This CPO regrets that product management exists | Tom Verrilli (CPO of Whatnot)
In a Nutshell
Tom Verrilli, CPO of Whatnot, argues product management shouldn't exist as a default function—PMs should only be hired for specific needs because they "infantilize" engineers and designers who are capable of making decisions themselves. The company operates with just 21-22 PMs for massive GMV by mapping PMs to problems rather than teams, having managers do 90%+ IC work, and prioritizing senior PMs who execute rather than coordinate. This approach works because fewer, more senior people with strong judgment can leverage AI tools to move faster while maintaining ground truth across the product.
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Tom Verrilli, CPO of Whatnot, states that the company's product team was built on the premise: "We regret that product management exists." This is articulated to force the organization to remember that PMs should not be hired for the sake of hiring them, but only where there's a really specific need.
Product management didn't originally exist as a specialist function. In early internet businesses, the business, founder, or CEO types talked directly to engineering and design about what needed to be built. As internet businesses scaled faster than any other businesses in history, execution specifics were delegated. However, this delegation was rarely a specialist role - it was usually just fewer details communicated to engineers and designers who understood the context.
The idea of a specialist decision-making class in tech is a more modern function than a pure necessity. The optimal scenario would be if engineering and design had the context needed to make great decisions themselves, staying so in touch with users that they could make the same decisions a product manager would make.
The only argument for product management as a specialist function is that it's a trade, not a qualification - something you get good at by doing. It's a muscle built by reps. The more you do it, the better you get at it. However, the flip side is that the more you abstract engineers and designers from doing the same thing, their muscle gets underdeveloped.
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