Read on Twitter
If you:
1. Manage a cross-functional team
2. Want to jump to a new role (ex. Ops -> PM)
3. Don't know what some of your teammates do
Here are profiles of the most popular roles on a product team
I break them into 3 groups: the core team, specialists and professionals.
1. Manage a cross-functional team
2. Want to jump to a new role (ex. Ops -> PM)
3. Don't know what some of your teammates do
Here are profiles of the most popular roles on a product team
I break them into 3 groups: the core team, specialists and professionals.
notes:1. I'm optimizing for concreteness, not comprehensive. If I missed anything, drop a reply!
2. This is from experience in Big Tech. Roles at a startup may vary but are generally leaner.
3. Shoutout to ultimatearm for the awesome avatar artwork!
1/ The Core Team
These are the main builders of a product. They decide the product strategy, build all its necessary features and are on the hook for its success.
These are the main builders of a product. They decide the product strategy, build all its necessary features and are on the hook for its success.
Engineers
Role: Design and build technical systems. Do way more than coding; they architect complex tech solutions with teams of 3-15 other eng.
Ex. Project: Build infrastructure to make Twitter as fast as possible for users in EMEA
Role: Design and build technical systems. Do way more than coding; they architect complex tech solutions with teams of 3-15 other eng.
Ex. Project: Build infrastructure to make Twitter as fast as possible for users in EMEA
Engineering Managers
Role: Lead a team of engineers. They are primarily responsible for supporting their engineers and driving progress on strategy.
Ex. Project: Recruit, coach and assign work areas for 6-20 engineers.
Role: Lead a team of engineers. They are primarily responsible for supporting their engineers and driving progress on strategy.
Ex. Project: Recruit, coach and assign work areas for 6-20 engineers.
Product Manager
Role: Bridge engineering, business and design to drive a product strategy.
Ex. Project: Launch and scale ecommerce on TikTok by building storefronts on creator profiles.
Role: Bridge engineering, business and design to drive a product strategy.
Ex. Project: Launch and scale ecommerce on TikTok by building storefronts on creator profiles.
Data Scientists
Role: Turn data into knowledge. This knowledge is used to build solutions and make recommendations that improve the products and achieve business goals.
Ex. Project: Identify the key drivers of retention for our Twitter Spaces
Role: Turn data into knowledge. This knowledge is used to build solutions and make recommendations that improve the products and achieve business goals.
Ex. Project: Identify the key drivers of retention for our Twitter Spaces
Designer
Role: Build user experiences. Balance every element of the end-to-end flow -- including learning curve, accessibility and growth levers.
Ex. Project: Build a mould of Appleās new AR glasses that optimize for comfort and style.
Role: Build user experiences. Balance every element of the end-to-end flow -- including learning curve, accessibility and growth levers.
Ex. Project: Build a mould of Appleās new AR glasses that optimize for comfort and style.
2/ The Specialists
Specialists join a product team when their expertise is needed over a long period of time.
They partner with other members of the team to drive progress on workstream related to their specialty.
Specialists join a product team when their expertise is needed over a long period of time.
They partner with other members of the team to drive progress on workstream related to their specialty.
User Researcher (AKA UX Researcher)
Role: Understand how users experience the product. Blend qualitative and quantitative insights to form insights.
Ex. Project: Understand the challenges new parents face with online parenting communities on Facebook.
Role: Understand how users experience the product. Blend qualitative and quantitative insights to form insights.
Ex. Project: Understand the challenges new parents face with online parenting communities on Facebook.
Content Designers
Role: Design experiences with language. Add clarity, personality and accessibility into products.
Ex. Project: Make Slackbot feel more friendly, lighthearted and approachable.
Role: Design experiences with language. Add clarity, personality and accessibility into products.
Ex. Project: Make Slackbot feel more friendly, lighthearted and approachable.
Technical Program Managers
Role: Drive progress on large, technical projects (i.e. programs) involving many simultaneous activities.
