people manager. That means balancing
product—and never hesitate to get into the details. While they certainly being a team leader and interactions with senior management and the day-
dabble in larger product strategy matters and are involved in work that to-day grind of traditional product management responsibilities.
impacts the entire product line or suite of products on occasion, those
opportunities are limited thanks to their daily responsibilities of keeping It’s not unusual for Director-level staff at startups or firms with fewer than

things moving for their individual areas of interest and ownership. 100 employees to even be included on the senior management team and
interact directly with board members, investors, and other key stakeholders.

At larger, more established companies, reaching the ranks of Director more

The organization’s size and maturity play a pivotal likely means your days of daily standups and writing user stories are behind

role in shaping what a Director’s position entails. you as you settle into a full-time management role for a team with multiple
product managers. This frees up some time to focus on higher-level strategy
and creating alignment with the rest of senior management.

This diversity in daily duties continues at the director level, but not always But that doesn’t mean your schedule will suddenly open up. Instead of the
for the same reasons. At this stage, the organization’s size and maturity more tactical activities that take up much of a product manager’s day, much
play a pivotal role in shaping what a Director’s position entails. more time will be spent on your staff. This includes mentorship, oversight,
training and development, and continually assessing, upgrading, and
growing your team.

FROM INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTOR TO DIRECTOR OF PRODUCT 6

A Typical Work Week
WEEKLY ONE-ON-ONE MEETINGS
Directors of Product will likely have many more recurring/standing
Directors usually have a weekly one-on-one meeting scheduled with each
meetings on their calendar than an individual contributor. Some will be
of their direct reports. These are dedicated times where staff can surface
meetings they’re running themselves while they’re merely an invited
issues and challenges they’re facing to get advice and guidance from
participant in others.
their boss. They also serve as an opportunity for status updates (in both
directions) and a chance for Directors to provide feedback on individual
performance. Creating strong relationships ensure staff have direct lines of
communication and can escalate or get answers quickly when needed.

WEEKLY STAFF MEETINGS

Directors also hold a weekly staff meeting for their entire team, providing an
opportunity for each team member to share updates and discuss important
issues impacting the entire product team. This insight into how the various
products and projects are progressing creates both transparency and
camaraderie for the entire team.

FROM INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTOR TO DIRECTOR OF PRODUCT 7

SENIOR STAFF MEETINGS

Director-level staff are also invited to more senior staff meetings—

sometimes including the executive team’s—and standing cross-functional
Note: Throw in competitor and industry research, managing
meetups, such as technology, operations, and product leadership
the department budget, collaborating with marketing on sales
convening or sitting in on sales and marketing meetings.
enablement, and evangelizing the product internally, and putting
out whatever fires pop up—forty hours or so per week can fly by.
EXTERNAL MEETINGS
And that doesn’t even factor in the time spent honing the overall
And as if that wasn’t enough meetings, Directors of Product are often
product strategy, reviewing deliverables such as project plans and
included in many external meetings as well. These range from riding
roadmaps, or going over the dashboards, analytics, and key metrics.
shotgun on key sales calls to give product demos and answer questions to
customer deep-dive sessions to better understand their ongoing challenges
and potential opportunities where the business could add value.

FROM INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTOR TO DIRECTOR OF PRODUCT 8

Keeping the IMPACT framework in mind, Directors of Product can confirm they’re spending time
on the right things by viewing their weekly duties through this lens:

Interesting Actionable

Do you find the topics of these meetings interesting? If not then you may Will anything change because of these interactions? If there are no action
want to adjust the agendas to make sure you’re devoting time to things that items when you’re done, you probably didn’t need to bother with it at all.
are actually of interest to those in attendance. Otherwise shift it to an email
or Slack exchange to share information, answer questions, and minimize
wasted time. Clear

Every meeting should always have a clear purpose, and everyone

Meaningful should walk away with clarity regarding what was covered and how to
move forward. If it requires further communication, that should be planned
Will the outcome of these interactions result in important decisions being for upfront.
made or critical conversations occurring? If not, question why they’re
needed to begin with.
Testable

People How can we confirm our assumptions that we’ve made the right decisions?
What are the ongoing metrics and KPIs we’ll use to validate our hypotheses
Are the right people in the room? Are there people there that don’t need and define success? An untestable strategy creates stagnation and apathy.
to be? Is your weekly schedule getting you facetime with the individuals
you need it with most? Don’t waste your time or other’s if they don’t need
to be there.

