Over the last year, I’ve been advising several early stage startups with strong, visionary founders. Inevitably, the question comes up: “When should we hire our first PM and who should we hire?” Too often, that first hire doesn’t work out — sometimes because the founders weren’t ready to loosen the reins or because the PM came in with the wrong skills. Whether you’re a founder or a PM looking at early stage opportunities, I hope you’ll find this helpful.
As a founder, you've been wearing all the hats — visionary, coder, designer, marketer, and yes, product manager. But as your startup gains traction and you approach product-market fit, it's time to consider bringing on a dedicated product leader. The question is: When is the right time, and how do you find the perfect fit?
Let's break it down.
The three pillars of Product Management
At its core, Product Management is three interconnected activi…
