What Is Your Product Leadership Archetype?
What Is Your Product Leadership Archetype?
Building your product leadership profile: Archetype, Superpowers, and more.
Building Your Product Leadership Profile
Ever struggled to explain what makes you unique as a product leader? You're not alone. Whether you're gunning for a VP Product role or eyeing a CPO position, standing out in the crowded field of product leadership can be tough.
This article will help you build a clear picture of your product leadership strengths. We'll dive into a framework that covers your product management leadership archetype, superpowers, expertise areas, and product-culture fit. By the end, you'll have a sharper sense of what sets you apart - and how to position yourself for the right opportunities.
Let’s build your comprehensive product leadership profile.
As a product and growth leader who also coaches product leaders on their job search, I figured I would start writing more about the topic. I hope it’s useful to a lot of you!
Take The Product Leadership Archetype Quiz
Table of Contents
Product Leadership Archetypes
Core Product Management Superpowers
Expertise Areas
Product Cultures
PM Culture Types
Synthesizing Your Product Leadership Profile
Introduction to Archetypes
In product management, archetypes are different styles of leadership. Each archetype has its own strengths, skills, and ideal work environments. Knowing your primary and secondary archetypes can help you understand your natural abilities and areas for improvement. This lesson will help you identify which product leadership archetypes suit you best, so you can clearly communicate your value and find the right fit in a team or organization.
This article expands a framework for product leaders inspired by ’s article on PM archetypes, ’s work on PM Superpowers, and Reforge’s content on important career profile factors for product managers. Thank you to those creators.
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I. Product Leadership Archetypes
As I coach more and more product leaders, I’ve found that there are a consistent set of archetypes. Some have a primary and secondary type. Some layer on superpowers and domain specialties. Some have very different product culture preferences. But we always tend to start with a pretty solid idea of their archetype.
Here is my adapted list of archetypes for product management Directors, VPs, and CPOs.
Growth Driver
Focus: Scaling products and driving user engagement through data-driven strategies
Key Skills: Advanced data analysis, A/B testing, user acquisition strategies, funnel optimization, retention modeling, marketing channel optimization, cohort analysis, predictive modeling
Background: Often from data science, growth marketing, or analytics
Favorite Metrics: CAC, LTV, retention rates, conversion funnel metrics, virality coefficient
Ideal Environment: Companies with product-market fit, ready for rapid scaling
Example: Sarah increased user retention by 40% through cohort analysis and targeted engagement campaigns at a SaaS startup.
Challenges: Rapid user base expansion, improving key performance metrics, data-driven decision making, identifying and optimizing growth levers
Blindspots: Prioritizing metrics over user experience, short-term gains over sustainable growth
Tools: Mixpanel, Amplitude, Optimizely, SQL, growth modeling spreadsheets
UX Innovator
Focus: Creating intuitive, user-centered product experiences
Key Skills: User research, prototyping, information architecture, visual design, usability testing, interaction design, accessibility, design thinking
Background: Often from UX design, interaction design, or cognitive psychology
Favorite Methods: User interviews, journey mapping, card sorting, usability labs, eye-tracking studies
Ideal Environment: Companies where product differentiation comes from superior user experience
Example: Michael increased new user activation by 25% by redesigning an app's onboarding flow.
Challenges: Solving complex user problems, creating delightful experiences, reducing friction in user journeys
Blindspots: Over-designing or focusing too much on aesthetics at the expense of functionality or business goals
Internal Scaler
Focus: Improving internal processes and operational efficiency
Key Skills: Process optimization, cross-functional collaboration, change management, project management, team productivity tools and methodologies, workflow automation, resource allocation, organizational design
Background: Often from operations, project management, or business analysis
Favorite Frameworks: Agile, Lean, Six Sigma, OKRs, RACI matrices
Ideal Environment: Rapidly growing companies facing operational challenges
Example: Alex implemented a new project management system that reduced time-to-market by 30%.
