The analogy of a product manager as a synthesis of the Hindu trinity — Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva — offers a compelling framework for understanding the multifaceted nature of this role. It transcends a simple job description and delves into the fundamental forces that shape (product) lifecycles.
In the realm of product development, the product manager embodies Brahma, the Creator. This creative force is not merely about generating novel ideas, but about translating abstract concepts into tangible realities. It is about crafting a vision, defining a product’s purpose, and orchestrating the initial stages of its existence. This requires a profound understanding of market needs, user desires, and technological possibilities, all interwoven to birth a product that holds potential.
However, creation is merely the genesis. The product manager, in their Vishnu aspect, assumes the role of the Preserver, ensuring the product’s longevity and prosperity. This involves nurturing its growth, optimizing its performance, and safeguarding its relevance in a dynamic market. They are the stewards of the product, meticulously monitoring its progress, addressing challenges, and fostering its evolution. This preservation demands a strategic mindset, an analytical approach, and a deep commitment to the product’s enduring success.
Yet, stasis is anathema to innovation. The product manager, embodying Shiva, must also be the Destroyer, not of the product itself, but of its obsolete forms and stagnant paradigms. This transformative power necessitates a willingness to dismantle the status quo, to embrace change, and to reinvent the product in response to evolving market demands and technological advancements. It requires a relentless pursuit of innovation, a courage to challenge assumptions, and an ability to guide the product through cycles of reinvention, ensuring its continued relevance and impact.
Therefore, the product manager is not merely a project coordinator or a feature deliverer. They are architects of innovation, guardians of progress, and catalysts for transformation. They embody the creative force that brings products into being, the preservative force that sustains their growth and the transformative force that ensures their enduring relevance. It is this dynamic interplay of creation, preservation, and transformation that defines the product manager’s essential role, driving the product’s journey from conception to market dominance.
Originally published at https://itishreeb.substack.com.
