LinkedIn Overhauls Product Management Approach

LinkedIn is doing away with its well-known associate product manager track, a staple in early tech careers.

The tech company is transitioning to a new system where recruits are guided to develop coding, design, and comprehensive product management skills.

This major shift was confirmed by LinkedIn's Chief Product Officer, Tomer Cohen, during a recent episode of 'Lenny's Podcast.' The current program's days are numbered, with a complete transition happening by the end of the year.

New Training Program

Starting in the new year, recruits will join the Associate Product Builder track. 'Our new initiative is to equip them with design, coding, and product management expertise,' Cohen explained, focusing on comprehensive skill sets.

The Full-Stack Model Revolves

This transition is integral to LinkedIn’s transformative strategy, the full-stack builder model, which emphasizes multifunctional roles over segregated responsibilities.

According to Cohen, the aim is for individuals to span the entire product lifecycle, dissolving the traditional lines between product management, design, and engineering.

This idea suggests that teamwork should become reflexive across roles, promoting adaptability and efficient product development.

Structuring Teams Anew

Referring to the move away from divisional labor, Cohen points out that teams will now operate as nimble 'pods,' composed of cross-trained full-stack builders.

Such teams are intended to respond swiftly to changes, adjusting effortlessly as needs shift, rather than being limited by traditional role structures.

Cohen asserts these builders should cultivate skills in vision, empathy, communication, creativity, and decision-making under uncertainty, while other processes may become automated in the future.

Gazing Ahead: The Future of Product Managers

This evolution reflects a broader questioning within the tech industry regarding the necessity of product managers. While some argue for their essential role in decision-making, others suggest they’re becoming obsolete.

An increasing number of companies, including giants like Microsoft, Airbnb, and Snap, are re-evaluating how indispensable these roles truly are. Some opt for boosting engineering teams instead.

Edwin Chen from Surge AI claims that during nascent stages, product managers may not be needed at all, advocating for engineers to steer the product vision.

Contrasting Opinions in Tech

Conversely, Andrew Ng, the mind behind Google Brain, argues that product management has become pivotal, especially in AI contexts where quick feedback cycles highlight execution constraints.

Previously, a prototype might take weeks to construct, but now teams utilize AI to complete this in a day, making slow feedback loops increasingly frustrating.

Such dynamics compel start-ups to make swifter strategic product choices—tasks where product managers typically excel.