FROM INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTOR TO DIRECTOR OF PRODUCT 9

 Job Responsiblities
Director of Product
What Makes a Good Director • The ability to attract, hire, mentor, and manage a team of
of Product? product managers and related roles

• Lead prioritization efforts

To begin, let’s look at what responsibilities you typically see listed in Director
of Product job descriptions. • Execute complex projects in an agile environment

• Analyze and leverage data for decision making purposes

Note: Of course, not every individual contributor—despite their • Proactively identify and address issues that could impact

success and aptitude for the role—makes a great director, just product delivery or quality.

like your best salespeople often make for lousy managers. While
• Develop metrics and KPIs for measuring progress and success
experience and aptitude for product management are key, there’s
• Advocate for/be the voice of the customer
a whole extra set of skills and talents that management must tap
into as well. • Promote and evangelize the product offering within the
organization

• Collaborate and build consensus internally to support the

product vision, strategy, and roadmap including leading cross-
functional teams

FROM INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTOR TO DIRECTOR OF PRODUCT 10

 Leadership

Leading a team is all about the success of its members, which is a big This may be an unexpected blow to your ego. After all, you’ve already
change from going it alone. Adopting a servant-based leadership style is thrived as an individual contributor. Do you really have to operate at their
important, as it places the emphasis on the triumphs of the team members level now that you’ve risen above it?
themselves.
But this investment in the success of individual team members is how you
plant the seeds and create a framework for them to each grow and thrive
on their own. And with their maturity, success, and confidence, you can
Leading a team is all about the success of its empower them to be more autonomous and independent while always
members—a big change from going it alone. knowing you’ve got their back and are happy to lend a hand if and when the
occasion arises.

This altruistic approach also builds trust with your team members. They
This is a far cry from traditional, top-down leadership where the top dogs
know you’re invested in their success, so they’re happier to return the favor
issue orders then sit back while their minions carry them out. Instead,
for you or their peers.
servant leaders do everything in their power to aid, assist, and facilitate the
success of individuals on their staff.

FROM INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTOR TO DIRECTOR OF PRODUCT 11

 Team Building

We’re not talking about ice breakers and trust falls. Directors of Product out their skills and abilities during the interviewing process, confirming
must hire and develop the right individual talent to optimize their teams they can do some of the core tasks they’ll be asked to do if hired. And as
for the greatest impact. Hiring managers have an obligation to not just find those needs grow, change, and evolve, that includes adding, reshuffling,
a resume that fits the job description. They must recruit and bring on staff and occasionally upgrading staff to recalibrate the squad to the current
that truly augment and improve the team. situation.

Using the IMPACT framework, new hires should possess some key traits. But having the right people in place isn’t enough. Even the perfect
These include being interested in things and possessing a natural curiosity combination of talent still demands ongoing education, training, coaching,
that drives them to embrace lifetime learning. They should truly embrace and personal development. While you may deliver some of that yourself,
being part of a team and the collaboration and communication that goes more important is identifying those needs and creating opportunities for
with that, including active listening and the ability to deliver information staff to work on them.
both clearly and concisely. Look for candidates that don’t just have good
ideas but understand how to turn those into action. And the best managers also take ownership of the career development of
their staff. So not only are you increasing their competence and skill for the
This requires matching up the overall team needs with the right skills and challenges of today, you’re also preparing them for their futures, both within
experience, having done work before that was meaningful to the success your team and beyond the organization. Tending to this “talent tree” directly
of their previous businesses and their customers. This might require testing impacts your legacy and reputation as years go by.

FROM INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTOR TO DIRECTOR OF PRODUCT 12

 Internal Evangelism

While everyone on the product team always serves as an unofficial By proactively educating staff and promoting the many capabilities and

spokesperson for their product in every interaction they have with advantages of the product, you raise everyone’s game when it comes to how

colleagues, Directors of Product have an expanded and more complex they position and sell it. You can also motivate staff and get them excited

role in this regard. Not only must you be fluent in the product’s value about the progress the business is making and upcoming opportunities for

proposition, benefits, functionality, and limitations, but you must also be its the product, since everyone wants to be on a winning team.

internal cheerleader and champion.

Directors also play an integral role in fostering strategic alignment among
stakeholders. Since they’re not heads down in the day-to-day dealings of
managing the product, they have much more time to meet with others
While everyone on the product team serves as to understand their interests, concerns, and desires. They can explain
an unofficial spokesperson for their product, how the product roadmap addresses those areas—or adjust the roadmap
if it doesn’t—and keep the big picture vision and goals at the forefront
Directors of Product have an expanded and more
of these high-level discussions, leaving the more granular details and
complex role in this regard. implementation specifics to the individual product managers and product
development teams.

