This CPO regrets that product management exists | Tom Verrilli (CPO of Whatnot)

In this episode, Tom Verrilli, Chief Product Officer at Whatnot and former CPO at Twitch, explores the changing dynamics of product management in tech. He starts by expressing a contrarian view: 'we regret that product management exists', emphasizing that PMs should only be hired where there's a specific need. Tom argues that hiring too many PMs can infantilize engineers and designers, who are quite capable of making decisions themselves. He discusses the ideal scenario where engineering and design possess enough context to make informed decisions. Tom reveals insights from his hiring experience at Whatnot, stating they received over 31,000 applications for PM roles yet hired only one, indicating the specialized and essential nature of the role.

He highlights the transition many PMs are making towards individual contributor (IC) roles and the potential of AI to empower these PMs to be more effective. Tom believes that with powerful tools like AI, it's easier for ICs to operate without relying heavily on PMs for tasks traditionally managed by product managers. He advocates for a structure where PMs are not assigned to specific teams but rather to various problems or projects, allowing flexibility and specialization.

Tom also covers his philosophy on leadership, emphasizing the importance of being hands-on, immersed in details, and maintaining a continuous learning mindset. Notably, he recalls lessons from his time at Twitter, particularly the idea that averages can obscure important individual use cases that may be crucial for certain users. He concludes with thoughts on the significance of emotional investment in products and stresses the need for PMs to understand both macro and micro aspects of their work.