Stop Calling Yourself a (Product) Generalist

Many product managers think of themselves as generalists when it comes to labels. They must have a broad grasp of people and processes to bring new products to light. I’m going to reveal a controversial product truth that might blow your mind: If you don’t think you're a product specialist, you're lying to yourself. And here’s another hard truth: There is no such thing as a product generalist. Here’s why: PMs have a highly specialized, often overlooked soft skill set. This post will explore some of the nuanced soft skills and challenges that make product managers tried-and-true product specialists.

The Product Generalist vs. Specialist Debate

Whether it’s better to be a generalist versus a product specialist has been brewing for quite some time.The consensus is that a generalist PM has a more moderate, broader knowledge across many disciplines–nothing too deep or specific. Because of this, generalists are often perceived as being more versatile and flexible. And as you might expect, a specialist strives for mastery of a specific discipline. Specialists speak the specific language of others within their area of expertise. They are more likely to be viewed as an insider within that group, which has advantages. Whether generalist or specialist, people tend to feel pretty passionate about the pros and cons of both camps. For a good reason, PMs embarking on their product journeys spend a good deal of time deliberating whether it’s better to develop a specific expertise or cultivate a broader comprehensive knowledge base. Organizations, too, hold strong opinions about the generalist/specialist debate. Google, for example, prioritizes versatility, hiring primarily PM generalists rather than specialized PMs with deep but narrow experience. Google argues that it prefers to develop product teams that are flexible and able to bring fresh ideas and perspectives to multiple products over time, which ties directly to its strategy. (In an email to PM candidates, Google explains it wants product managers who “can easily float through our evolving product lines.”)Regardless of where you pitch your tent, product works as a team with other groups like engineering and design to create value for customers. Everyone needs to be fired up about the same problems despite what your specialty skill sets might be. Watch this short clip to discover why trust is key in uniting product with other teams.

Soft Skills as a Specialized Product Skill Set

Product managers are a courageous bunch. They are the face of a product, for better or for worse. Because there’s so much hinged on the success of a product, PMs can easily fear that something will fall through the cracks because of something they do or don’t do. There’s so much to process and align and pull together. Whether tenured professor of a single discipline or more of a general stand-in across many disciplines, PMs share core attributes that give them, what I like to call, a product specialist soft skill set. Deeply rooted is, of course, an innate curiosity that balloons into a full-on obsession about solving a particular problem or giving legs to a great product idea.Successful PMs are also talented storytellers in that they can spin customer stories in a compelling way that enables others to easily connect, empathize, and become motivated to take action. And great PMs can teach a master class on how to distill multiple viewpoints into a unified plan of action and skillfully build alignment. They juggle chaos theory by context switching in the blink of an eye. They ensure that relevant information is available and shared at the right time with the right people.And truly skilled PMs get everyone engaged in the delivery process in a way that works for them. Of course, the number-one goal for any PM should be to make a positive impact. So take heart, brave PMs. Believe in your vision and yourself. You don’t have to defend everything, and you’ve got this.In product management, technical skills often take a back seat. While hard skills can vary, soft skills remain constant. Read why soft skills are a hard requirement for PM career growth.

Watch our webinar: Essential Skills All Product Managers Must Master

Why Imposter Syndrome is Prevalent in Product

Ever feel like a fraud? Well, you aren’t alone. According to our research, nearly half of product people report that they frequently or all the time experience imposter syndrome, the behavior pattern in which people doubt their accomplishments and have a persistent, internalized fear of being exposed as a fraud. Folks with 2-5 years of experience tend to frequently feel it. Our research indicates that 46% of people in this category feel like an imposter. That amounts to quite a lot of self-doubt lurking in product teams. Why is imposter syndrome so prevalent in product? Jim Semick, ProductPlan’s founder, puts it this way: There’s an enormous amount of pressure on product managers to know everything. Who are you going to look to for all the answers about the product? PMs, of course, even when they can’t possibly know everything. And not knowing leads to self-doubt; self-doubt leads to feeling like a fraud.In Product Management and the Imposter Syndrome, Jan Harste, product management coach, identifies four key areas contributing to feeling like a product fraud.