Challenges: Streamlining workflows, improving team productivity, managing complex cross-functional projects
Blindspots: Focusing too much on process over product outcomes or user needs
General Manager
Focus: Overall product strategy and P&L responsibility
Key Skills: Strategic planning, financial management, leadership and team building, market analysis, stakeholder management, business model innovation, portfolio management, risk assessment and mitigation
Background: Often MBA, management consulting, or business operations
Favorite Metrics: Revenue, profit margins, market share, customer lifetime value, return on investment
Ideal Environment: Established companies with multiple product lines
Example: Jamie led a product division to 50% year-over-year growth by realigning the product portfolio with market demands.
Challenges: Setting long-term vision, managing complex product ecosystems, balancing multiple stakeholder needs
Blindspots: Being too removed from day-to-day product development or user needs
Commercial Leader
Focus: Driving revenue growth and market expansion
Key Skills: Go-to-market strategy, pricing and packaging, sales enablement, competitive analysis, partnership development, market segmentation, channel strategy, customer relationship management
Background: Often from sales, marketing, or business development
Favorite Activities: Pricing strategy, sales pipeline analysis, market sizing, competitor benchmarking
Ideal Environment: Companies looking to monetize or expand market share
Example: Casey developed a new pricing model that increased ARPU by 35%.
Challenges: Identifying new revenue streams, optimizing pricing strategies, aligning product with sales goals
Blindspots: Prioritizing short-term revenue gains over long-term product health or user satisfaction
Product Optimizer
Focus: Continuously improving existing products
Key Skills: Feature prioritization, A/B testing and experimentation, incremental innovation, user feedback analysis, performance optimization, technical debt management, product analytics, customer support integration
Background: Often from product management, UX research, or data analysis
Favorite Methods: Feature impact assessment, user surveys, usage analytics, customer feedback loops
Ideal Environment: Companies with established products seeking ongoing improvement
Example: Taylor increased product usage by 20% through targeted feature enhancements based on user feedback and behavior analysis.
Challenges: Identifying and fixing pain points, optimizing user flows, balancing new features with performance
Blindspots: Focusing too much on incremental improvements at the expense of disruptive innovation
Technician
Focus: Managing complex technical products or platforms
Key Skills: Technical architecture understanding, API design and management, system integrations, performance optimization, security and compliance knowledge, database design, scalability planning, DevOps practices
Background: Often from software engineering or systems architecture
Favorite Challenges: Solving complex technical problems, optimizing system performance, designing scalable architectures
Ideal Environment: Companies building technical products or platforms
Example: Sam led the development of a new API that enabled 100+ new integrations.
Challenges: Bridging technical and business requirements, managing complex technical dependencies
Blindspots: Prioritizing technical elegance over user needs or business goals
Zero-to-One Innovator
Focus: Creating entirely new products or entering new markets
Key Skills: Market validation, rapid prototyping, vision setting, risk management, storytelling and evangelism, design thinking, lean startup methodologies, disruptive innovation theories
Background: Often from entrepreneurship, R&D, or innovation labs
Favorite Activities: Ideation workshops, MVP development, pitch presentations, trend analysis
Ideal Environment: Startups, innovation-focused companies
Example: Jordan launched a new product category in the IoT space, generating $10M in first-year revenue.
Challenges: Identifying unmet market needs, creating disruptive solutions, navigating high uncertainty
Blindspots: Underestimating operational challenges of scaling or maintaining a product post-launch
New Market-Fit Expander
Focus: Adapting existing products for new markets or use cases
Key Skills: Market research, product localization, use case expansion, cultural sensitivity, adaptability, international business practices, regulatory compliance across markets, cross-cultural communication
Background: Often from international business, product marketing, or anthropology
Favorite Methods: Market segmentation, user persona development, cultural analysis, localization testing
Ideal Environment: Companies looking to expand into new markets or verticals
Example: Charlie adapted a B2C product for B2B use, opening up a new $50M market.
Challenges: Identifying product-market fit in new contexts, balancing core product integrity with local needs
Blindspots: Overestimating the transferability of product success across markets
Question for Your Profile: Which two archetypes do you most identify with? Choose your primary and secondary archetype.
