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Platform Product Management

The Unseen Power Behind Your Favorite Apps

Platform product management might not be the flashiest role, but it’s a crucial backbone of modern tech companies. While customer-facing product managers seem get the glory, platform PMs are the ones making it all work smoothly behind the scenes. They build the core infrastructure—shared services, frameworks, and tools—that supports multiple products, saving resources and ensuring everything runs like a well-oiled machine.

With AI infiltrating workflows (like Asana’s new AI Studio) and tools like MobileBoost automating app testing, platform PMs are key to integrating and scaling these technologies across organizations. They’re creating a world where innovations like Claude, a chatbot that can “use” your computer, aren’t just cool but functional and reliable.

Platform PMs need a unique mix of technical skills, empathy for internal teams, and patience for long-term impact. They don’t get instant gratification, but their work powers entire organizations. As tech companies evolve, the demand for platform PMs will only grow. So, if you’re a product manager looking to make a foundational impact, platform product management could be your next big move. It may be a quieter role, but it’s one that drives lasting value.

Paul McAvinchey Co-founder, Product Collective

The platform product manager: Why this trendy job might be your calling. Platform product management is a growing field that results from the complex internal environment of most maturing SaaS companies. Jessica Vomiero helps you figure out if this emerging role is the next stage of your career.

Skills for platform product managers. We often discuss the platform product manager role and how it differs from other product roles, but we rarely delve into what it takes to succeed in this space. If you think all roles are the same and require the same set of skills, Alex Craciun is here to tell you - that's not always the case.

The Internal Platform Product Manager. “Product managers that are looking for a challenge” — that is the ideal candidate for the role of internal platform product manager (PM), according to 16 of them that Lambros Charissis recently interviewed. Since internal platform teams are a matter of course in most software companies, it is worth learning more about the PMs of these teams. Lambros summarizes those conversations and outlines the biggest challenges and benefits, as well as the skills and behaviors required to be successful in this job.

Principles and strategies for effective platform product management and navigating its evolving landscape. Nima Torabi put together this extensive guide to platform product management to help you ensure your platform efforts are successful.

Making an impact as a platform product manager - ProductTank London. Even at established tech companies, ‘platform’ is frequently misunderstood. It’s a black box that many folks don’t dare to peer into. Platform product management is an increasingly common specialism, but this emerging discipline is often misunderstood inside and outside an organization. This talk from ProductTank London dispels some of the myths about platform product management and establishes common dimensions to help explain its value.

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Resources and news curated by Kent J. McDonald.