Growth Product Manager
What is a Growth Product Manager?
A Growth Product Manager (GPM) has a distinct goal: don’t just build products, but fuel their growth. Sometimes called a Product Growth Manager, this role centers around tackling specific business objectives like boosting acquisition, user activation, retention, referral, or revenue in order to grow the company.
Unlike a traditional Product Manager who juggles a bit of everything, the Growth PM has a laser focus on removing barriers to customer value. In other words, they’re obsessed with unblocking users on their journey to product success – and making sure that success drives measurable impact for the business.
Growth PMs and core PMs share a common goal: solving customer problems. But while a core PM might be overseeing everything in the Product Management lifecycle from development to launch, the Growth PM zeroes in on product-led growth initiatives with the highest potential to impact key metrics. For them, it’s not just about launching new features; it’s about ensuring every change accelerates growth, often by experimenting, iterating, and relentlessly tracking results within a build-measure-learn approach.
Growth Product Management is a data-driven discipline. Where traditional Product Management of old might have once emphasized shipping products, Growth PMs are all about optimizing them. By studying user data, user journeys, customer feedback loops, and performance metrics, Growth PMs make evidence-based adjustments that remove friction points and boost engagement, often without needing a massive redesign. They’re the people who look at what’s working, amplify it, and cut what isn’t.
In short, where traditional Product Managers might bring the product to market, Growth Product Managers make sure it keeps climbing once it’s there. They turn great products into unstoppable growth engines, focusing less on building and more on unleashing.
What are the responsibilities of a Growth Product Manager?
A Growth Product Manager (GPM) wears many hats, but every one of them is geared toward driving measurable growth. Unlike standard Product Managers, who oversee the broader vision and product strategy, Growth PMs zero in on specific, high-impact business metrics like acquisition, retention, and revenue growth. Their role is all about unearthing ways to amplify a product’s reach and enhance its value without reinventing the wheel.
Here’s a breakdown of the core responsibilities of a Growth Product Manager:
- Analyze user behavior: Growth PMs dive deep into data to uncover patterns in user behavior, surfacing insights that could point to growth opportunities. They’re always searching for the data that can lead to actionable strategies.
- Identify opportunities for growth: By keeping a close eye on user data, GPMs pinpoint ways to expand the user base or boost existing user retention and engagement. This might mean finding new markets, enhancing product features, or spotting untapped opportunities for revenue growth.
- Run experiments: A/B testing and experimentation are key tools in the Growth PM’s toolkit. They’ll test hypotheses on selected user segments, analyzing feedback to refine approaches in things like user journeys or come up with a pivot strategy if needed. This continuous loop of testing and learning helps a Growth Product Manager to optimize the product’s growth trajectory.
- Make recommendations for improvements: Growth PMs use the data from experiments and analysis to make concrete, data-driven recommendations for product improvements. Whether it’s adding features, streamlining UX, or adjusting pricing models, these recommendations are always aimed at pushing growth forward.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams: Growth PMs work with teams across Marketing, Sales, Design, and Engineering to make sure the product roadmap aligns with growth goals. This cross-functional collaboration ensures that product-led growth strategies are practical, scalable, and integrated across all areas of the business.
Lets not beat around the bush here. You’re probably thinking that these tasks are something any Product Manager could (and often does) perform. So what’s going on here? Why does the Growth Product Manager job role exist if we already have core Product Managers doing this stuff, and potentially more?
Well, the difference lies in the focus: while core PMs manage every aspect of a product’s lifecycle, Growth PMs concentrate solely on scaling that product, prioritizing strategies that yield direct business outcomes. It’s a role that exists to ensure growth doesn’t just happen by accident – it’s engineered.
A Product Manager might spread themselves a bit too thin across all these responsibilities. Introducing a Growth Product Manager to the mix makes sure these crucial growth-related tasks aren’t missed.
Why does the Growth Product Manager role exist?
The Growth Product Manager role is relatively new in the field of Product Management, but its fast rise speaks volumes about where SaaS and tech companies are focusing right now. In the wake of the turbulence of recent years – layoffs, budget cuts, and significant losses across tech – there’s been a shift.
Many companies that once prioritized “big-picture” product development are now sharpening their focus on growth and revenue generation. It’s a shift that’s driving companies to create specialized roles to achieve targeted growth rather than assuming growth will simply follow great products.
