Most of us think of LinkedIn as our always-updated Rolodex. Our professional contacts and connections are stored in there, with promotions, job changes, and new degrees popping up in our feed, job postings, and the occasionally shared link that we find interesting.
Like a Rolodex, there’s no priority given to the contacts we care about and those of random folks we met at a conference twelve years ago or maybe worked with at one point… We can’t remember despite its core function as a way to see who works where and whom we might know at a particular company. LinkedIn has quietly turned into a valuable publishing platform that exclusively focuses on business-related content.
Of course, you can follow business luminaries on Twitter, but you’re just as likely to see them retweet a meme or a picture of their morning coffee to find nuggets of wisdom and sage advice. And while Facebook has its bright spots, it’s not a go-to for professional interactions. But LinkedIn has carved out its niche, and thought leaders are putting out some great stuff you will not want to miss out on.
7 Product Managers to Follow on LinkedIn
To make sure you’re seeing the high-quality content being posted by important product management leaders, we’ve identified seven must-follow folks on LinkedIn.
1. Jim Semick
- Who he is: Co-Founder, ProductPlan
- Why you should follow him: With two decades of product experience, Jim Semick has perfected the recipe for building and launching great products that have a greater chance of succeeding in the market. He’s so invested in product management he co-founded a company devoted to helping teams create amazing product roadmaps.
- What to expect: Jim’s LinkedIn feed features original written content on product management and product-market fit, videos, and more with his unique take. He also actively engages the community, asking followers what they think about important topics, and engaging in an ongoing dialog on these subjects.
See Jim Semick’s advice on product leadership in our Spotlights video:
2. Adrienne Tan
- Who she is: CEO of Brainmates
- Why you should follow her: Adrienne lives and breathes product. She loves it so much she founded a company and a product community. Her Australian firm has a global impact in helping product managers level up to product leaders and companies get their ideas to market.
- What to expect: Adrienne’s “word of the week” is a great reason to keep coming back to her LinkedIn feed and see how she connects vocabulary to the issues and challenges product leaders face. You’ll also find videos and blog posts on everything from community building to coaching to prioritization techniques.
3. Jon Bell
- Who he is: Senior Product Manager at Netflix
- Why follow him: Jon manages a product that almost everyone now uses, so he knows what it’s like to innovate under a microscope. He’s also a huge proponent to bring more black product managers into the fold and build a supportive community via the Black Product Managers Network.
- What to expect: Not only will you get an inside look at Netflix products, Jon’s feed also features just a ton of positive, uplifting posts. He celebrates others’ achievements and shares lots of “good news” from the industry, which we could all use a little more of these days.
4. Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia
- Who he is: CEO of Product School
- Why you should follow him: Carlos created a tight-knit product community that provides valuable resources for product managers and posts regular content. During these uncertain times, Carlos is extra focused on connecting product managers with job opportunities.
- What to expect: Following Carlos means getting a front-row seat to his fireside chats with CEOs and prominent product managers in the industry. His feed is also chock-full of brief nuggets of thoughtful insights and poignant questions product managers should be asking themselves.
Watch Carlos discuss adapting your business in our webinar on resilient leadership:
5. Amber Kearney
- Who she is: Product Manager at Capital One
- Why follow her: Amber got on our reader after her breakout presentation at MTPCon discussing Product Management in Regulated Industries. She’s a frequent presenter at industry events and practices her design thinking and Agile practices in the financial services industry.
- What to expect: Amber’s feed highlights the work of her and her colleagues, along with her engaging talks and content. She’s also active in community outreach programs to get youth and people of color interested in tech, coding, and product.
6. Wes Bush
- Who he is: CEO of Product-Led Institute
- Why you should follow him: Author, podcaster, and in-demand speaker, Wes champions product-led growth. Wes can turn a simple observation into a meaningful lesson on buyer behavior, positioning, pricing, etc.
- What to expect: Wes creates and shares lots of content to help product managers and companies shift to product-led growth, offering up a litany of actionable tips and tricks to move the needle. His feed includes everything from tear-downs of onboarding processes to why your business is too easy to copy and how to create competitive differentiation and advantages.
7. Matt Bilotti
- Who he is: Product Lead, Growth & Lifecycle at Drift
- Why follow him: Matt’s podcast “Growth with Matt Bilotti” is all about supercharging products and companies to accelerate user acquisition and revenue generation, which is also how he spends his days at Drift. He’s a player-coach, managing a team of product managers while still putting in the work himself.
- What to expect: Matt’s feed is bursting with easily digestible helpful hints about product leadership, including craftspeople versus creators and building out self-service funnels. There are also links to his latest podcast episodes, so you’ll never miss a deep dive into a compelling topic or a chat with an industry luminary, or one of his guest spots on other podcasts, webcasts, and more.
More Product Leaders to Follow
If you’re still looking for more worthwhile LinkedIn follows, we also suggest:
- Shelley Perry, CEO of Scalelogix, highlights how companies can grow while embracing diversity among their leadership ranks.
- Julie Zhuo, the author of The Making of a Manager, has lots of tips on how to rise through the ranks and be effective once you get there.
- Ramli John, the host of the Growth Marketing Today and Product-Led Podcast, offers up bite-sized lessons on topics related to marketing, growth, podcasting, and more.
And don’t forget that LinkedIn can also be your jumping-off point to sharing your thoughts, opinions, advice, and experiences with others. Your posts will be seen by your network, keeping you top of mind, and might just go viral if they get shared enough!
Want more product management content on your feed? Follow us on LinkedIn.