II. Core Product Management Superpowers
Product management superpowers refer to the unique strengths and skills that a product manager brings to the table. These superpowers can greatly influence how a product manager approaches their role, solves problems, and drives product success. Understanding your superpowers can help you leverage them effectively in your career, ensuring that you are playing to your strengths and continuously developing areas that are crucial for your growth as a product leader.
Superpower 1: Product Crafting
Description: Creating innovative, user-centric products that solve real problems
Key Skills: Feature specification and prioritization, product vision and roadmapping, UX design principles, prototyping and iteration, user story development, product requirements documentation, balancing user needs with business goals, cross-functional collaboration in product development
How It Manifests: PMs with this superpower excel at turning abstract ideas into concrete product features. They have a keen sense of what makes a product intuitive and valuable to users. They can articulate a clear product vision and translate it into actionable steps for development teams.
Superpower 2: Growth Expertise
Description: Scaling products and driving user acquisition and engagement
Key Skills: Data analysis and interpretation, growth modeling and forecasting, A/B testing and experimentation, user acquisition strategies, retention and engagement tactics, funnel optimization, viral loop design, marketing channel optimization
How It Manifests: PMs with this superpower are adept at identifying growth levers and designing experiments to optimize key metrics. They have a deep understanding of user behavior and can develop strategies to rapidly scale user bases while maintaining engagement.
Superpower 3: Organizational Expertise
Description: Managing complex, cross-functional projects and processes
Key Skills: Stakeholder management, process optimization, change management, project management, cross-functional collaboration, organizational design, conflict resolution, resource allocation
How It Manifests: PMs with this superpower are adept at navigating complex organizational structures and aligning diverse teams towards common goals. They can design and implement efficient processes that improve overall product development and delivery.
Superpower 4: Team Expertise
Description: Building and leading high-performing product teams
Key Skills: Hiring and talent assessment, mentoring and coaching, performance management, team culture development, conflict resolution, agile team management, fostering innovation and creativity, building diverse and inclusive teams
How It Manifests: PMs with this superpower excel at assembling diverse, talented teams and fostering a positive team culture. They can identify and develop individual strengths, manage conflicts effectively, and create an environment where team members can do their best work.
Question for Your Profile: Which two superpowers do you feel are your strongest? Choose your primary and secondary superpower.
III. Expertise Areas
Identifying your areas of expertise is crucial for tailoring your job search, enhancing your resume, and excelling in interviews. This section will help you pinpoint your experience and strengths across various markets, business models, industry verticals, and technologies. By reflecting on these areas, you can better align your career path with your unique skills and knowledge, ensuring you are positioned for success in roles that best fit your expertise. Use this insight to highlight your strengths in your resume, articulate your value in interviews, and target job opportunities that align with your background and interests.
Markets:
B2B (Business-to-Business)
B2C (Business-to-Consumer)
B2B2C (Business-to-Business-to-Consumer)
C2C (Consumer-to-Consumer)
D2C (Direct-to-Consumer)
Business Models:
SaaS (Software as a Service)
Marketplace
E-commerce
Subscription
Freemium
Ad-supported
Industry Verticals:
FinTech
HealthTech
EdTech
E-commerce
AdTech
PropTech
AgTech
CleanTech
Social Networking
Gaming
Technologies:
Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning
Blockchain / Cryptocurrency
Internet of Things (IoT)
Cloud Computing
Augmented Reality / Virtual Reality (AR/VR)
5G and Edge Computing
Cybersecurity
Big Data Analytics
Robotics and Automation
Quantum Computing
Questions for Your Profile:
Which 1-2 markets do you have the most experience in?
Which 1-2 business models are you most familiar with?
Which 1-2 industry verticals do you have expertise in?
Which 0-2 technologies do you have deep knowledge of?
