Not all product management roles are the same. Your strengths, background, and interests will influence which type of product role suits you best.

Think about product roles through these lenses:

• Who is the product for? (Internal vs. External, Consumer vs. Enterprise)

• What kind of product are you building? (Hardware vs. Software, Growth vs. Core)

• What’s the focus of your role? (User Experience vs. Technical)

Let’s break down these categories to help you identify which path fits you best.

1. External vs. Internal Products

External Products:

You’re building something for customers outside the company—like Instagram for influencers or Salesforce for sales teams. These products are designed for broad usage and often drive revenue directly.

Internal Products:

You’re building tools for employees within your company—like Google’s recruiting software or internal data dashboards. Internal products often focus on efficiency and automation rather than external adoption.

💡 Tip: It’s often easier to land a PM job working on internal tools if you’re just getting started in product management. These roles are less competitive but still provide a strong experience. 🔥

Example:

At my first start-up called, ParseHub, we built an internal tool to help engineers and support teams gather web data for customers. Over time, we evolved it into an external product that allowed users to scrape data on their own and pay us a monthly subscription. Internal tools can sometimes evolve into full-fledged external products.

2. Consumer vs. Enterprise Products

Consumer Products (B2C):

Designed for individual users, these products focus on usability, engagement, and scale. Usually focuses more on mass market. Think Instagram, TikTok, or Airbnb.

Example:

When I worked at Instagram, I focused on consumer safety features for teens and parents.

Enterprise Products (B2B):

Built for businesses, these products prioritize functionality, efficiency, and return on investment. Examples include Salesforce, Shopify, and Slack.

Example:

A business like Etsy is selling a marketplace platform to other businesses who are usually solo entrepreneurs and craftsy. Or a business like Square selling its card reader and point of sale technologies to a business that can be a salon, a coffee shop, or even a taxi driver. 

💡 Tip: Enterprise PM roles are often easier to break into because they target specific business users, while consumer PMs need to navigate a broader, more unpredictable audience.

3. Hardware vs. Software Products

Hardware Products:

These involve physical components—like Apple’s iPhones, Tesla’s cars, or Oculus VR headsets. Hardware constraints mean changes take longer and require manufacturing cycles.

Software Products:

These are digital applications—like Zoom, Google Docs, or Notion. Software allows for continuous updates, A/B testing, and rapid iteration.

Example:

When I worked at Oculus:

• The hardware team focused on improving screen resolution and reducing headset weight.

• The software team (where I worked) built the in-headset experience—sign-ups, social features, and game discovery.

💡 Tip: Hardware PM roles often require long-term planning, while software PMs focus on fast iteration and continuous updates.

4. Growth vs. Core Products

Core Product Managers:

You focus on the core features that define the product. If you’re working on Google Docs, you’re building the editing, collaboration, and document-sharing features.

Growth Product Managers:

You’re focused on optimizing metrics—user acquisition, activation, retention, referrals, and revenue. Instead of owning a single product, you influence multiple teams.

Example:

At Oculus, my role was Growth PM for social connections. I didn’t own a specific product—I focused on making the whole platform more social. We experimented with:

• Friend suggestions across different parts of the headset UI

• Connecting Oculus accounts with Facebook friends

• Making it easier to invite friends to play games

💡 Tip: Growth PMs excel in A/B testing, experimentation, and data-driven decisions, while Core PMs focus on building major features from scratch.

5. User Experience (UX) vs. Technical PMs

User Experience-Focused PMs:

These roles require deep collaboration with designers and researchers to craft seamless, intuitive products. Most traditional PM roles fall into this category.

Technical PMs (Platform & Infrastructure):

These PMs focus on backend systems, developer platforms, and scalability. They work closely with engineers but have limited control over the end-user experience.

✅ Example:

• UX PMs: Build end-user interfaces (e.g., Facebook’s News Feed, TikTok’s algorithm, Airbnb’s booking flow).

• Technical PMs: Build internal infrastructure (e.g., Netflix migrating from on-premise servers to AWS to improve streaming scalability).

💡 Tip: If you have a strong technical background, consider a platform or infrastructure PM role, as these can be in high demand.

🔑 Product Management is broad, and no two PM jobs are the same. The best role for you depends on your skills, interests, and career goals.

Which of these categories resonates with you the most? How does it align with your strengths and experience?