FROM INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTOR TO DIRECTOR OF PRODUCT 13

 Cross-Functional Lens

Product managers always must play nicely with others to get anything done But the more holistic thinking that comes with a Director of Product role
since they don’t “own” the resources that actually build, ship, and sell their enables enough distance from the day-to-day drama to treat stakeholders
products. But at the Director-level the need for building bridges between with the same respect and understanding you’d offer to customers. You
other business functions and breaking down silos is more vital than ever. have the power to understand their pain points, needs, concerns, and the
like and then coach your staff on how to factor those into their interactions.
Not only will you be asking for help and lobbying for your team’s initiatives
to get the attention and work they require, you’re also on the hook for Additionally, with increased visibility into what’s happening in those other
managing the interpersonal dynamics between your staff and colleagues in teams that’s completely unrelated to a specific product or feature, you
other departments. can better anticipate trouble and help the team avoid some conflicts
altogether. Your removal from the day-to-day can create a more empathetic
When one of your team members starts a fire, you’re on the hook to help environment versus an antagonistic setting.
put it out. If there’s a toxic relationship or major disconnect, you need to
placate, smooth over, and work things out.

FROM INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTOR TO DIRECTOR OF PRODUCT 14

 Building a Culture

The environment Directors of Product create for their team inevitably The best teams embrace continuous learning, which requires everyone to
impacts their performance and job satisfaction. When everyone’s too busy acknowledge they still make mistakes and don’t know everything. Letting
protecting their mini-empires and casting blame when things go awry, them all admit their mistakes, ask for help, and focus on improvement sets
there’s little opportunity for growth and collaboration. the right tone and lays the foundation for a culture of gratitude.

Ideally, the team truly feels like they’re all in it together. It’s not about
competition or jockeying for internal position, but rather supporting one
The best teams embrace continuous learning, another and creating a team greater than the sum of its parts.

which requires everyone to acknowledge they still

Celebrate each other’s success and rally around people when they’re
make mistakes and don’t know everything.
struggling or have a setback to set the right example for a team you’d want
to lead or be a part of.

FROM INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTOR TO DIRECTOR OF PRODUCT 15

 Value Curiosity and Empathy Be Impact-Driven

These are the defining tenets of successful product leadership, and A product team’s ultimate judgment comes from its ability to hit milestones
they must be imbued in the team as well. Everyone should have an and move the needle on key metrics. No matter how great your processes,
unquenchable thirst for more knowledge, information, and data along with morale, or relationships may be, nothing else matters in the end.
a fuller understanding of their customer pain points and the larger context.
Great leaders ensure their staff know what’s being measured and the
There’s no place where this philosophy comes into sharper focus than progress toward those goals. These KPIs remain top of mind and drive
product roadmaps. A ruthless evaluation of every item, theme, and decision making, prioritization, and the necessary urgency to achieve them.
objective should occur on an ongoing basis, validating assumptions based
on the latest customer research and feedback. Connecting the actions and decisions of individual team members and
their product domains to this larger vision lands on the Director of Product’s
Constantly challenging the status quo and reevaluating things is one shoulders. Stakeholder alignment doesn’t mean much if your own team isn’t
of product management’s core roles, but that doesn’t happen without drinking the Kool-Aid. What gets them out of bed in the morning should be
encouragement from above. Lifetime learning should be the rule rather the same thing serving as your own internal alarm clock.
than the exception.

In a similar vein, Directors of Product should put customer empathy as a

top priority. Staff must interact regularly with customers, moving beyond
immediate complaints and problems to truly connect with and understand
their situations for a customer-led product strategy. Only with this sense of
customers as real people with relatable challenges can the product team
truly build solutions that solve their problems… and don’t create new ones.

FROM INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTOR TO DIRECTOR OF PRODUCT 16

Rewards and Tradeoffs
Moving into a Director of Product role comes with some great benefits Simultaneously, there’s a greater distance between you and the nitty-gritty
along with a few extra challenges and drawbacks. And we’re not just talking details of the product. You won’t have the same intimate knowledge of the
about a pay raise or bigger bonus. specifics, but that also means you don’t have to spend so much time on
those details.