IV. Product Cultures
Understanding the culture of a product team or organization is crucial for aligning your personal strengths and working style with your work environment. Different product cultures emphasize various aspects of product development, from technical innovation to user experience and data-driven decision making. Identifying the type of product culture you thrive in can help ensure you are in an environment that best supports your growth and success.
These were drawn from
’s famous post on the topic.
Summary of Product Cultures
Engineering-Driven Culture
Characteristics: Focus on technical innovation and problem-solving, products often start with a unique technical insight, high value placed on engineering talent and technical skills, decision-making often based on technical feasibility and elegance
Strengths: Ability to create technically superior products, strong focus on solving complex technical challenges, often leads to breakthrough innovations
Challenges: Prioritizing technical solutions over user needs, struggling with non-technical products or markets, risk of over-engineering solutions
Examples: Google, Microsoft, Dropbox
PM Role: Need to be technically proficient, focus on translating technical capabilities into user value, balance technical ambition with market realities and user needs
Signals in Job Descriptions: Emphasis on technical skills or engineering background, mentions of working closely with engineering teams, focus on technical problem-solving
Data-Driven Culture
Characteristics: Heavy reliance on metrics and A/B testing for decision-making, strong focus on optimization and incremental improvements, product decisions often based on quantitative analysis
Strengths: Ability to rapidly iterate and improve products based on user behavior, clear definition of success through measurable metrics, reduced reliance on individual opinions for decision-making
Challenges: Risk of short-term focus at the expense of long-term vision, struggling with decisions that can't be easily quantified, potential for over-optimization leading to local maxima
Examples: Facebook, LinkedIn, Zynga
PM Role: Need strong analytical skills and comfort with data interpretation, focus on defining and tracking relevant metrics, balance data-driven decisions with qualitative insights and long-term strategy
Signals in Job Descriptions: Emphasis on analytical skills and data interpretation, mentions of A/B testing and experimentation, focus on metrics and KPIs
Design-Driven Culture
Characteristics: Strong emphasis on user experience and aesthetic quality, products often differentiated by superior design and usability, high value placed on design talent and user research
Strengths: Ability to create intuitive, delightful user experiences, often leads to strong brand loyalty and emotional connection with users, can revolutionize existing markets through superior UX
Challenges: Prioritizing form over function, decision-making can be subjective and rely heavily on "taste", struggling with highly technical or backend-focused products
Examples: Apple, Airbnb, Snapchat
PM Role: Need strong understanding of design principles and user-centered thinking, focus on facilitating collaboration between design and other functions, balance design ambition with technical feasibility and business goals
Signals in Job Descriptions: Emphasis on user experience and design thinking, mentions of working closely with design teams, focus on creating intuitive and delightful products
Sales-Driven Culture
Characteristics: Strong focus on meeting customer demands and closing deals, product roadmap often influenced by sales pipeline and customer requests, high value placed on customer relationships and sales expertise
Strengths: Close alignment with customer needs and market demands, ability to rapidly respond to customer feedback, often leads to strong customer loyalty and high retention
Challenges: Building one-off solutions for specific customers, struggling with long-term product vision and coherence, risk of feature bloat and increased product complexity
Examples: Salesforce, Oracle, Workday
PM Role: Need strong communication skills and ability to manage customer expectations, focus on balancing individual customer needs with broader market demands, translate customer requests into scalable product features
Signals in Job Descriptions: Emphasis on customer relationship management, mentions of working closely with sales teams, focus on enterprise or B2B products
Vision-Driven Culture
Characteristics: Strong emphasis on long-term vision and transformative ideas, products often aim to create new categories or disrupt existing markets, high value placed on innovation and big-picture thinking
Strengths: Ability to create revolutionary products, often leads to strong market positioning and thought leadership, can attract top talent excited by ambitious goals
Challenges: Losing touch with current market realities, struggling with execution of day-to-day product development, resource strain if vision is too ambitious
Examples: Tesla, SpaceX, early Amazon
PM Role: Need strong strategic thinking and ability to translate vision into actionable plans, focus on balancing visionary goals with practical execution, communicate and rally teams around long-term objectives
Signals in Job Descriptions: Emphasis on strategic thinking and vision setting, mentions of disruptive or category-creating products, focus on long-term impact and innovation
V. PM Culture Types
Building on the understanding of product cultures, PM culture types delve into the specific dynamics of how product managers influence and interact within their teams and organizations. Recognizing the PM culture type that best matches your working style can further enhance your effectiveness and satisfaction in your role.