1.) Exceedingly high expectations top the list. PMs have a tremendous amount of pressure to do the impossible while pleasing everyone (and all while tackling a bottomless daily to-do list).

“We’re expected to be experts on the product, with answers to every technical question, and experts on the market, reciting the needs of customers in our sleep. We must carry the company with us through our product vision, but also face the harsh reality of product defects, strong competition, and customer complaints – solving problems and sorting things out along the way.”

2.) Another factor contributing to feeling like a fraud is that there are many different perceptions of what PMs do.

“The fact that product management is learned ‘on the job’ can lead to uncertainty as to what one’s role is and how to do things right. Success does not feel sustainable – problems dumped on product management that are not solved promptly are viewed as product management’s fault.”

3.) Whether you identify as a specialist or generalist, as a PM, you must constantly be attuned to learning needs and opportunities. If you don’t have the same level of deep mastery in a discipline, you can quickly feel like a fraud. And if you specialize, take yourself out of that field, and you might feel yourself flail.

“This attitude of willingness to learn is good and important, but at the same time, we are often working at the limits (and beyond) of what we know. We are, therefore, not only exposed to inadequacies more frequently but, by pushing into areas where we’re not the expert, we also actively make ourselves more aware of them.”

4.) Any experienced PM will tell you that the product cycle is a ride that never lets up, and while that can be a deliciously long thrill ride, it also means that you never have a moment to process a success.

“In between, there is little time to accept and record our successes; the fantastic customer feedback, praise from your colleague, or successful quarterly results go unacknowledged – after all, these successes involved many people. Failures, unsolved problems, and complaints, on the other hand, feel more like a symptom of one’s inadequacy and resonate longer.”Harste offers some great advice for avoiding imposter syndrome in a product environment. You can check that out here. ProductPlan’s founder provides some excellent advice for overcoming imposter syndrome as well. Consider yourself lucky if you’ve never fallen prey to imposter syndrome. You are in the minority of just 8% of product folks who’ve never felt like a fraud.

Crafting a Compelling Story

I’ve written before about how communication can make or break a product. Communication continues to rate high on the list of skills product pros believe their coworkers lack the most. (See our most recent annual survey—The 2022 State of Product Management Report.) Effective communication is the cornerstone of a product’s success and future growth. That’s why PMs must figure out how to create an atmosphere that keeps the lines of communication open within the product team, across the organization, and, most importantly, with customers. A product specialist has the ability and skill set to see how pieces come together. To take in 1,000 different perspectives and communicate them in a single roadmap. Take the long view, see all the essential things, and distill the correct information for the right people at the right time. PMs communicate a product roadmap, strategy, and vision for the product. Still, they also create and share the stories that motivate others to care about building a particular product or for the users who will benefit from that product. To tell a compelling product or customer story, you must first listen closely to your customers and discern what matters most to them. You have to get to the heart and soul of their goals, frustrations, and behaviors. This allows you to understand the core problem you’re trying to solve. It’s also how you avoid disconnects with those on your team who can’t see the customer problem themselves. Here are five ways to create compelling product team communication.

Thirst for Knowledge

I’m a big fan of Teresa Torres, product discovery coach, and ProductTalk blog author. Here’s her advice to PMs: “Always be learning. Every day that you aren’t learning is a day that you are falling behind. But don’t dabble in lots of areas. Pick one or two areas that interest you most and dive deep. Become an expert. Once you’ve exhausted one area, move on to another area. But remember to go back and refresh old areas often. This will help you build a well-rounded set of skills with depth rather than being a one-trick pony or a shallow generalist.”Whatever your technical specialty might be, always be learning. And embrace your product specialist skill set. It will never steer you wrong.