As a people manager, you’re also now responsible for the performance,

As a people manager, you’re also now responsible growth, and satisfaction of multiple people, which is a seismic shift from
for the performance, growth, and satisfaction working as an individual contributor. You must empower great people

of multiple people. every day, building them up and giving them the authority and space to
fulfill their potential and achieve all that’s possible. This requires delegating
responsibilities and giving up direct ownership of many particulars in
exchange for holistic, bigger-picture responsibilities.
As a Director, you will instantly have increased visibility throughout the
organization. You become the “face of product” and all the pluses and This necessitates taking risks and trusting staff while still ensuring they’re
minuses that accompany that. When things go great, you get the credit, and following through on the vision and goals. The balance between too long of
when things don’t pan out, you take on the blame. a leash and micromanagement often differs between one employee and the
next, so a one-size-fits-all management style may not work.
You also get increased visibility into the rest of the organization. Even if
you’re not yet part of the senior management team, you’ll still get exposed Mentoring staff and facilitating their own journeys and growth comes with
to additional aspects of the business and have additional opportunities to rewards and difficulties as well. You can take pride in their successes while
contribute ideas and opinions. lamenting their stumbles, coaching them all along the way.

FROM INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTOR TO DIRECTOR OF PRODUCT 17

 DEMONSTRATE YOUR INTEREST BUT NOT YOUR AMBITION

Identify who within your organization would need to both initiate and
support your promotion and forge/reinforce your relationships with them.
Make it clear that while you’re focused on the job you have today that you
also have a larger understanding of the overall business.

BE VOCAL BUT NOT OVERBEARING IN LARGER FORUMS

Preparing To Make the Leap To get on the radar of power brokers you may not interact with regularly,
don’t be shy when you’re given an opportunity to shine. If you have
If you’re still interested in becoming a Director of Product, then there are
something valuable to contribute, make it known, using data and facts to
certain things you should be doing now to set the stage for an eventual
back it up. This doesn’t mean you have to chime in just for the sake of being
elevation to this role. While knocking it out of the park as an individual
heard, however, as less is often more.
contributor is a given, the higher-ups may be looking for more indicators
you’re up to the challenge.
SPREAD YOUR WINGS

Get outside your comfort zone and take on new and additional
responsibilities that expand your repertoire and round out your expertise.
That could be managing a different type of product, diving deeper into
new technologies of verticals, or filling some other gap in your repertoire.
Ask your peers and senior leaders what else they’re looking for in a product
leader that you haven’t yet mastered and seek out those opportunities.

FROM INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTOR TO DIRECTOR OF PRODUCT 18

BE A MENTOR BUILD YOUR BRAND

While mentoring and managing aren’t the same thing, they both use a lot Separate yourself from your product and boost your profile both internally
of the same skills. Having to put yourself in another person’s shoes and give and externally. Whether it’s networking, becoming a social media
them guidance on how to deal with tricky situations is excellent training for personality, contributing articles to the company blog, or landing speaking
when you’re managing a team. Extra credit if your organization has a formal slots at conferences, you need to get your name out there.
mentoring program you can partake in.
BE READY TO LEAVE
GET A MENTOR
Director of Product opportunities aren’t as common as some other roles, so
You could also benefit from some outside advice as well. Ask someone more you may find that upward mobility is limited at your current employer. If your
senior than you that you respect to take you under their wing. Be open and path is crowded with more senior folks or the current Director-level staff
honest with them about your career goals and solicit guidance specifically show no signs of moving on or moving up, you may need to look elsewhere
to reach them. to finally land that job.

FROM INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTOR TO DIRECTOR OF PRODUCT 19

Conclusion
Becoming a Director of Product is a fundamental shift. Your career has
reached a new gear where you’re no longer looking out for just yourself,
but for an entire team. This comes with plenty of perks ranging from a
loftier stature, a potential seat at the table in management meetings, and
increased recognition both internally and externally for your achievements
and those of the products under your watch.

However, you no longer have the same control. Your success isn’t just
based on coming up with good ideas, validating them, and making sure the
development team implements them correctly. Now you’re measured based
on the performance and outcomes of an entire team. Your fate is in their
hands as well, which can be a challenging and difficult change.

But for those up to the challenge, there’s an entirely new set of rewards that
await. Not only will you have a hand in the future of multiple products and a
larger share of the overall company’s success, but you can also experience
the pride and satisfaction that comes with seeing the individuals you lead
have their own victories. Knowing you’ve helped others achieve their own
goals is often more satisfying than reaching your own.

FROM INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTOR TO DIRECTOR OF PRODUCT 20

About ProductPlan
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roadmaps. Thousands of product managers worldwide–including teams
from Nike, Microsoft, and Spotify–trust ProductPlan to help them visualize
and share their strategies across their entire organization. With our
intuitive features, product managers spend less time building roadmaps
and more time shipping products.

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