Product Management: Jack of All Trades, Master of Some

Product Managers need to be ready to use multiple tools

I continue to see the role of Product Management being vigorously debated on social media platforms like LinkedIn. I have contributed to this debate in my article Did Silicon Valley Kill Product Management, where I argued that the role had been dumbed down with the emergence of the technology-led product era, at the expense of product-led thinking, resulting in Product Delivery being confused as Product Management.  But a related debate I am seeing is with regard to the balance between how much domain expertise is required versus core product management skills.

Some argue that deep industry domain knowledge is essential, while others maintain that an experienced PM can succeed in any industry. My perspective? A great PM has a solid foundation in product management but, more importantly, possesses the ability to pick things up quickly. Smart, curious people adapt fast, whether it’s the principles of product management or the nuances of a new domain they’re operating in.

The Real Skill of a Product Manager

A good Product Manager isn’t defined by their initial knowledge but by their ability to learn. The reality is, you don’t always know what expertise you’ll need until a problem arises. Success in product management is less about what you know today and more about how quickly you can become proficient in what you need to know tomorrow.

Take my own experience as an example. When I was Global Product Director at AT&T, we had just split from our global partner and suddenly had no way to bill international clients locally. This made us significantly more expensive than our primary competition, as our customers couldn’t claim back local sales tax. It was a major issue, and I had to fix it.

At the time, I had no deep knowledge of international billing systems. But I had to become an expert, fast. I learned everything I could, figured out a solution, and implemented it. I did it so well that, in the next internal restructuring, the international billing group was added to my portfolio.

This example illustrates two key points:

1. You don’t always know where you need to develop expertise until the problem becomes clear.

2. You need the ability to pivot, adapt, and learn, quickly.

The CEO Mindset in Product Management

This perspective aligns with my broader belief that a strong PM should think like a CEO. In a previous LinkedIn post, I responded to a debate about whether PMs should have a CEO mindset. Some argued that PMs shouldn’t think this way, but I couldn’t disagree more.

Product Management isn’t just about delivery or pipeline management, it’s about driving business success. Good PMs understand their product’s P&L and work cross-functionally to ensure their product thrives. If someone believes a PM needs executive authority to succeed, they’re hiring the wrong skill set. The best leaders, and the best CEOs, don’t dictate; they influence. That’s exactly what great PMs do.

In my aforementioned "Silicon Valley" post I wrote about how the role has become diluted. Many PM roles today are mislabeled as delivery-focused positions, diminishing the strategic nature of true Product Management. This trend creates confusion and limits career growth for those entering these roles expecting strategic experience but finding themselves in execution-only positions.

The Emergence of AI and the Need for Technical Understanding

While I have long argued that Product Managers don’t need to be software engineers (and it frustrates me every time I see a product role advertised with an engineering or data science degree as a requirement), I do encourage Product Managers to have written some code and be able to understand it. The emergence of AI is an example of an area where modern Product Managers need to get savvy quickly.

As I wrote in “AI and the Context Problem - An Opportunity for Product Management”, the next generation of great Product Managers will need to be AI leaders. AI is not just another technology wave, it fundamentally changes how products function, interact, and create value. PMs who understand AI at a conceptual level will be better equipped to leverage it as a tool rather than merely follow trends.

Product Managers don’t need to become machine learning engineers, but they do need to understand how AI models work, their limitations, and how they can be applied effectively. Just as I had to rapidly gain expertise in international billing at AT&T, today’s PMs must be willing and able to dive into AI and develop a working knowledge of its applications within their product domain.

What Really Matters

So, how much domain expertise does a PM need? Enough to understand the business landscape and ask the right questions, but not so much that they become overly specialized and lose the ability to adapt. A great PM is a master of learning, not just a jack of all trades, but a master of some.

Product Management is a fantastic path for those who want to lead because it teaches the skills that make great CEOs, problem-solving, strategic thinking, and cross-functional leadership. The best PMs don’t need to start as domain experts; they need to be relentless learners who can develop expertise when and where it’s needed.

The question isn’t whether a PM should have deep domain expertise. The question is whether they have the ability to acquire it, fast.

What do you think? Add your comments below.