Don’t Hire a Product Manager

**Thinking About Hiring a Product Manager? Hire A Design-Led team instead**

I get it, Product Managers are the shiny unicorns of today’s tech world. And in spite of downturns in the job market, Product Management roles are on the rise. But instead of hiring a Product Manager, here’s a fresh perspective; Consider building a team where an Experience Strategist takes the lead, supported by Designers and Project Managers. It’s a different approach, but one that’s proven smarter, more efficient, and more holistic.

The Smarter Approach
Let’s face it—product managers are often feature-focused. But features alone don’t make an amazing product. Winning products are functional, cohesive and even delightful. A design-led strategy means focusing on the user from the get-go, not just adding patches along the way. To achieve this, you need more than just someone who thinks sprint to sprint. You need macro-thinkers—people who look at the big picture, the long-term vision, and how every touchpoint of your product contributes to an unforgettable experience.

Product managers prioritize “agile development” and “lean methodology” --both attractive concepts to companies with tight budgets. But this also means decisions are made to create “the most efficient MVP” first, and addressing gaps and user needs second. As an experience strategist, I don’t just react to usability or conversion issues; I anticipate them. Instead of reacting to customer frustrations post-launch, I work with insights right from the start, leveraging consumer behavior, market trends, and user data to build better experiences from day one.

Data backs this approach up too. Design-led companies outperform others by 219% on the S&P 500, according to the Design Management Institute. These companies invest in understanding their customers and designing solutions around their needs. A study from McKinsey showed that companies with strong design capabilities achieve 32% more revenue growth than their peers. Why? Because they’re not just thinking about the next feature—they’re thinking about the next 5 years.

Here’s the thing: Products aren’t just a collection of features. They’re an ecosystem of experiences. By putting an experience strategist at the center of the process, supported by designers and project managers, you’re building a team that thinks holistically, not just functionally. You get thoughtful, longer-term solutions, instead of short-term fixes.

So, before you go out and hire that next product manager, ask yourself: Do you want to manage features, or do you want to create experiences?

If it’s the latter, let’s chat.