The economic pressures of recent years have effectively planted the idea that Product Managers need to prioritize business growth and not just build a product pipeline. From that need sprang the Growth Product Manager role.
Growth PMs are all about using data and experimentation to identify and amplify what works while removing friction for users. They don’t just build; they tweak, test, and amplify until the product is a steady engine for growth.
And it’s catching on fast. According to research from Lenny Rachitsky, Since Q1 of 2022, growth-focused roles, including Growth Product Managers, have surged by 117%, outpacing the more traditional PM roles, which rose by 103% in comparison. This growth trend is backed by companies’ increasing need to scale up quickly, get to market faster, and drive metrics that show measurable, bottom-line impact.
A Growth PM’s job, therefore, isn’t just a niche focus – it’s a critical response to a tech landscape where steady growth has become non-negotiable. Growth PMs are now the hot ticket for companies aiming to bounce back from tough times and find scalable ways to expand their user base and revenue.
The Growth Product Manager role exists to ensure companies don’t just have great products—they have growing ones.
🏞 Source 👇: Lenny’s Newsletter, Jul 23, 2024
Growth Product Manager vs Product Manager
Here’s the thing with the Growth Product Manager role. It’s essentially a Product Manager with a very specific spotlight on driving growth and generating revenue. While both roles focus on solving customer problems and improving the product, the Growth Product Manager’s responsibilities come with an extra emphasis. Growth is built right into the title as a constant reminder that their top priority isn’t just product excellence – it’s measurable growth.
See, we think that all the stuff the Growth Product Manager role focuses on is stuff that should have been on the Product Manager’s shoulders already. If you think about it, shouldn’t every Product Manager be striving for growth anyway?
Growth Product Managers do what Product Managers are expected to do already. The difference here is that companies have made growth so central to their business goals that they’ve created an entire role dedicated to ensuring it doesn’t get lost in the shuffle. It kind of serves as a reminder of what your main, numero uno priority is.
Let’s explain this by looking outside Product Management at a different example: Content Writing.
Now as a Content Writer, your aim is to write quality material that engages the reader and converts them down the funnel. That kind of goes without saying. But say a Content Writer isn’t doing a good enough job. There are spelling mistakes, the articles are too short, and people aren’t reading or liking them, so the Content Writer gets fired.
After a while, the company realizes pretty quickly that they still really need a Content Writer – just a really good one that drives conversions. To make sure that they don’t have the same problem again, they might post an opening for a “Conversion Content Writer.” The addition of “Conversion” is there to ram home that the company’s priority isn’t just words on a page; it’s writing that drives real results.
This is kind of what ‘Growth’ means in the Growth Product Manager role. Companies want to ensure the product actively drives revenue and user engagement, so they slap the “Growth” label on the PM role. It’s a way to reemphasize what’s at the heart of their commercial goals: growth.
Now, before you get your pitchforks out, this is not an attack on either Product Managers or Growth Product Managers. In fact, it’s not about picking sides at all. It’s about recognizing that both roles ultimately aim for growth; it’s just that Growth PMs are laser-focused on commercial outcomes.
Traditionally, Product Managers may have focused more on customer needs and feature development, prioritizing what’s best for users. Growth PMs, however, might make calls based on what benefits the business most, like choosing to build features that increase revenue rather than solely meet specific customer requests.
Regardless of title, growth is a priority for any Product Manager today, especially in product-led businesses where scaling is essential. Whether you’re a PM or a Growth PM, demonstrating growth has become the name of the game. So, how do you do that?
Well, you can find out in our webinar with ProdPad Co-Founder Janna Bastow. Here, you’ll learn how to ‘do’ Growth Product Management. Register below:
[Webinar] How to ‘Do’ Growth Product Management
How Do You Become a Growth Product Manager?
If you’re already a Product Manager, chances are you’re handling growth tasks as part of your day in the life of a Product Manager, so in a sense, you’re halfway to becoming a Growth Product Manager. That said, with many companies viewing this as a step up (and often offering a higher average salary) moving into an official Growth PM role can be an attractive goal.