Ex. Project: Drive a team of engineers, art directors, marketers and QA to launch a Call of Duty sequel by Fall 2022.
Role: Drive progress on large, technical projects (i.e. programs) involving many simultaneous activities.
Ex. Project: Drive a team of engineers, art directors, marketers and QA to launch a Call of Duty sequel by Fall 2022.
Product Marketing Manager
Role: Use insights to make products and their associated marketing as compelling as possible.
Ex. Project: Grow early adoption for Google Stadia as it enters South Korea
Role: Use insights to make products and their associated marketing as compelling as possible.
Ex. Project: Grow early adoption for Google Stadia as it enters South Korea
3/ The Professionals
Outside of the core team, thereās an entire body of expertise that can help product teams navigate specific domains.
These are "The Professionals" ā people with knowledge and existing careers in important fields.
Outside of the core team, thereās an entire body of expertise that can help product teams navigate specific domains.
These are "The Professionals" ā people with knowledge and existing careers in important fields.
Legal Counsel
Role: Collaborate with internal clients and outside counsel to assess a products' legal issues and risks
Ex. Project: Help Coinbase define what information is required to be collected during KYC for each new market
Role: Collaborate with internal clients and outside counsel to assess a products' legal issues and risks
Ex. Project: Help Coinbase define what information is required to be collected during KYC for each new market
Privacy Managers
Role: Ensure the appropriate use of data in product decisions. Increasingly important as people become concerned about online privacy.
Ex. Project: Assess the consumer privacy implications of Yelp's search algorithm as it relies more on user location.
Role: Ensure the appropriate use of data in product decisions. Increasingly important as people become concerned about online privacy.
Ex. Project: Assess the consumer privacy implications of Yelp's search algorithm as it relies more on user location.
Policy Advisors
Role: Advise internal product teams on navigating external policy considerations.
Ex. Project: Define content moderation policies that are required for Twitter if Section 230 is repealed in the US
Role: Advise internal product teams on navigating external policy considerations.
Ex. Project: Define content moderation policies that are required for Twitter if Section 230 is repealed in the US
Product Strategists (AKA Biz Ops)
Role: Create long term strategies for achieving business objectives. Leverage quantitative and qualitative signals to inform strategy.
Ex. Project: Determine how Tinder can capture market share for non-college age daters in the US.
Role: Create long term strategies for achieving business objectives. Leverage quantitative and qualitative signals to inform strategy.
Ex. Project: Determine how Tinder can capture market share for non-college age daters in the US.
Partnerships Manager (AKA Business Development)
Role: Drive partnerships with external companies by sourcing, strategizing and negotiating high impact partnerships.
Ex. Project: Help Lyft identify the right partner to handle operations as they enter Peru.
Role: Drive partnerships with external companies by sourcing, strategizing and negotiating high impact partnerships.
Ex. Project: Help Lyft identify the right partner to handle operations as they enter Peru.
Operations Manager
Role: Develop and implement plans that address non-technical business needs
Ex. Project: Manage thousands of content reviewers to remove hate speech on Facebook during the 2020 election campaigns.
Role: Develop and implement plans that address non-technical business needs
Ex. Project: Manage thousands of content reviewers to remove hate speech on Facebook during the 2020 election campaigns.
4/ An Example of Team Structure
Teams collect these roles into "pods" to tackle certain areas. Hereās what a team tackling a large area may look like.
Teams collect these roles into "pods" to tackle certain areas. Hereās what a team tackling a large area may look like.
Hope this is useful 
For more details (+ the typical backgrounds of each role), check out this week's post in my newsletter.
Folks who are in these roles: what else do you want people to know about your function? https://willlawrence.substack.com/p/meet-the-team-behind-your-feed-
For more details (+ the typical backgrounds of each role), check out this week's post in my newsletter.
Folks who are in these roles: what else do you want people to know about your function? https://willlawrence.substack.com/p/meet-the-team-behind-your-feed-
