10 trends that will define product management in 2025
1. PLG will continue its ascent
Product-led growth was only invented as a term by Blake Bartlett in 2016. At 7 years old, it’s just now taking off as a concept. Many PMs are just beginning to internalize the conversion & retention lessons of PLG. It will continue to grow.
2. AI will make PM’s jobs more bearable
66% of PMs want to leave their jobs. There’s so much work and so many meetings. But AI can now do your meeting minutes for you, draft your vision statements, and edit your PRDs. PMs will leverage AI to be less stressed.
The Product Owner + Product Manager model will begin to fade. Having a PO focused on delivery and a PM focused on discovery is an old model. Most teams will move to the EM handling more of the “how” and the PM handling more of the “what” and “why.”
4. Product Ops will continue to grow
Melissa Peri’s endorsement was a strong one. The operations part of PM continues to grow, with companies like Walmart and others picking it up. Like RevOps and Marketing Ops before it, Product Ops is becoming inevitable.
5. We’ll see even less SaFe
2023 saw SaFe release its 6th version since its invention in 2011. Surprisingly, many companies continued to adopt it. But — the verdict is in. PMs are struggling with it. Execs too. The methodology, which is overly complex, will slowly fade.
6. More Product Leaders will become ‘GMs’
More product leaders will be accountable for “General Manager” (GM) output metrics: Revenue, costs, profits. This started in 2023 as a result of bear market tightening. But it’s set to say. PMs will measure input AND output metrics.
We’ll continue to see less ‘general PM’ job postings. Just like you see few ‘engineer’ postings. It’s front-end, back-end, full-stack. We’ll see core, growth, platform, AI, and technical PMs. PM will become more specialized.
8. Continued growth
Thousands of PMs were laid off at the end of 2022 and 2023. Some of them are still looking for jobs. But, on average, most are finding jobs within 3 months. With the new wave in the stock markets and the bouyancy of AI, PM jobs will see growth in 2025.
9. Less empowerment
Brian Chesky’s interview has emboldened CEOs everywhere. They’re not just empowering underperforming product teams anymore. They’re seizing the reins. They’re saying what to build. They’re getting in the design details. It’s a Yo-Yo away from empowerment.
10. Better experimentation
For years, PMs have been ‘p-hunting’ the 95% significance level. But we’re all getting increasingly burnt by bad A/B tests. Experimentation in product will be more purpose-driven. And more statistically accurate — with less peaking — in 2025.
