Why work in the Product Space?

Product as a market is still in its infancy, however, over the past few years, it has really begun to take off! As a specialist recruitment for the product space in Greater Manchester and Yorkshire primarily, I have seen a huge increase in Product vacancies across a range of businesses. A quick look at IT Jobs Watch confirms this, as shown below. With the exception of 2020, in which recruitment for most sectors saw a decrease, hiring for Product Managers, in this case, has risen consistently over the past 15 years.

I speak to Product Managers, Owners, and Directors, on a regular basis, as well as lots of people who are eager to break into the space. So what is it about Product that attracts so many people? Based on past conversations, here are the top reasons Product continues to be exciting and full of growth.

It's Rapidly Growing!

As shown above, the Product Market a few years ago was practically non-existent. Whilst product has always existed, it hasn’t always existed in its own right and as it’s own function. Now, businesses are starting to realise that having a dedicated product team is often integral to exceptional, timely, and cost-effective delivery. This means more businesses are investing in their product functions, and the roles within product continue to develop and evolve. It’s growing, thriving, and maturing, and it’s a really exciting space to work in!

Watch the Idea Come to Life

The feeling of delivering a complete product to your client or consumer after months of hard work, dedication and paying attention to every minor detail in the product is incredible. That feeling of accomplishment and elation at watching a product develop from an idea, to a proposal, and finally to an actual tangible product is indescribable. You will have been there from the very beginning until the very end, and you have been the driving force behind it. It’s almost like watching your baby fly the nest after such a long time of nurturing.

Finding Solutions

As a product specialist you have the chance to fix issues that you have previously had as a user. You can utilise the experiences, struggles, and desires that you have personally had as a user, and create a solution that will smoothen the process. To be able to fix something that you have experienced as a problem is extremely gratifying and very satisfying!

Creative Experimentation!

When creating something new, there’s likely going to be lots of surprises, unexpected challenges, learning opportunities, and a chance to tap into that creative problem solving. There’s going to be trial and error, and mistakes, but that all falls within the role. These mistakes mean that you constantly have the chance to try new things, learn, and adapt in order to grow your professional skills, whilst continuing to develop products efficiently.  Failure and mistakes are the only way to make sure you’re doing something the right way! Every error is a chance to learn and improve.

You never stop learning!

Based on all of the above, and what ties it all together, is the consistent enablement of learning. At every turn there are new things to explore, new challenges to solve, new solutions to find. There’s never a lack of things to do in Product as there will always be problems to fix! As you take on new product projects, you will have the chance to continue to experiment, continue to learn, and create solutions from scratch and nurture it until it is ready for release. Each product journey and lifecycle give you the chance to take responsibility from the start to the end of a product delivery, which is exciting in itself! Every part of the product journey is a learning opportunity!

Why get into product?

Product is exciting! The opportunity for personal and professional growth, combined with being able to constantly be creative and experimental makes the Product space extremely attractive to a variety of different people, from graduates to ex-coders, and everyone in between. The Product space is growing, and the number of businesses hiring for Product Managers and Product Owners is rapidly growing. Now is a great time to be in Product.

If you’re looking for your next role in Product, or if you are hiring to grow, develop, or mature your Product function, get in touch today to discuss more about how I can help you take your next steps.