came up with this framework, but I find it is useful for further assessing the fit for a company and product org. This distinction is primarily used to pattern match where you have thrived and where you have struggled in your career. Most will say that PM-Guided Culture is ideal, but I have found many PMs who thrive in a PM-Dominated Culture or PM-Serviced Culture, regardless of the trade-offs for those organizations cross-functionally.Summary of PM Culture Types
PM Culture Types (based on Shreyas Doshi's framework):
PM Dominated Culture
PMs have high influence regardless of competence level
Other functions may be treated more as "resources"
PM title carries significant weight in decision-making
PM Guided Culture
High-competence PMs have high influence, low-competence PMs have less
Merit-based rather than title-based decision-making
Balanced input from different functions
PM Serviced Culture
PMs have low to medium influence regardless of competence
Another function (often engineering or sales) is primary decision-maker
PMs primarily support the dominant function
Question for Your Profile: Which product culture and PM culture type do you think you'd thrive in most? Choose one of each.
VI. Synthesizing Your Product Leadership Profile
Instructions: Fill out the "Your Answer" column with the options that best describe your profile.
Based on this profile, craft a brief (3-5 sentences) product leadership statement that encapsulates your unique blend of archetypes, superpowers, and expertise.
Example: "I am a Growth Driver with strong UX Innovator tendencies, excelling in Product Crafting and Growth Expertise. My experience spans B2C and B2B2C markets, with deep knowledge of subscription and marketplace business models in the FinTech and HealthTech verticals. I thrive in data-driven product cultures where PMs are guided by merit-based influence, allowing me to leverage my analytical skills and user-centric approach to drive product success."
This comprehensive profile will serve as a powerful tool in your job search and career development. Use it to target roles that align with your strengths, articulate your value in interviews, and identify areas for future growth and development.
Homework Instructions
Take the Quiz:
Complete the quiz to help identify your PM archetype, superpowers, and preferred cultures.
Use the insights from the quiz as a guide for the following steps.
Identify Your Personal PM Leader Archetype & Profile:
Review the descriptions of different PM archetypes.
Choose your primary and secondary archetype.
Answer the question: Which two archetypes do you most identify with?
Determine Your Core Product Management Superpowers:
Review the descriptions of different PM superpowers.
Choose your primary and secondary superpower.
Answer the question: Which two superpowers do you feel are your strongest?
Identify Your Expertise Areas:
Review the different markets, business models, industry verticals, and technologies.
Choose your areas of expertise:
1-2 markets
1-2 business models
1-2 industry verticals
0-2 technologies
Answer the corresponding questions for each category.
Understand Your Preferred Product Culture:
Review the descriptions of various product cultures.
Choose the product culture you thrive in most.
Answer the question: Which product culture do you think you'd thrive in most?
Identify Your Preferred PM Culture Type:
Review the descriptions of PM culture types.
Choose the PM culture type that best matches your working style.
Answer the question: Which PM culture type do you think you'd thrive in most?
Synthesize Your Product Leadership Profile:
Fill out the provided table with your chosen options for each section:
Primary Archetype
Secondary Archetype
Primary Superpower
Secondary Superpower
Market Expertise
Business Model Expertise
Industry Vertical Expertise
Technology Expertise
Preferred Product Culture
Preferred PM Culture Type
Craft a brief (3-5 sentences) product leadership statement based on your profile.
Amazing article. This really helped to structure my career progression so far ! Made me reflect a LOT and craft a unique statement for myself. Super helpful.
Wow, this really helped me rethink my entire career progression path. It clarified how I work and why I'm better suited for certain companies. Thanks for sharing!