The role of a product manager is not to be a mini-CEO, according to John Cutler, Head of Product Research & Education at Amplitude. The product manager should not be the only decider. Instead, the product manager should function as a team facilitator bringing context and guiding discussions.
John used to be fanatical about this view of the product manager’s role. He still agrees with it, but he’s softened his stance a little.
In the three years he’s worked at Amplitude, a company that offers digital analytics tools which is used by more than 1,000 enterprise customers, John has met with more than 500 product development teams. Seeing how different teams operate has given him an appreciation for the role culture plays in team dynamics.
In this episode, hear John discuss his obsession with cross-functional teams (and how to make them work effectively), and why analytics and research are essential for building a successful team.