Eric Roza once told me:  

“The only way to build a first-class technology product is with an empowered, incentive aligned Product Leader with direct CEO level accountability; if it happens any other way, it’s by chance.”  

This coaching hit home for me as I led a large and growing product management organization and started acting more like a Product Functional Leader than a Product Leader.  

Roza’s ultimate teaching was that both roles are important (and they’re a bit like Peter Drucker’s Leader vs. Manager dichotomy), but in product management – while the Product Functional Leader is helpful, the Product Leader is critical.  

Here is the dichotomy:  

The Product Leader vs. The Product Functional Leader  

  • The Product Functional Leader is obsessed with the systems and processes that solve customers’ problems.  
  • The Product Leader knows the customer by name and can see the world through their eyes.  

  • The Product Functional Leader sweats the resource allocation across the portfolio.  
  • The Product Leader sweats the pixels on the UX mocks.  
  • The Product Functional Leader cares deeply about how many engineers are working on what.  
  • The Product Leader cares deeply about who the engineers are that are working with them.  
  • The Product Functional Leader has a spreadsheet of every product the company must ship this year.  
  • The Product Leader has a spreadsheet of the features needed for the next release.  
  • The Product Functional Leader ensures the organization is structured so great products can be created repeatedly.  
  • The Product Leader gets the product into customers’ hands and watches how they use it.  

  • The Product Functional Leader creates the roadmap, release plan, and sequencing for all products.  
  • The Product Leader delivers an MVP and iterates quickly.  
  • The Product Functional Leader stays up late coaching a Product Leader through a tough problem.  
  • The Product Leader stays up late testing the product for themselves.  

  • The Product Functional Leader does what is appropriate.  
  • The Product Leader does what is necessary.  
  • The Product Functional Leader designs the processes that keep the whole machine running.  
  • The Product Leader will break the process if it helps accomplish their goals.  
  • The Product Functional Leader owns the success of the team.  
  • The Product Leader owns the success of the product.  
  • The Product Functional Leader will coordinate with product marketing, sales, and field teams to rally the broader market.  
  • The Product Leader will find the first customers, write the deck, and sign the first deals if she has to.  
  • The Product Functional Leader bets on people.  
  • The Product Leader bets on their product.  
  • The Product Functional Leader spends a long time writing thoughtful performance reviews. 
  • The Product Leader gives feedback in the moment.  
  • The Product Functional Leader manages the product portfolio like a stock portfolio.  
  • The Product Leader manages their product like it’s their baby. 
  • The Product Functional Leader succeeds when their product ships on time and on budget with acceptable quality.   
  • The Product Leader succeeds only when the product achieves its revenue and profitability goals. 

Over the past several years I’ve had the privilege of working with and benefiting from the mentorship of Eric Roza – former founder and CEO of DataLogix sold to Oracle in 2014 – and former CEO and owner of Crossfit.  This post was inspired by lessons I learned working closely with him.  

The Product Leader vs. The Product Functional Leader