To make this leap, you’ll need to prove that growth is more than just a part of your responsibilities; it’s a driving focus. Show that you’re actively generating measurable results, whether it’s through user acquisition, retention, or revenue expansion. You’ll need to illustrate a track record of growth-centric achievements, demonstrating that you understand what actions drive business impact and that you’re already bringing this growth mindset into your current role.
Transitioning to Growth Product Manager typically involves a deep understanding of what makes a business tick. You need to be well-versed in engagement strategies, and the kinds of initiatives that ultimately boost the bottom line. In other words, if you want to step into this role, start by making growth the heart of your approach to Product Management.
Skills needed to become a Growth Product Manager
To build a foundation for this role, you’ll want to develop a few core skills. Most Growth Product Managers come from core PM or Business Analyst backgrounds, so if you’re in one of these positions, it’s a great place to start. From there, aim to gain expertise in growth-focused areas like data analysis, customer lifecycle management, and experimentation methods (e.g., A/B testing).
Because Growth Product Management is a newer role, what you’ll do may vary between organizations. But a few core traits and skills set successful Growth PMs apart. Here’s a look at what you’ll need to excel:
Curiosity and experimentation: Be eager to experiment, measure impact, and learn from outcomes. Growth PMs thrive on testing assumptions and exploring new ways to reach users and drive conversions.
Analytical skills: Growth PMs live by the data. Strong analytical skills and a methodical approach are essential, as you’ll be making data-driven Product Management decisions about which features and initiatives have the most growth potential.
Customer-centric insight: Understanding your customer is critical. You’ll need a clear grasp of their motivations, user pain points, and barriers to realizing the product’s value. Growth PMs constantly think about how to reduce friction in the user experience and spend time creating documentation like user stories and user personas.
Cross-functional collaboration: Growth initiatives often require buy-in across multiple departments. Growth Product Managers need diplomacy to work with diverse Product Teams, Engineering, and Marketing teams, and align everyone on growth-oriented goals. Stakeholder management is a very important skill to have.
Effective communication: Communicating your product vision and making a compelling business case for initiatives is crucial. Growth PMs need to advocate for their priorities, explain the “why” behind their experiments, and rally growth teams around these goals.
Ultimately, a Growth Product Manager is intensely focused on results, prioritizing efforts that maximize business impact. While these skills are valuable for any Product Manager, they’re essential for Growth PMs, where every decision is rooted in the drive to scale the business.
What are your main KPIs as a Growth Product Manager?
When you’re in the driver’s seat as a Growth Product Manager, you live and breathe key performance indicators (KPIs). These metrics are your guiding lights, letting you know if you’re being successful or not. Here’s a rundown of the key KPIs that every Growth Product Manager should have on their radar:
1. User activation
User activation measures how quickly and effectively users are discovering and experiencing value in your product. It’s often defined by the user completing a core action or reaching a certain milestone – like setting up an account, completing a profile, or creating their first project.
The faster users experience your product’s wow moment, the more likely they are to stick around and become loyal customers. A Growth Product Manager is laser-focused on reducing the friction that stands in the way of achieving a good activation rate.
2. Daily active users (DAU)
Daily Active Users (DAU) is a core metric for gauging engagement. It tells you how many people are using your product daily, giving you insight into its relevance and stickiness. Growth Product Managers track DAU closely to ensure users are not only onboarded successfully but are also consistently engaged.
Spikes or dips in DAU can reveal a lot about the product experience, and Growth PMs use this data to fine-tune features, implement retention strategies, or introduce new value-driving elements.
3. Customer lifetime value (CLV)
Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) is all about understanding how much revenue an average customer will generate over the entire time they use your product. Growth Product Managers focus on maximizing CLV by driving retention and expanding the ways customers find value in the product. Higher CLV often means more loyal users and a steady stream of revenue – essential metrics that indicate long-term growth potential.
4. Customer retention rate
Customer retention rate shows the percentage of users who continue to use the product over a specific period. It’s a critical indicator of user satisfaction and the product’s value in users’ lives. Growth Product Managers focus heavily on retention because acquiring new users is just one piece of the puzzle – keeping them engaged and coming back is where sustainable growth happens. Retention rate insights often fuel strategies for nurturing user loyalty and preventing churn.
5. Churn rate
Churn rate measures the percentage of users who leave or stop using the product over a given period. High customer churn can point to underlying issues like lack of engagement, dissatisfaction with features, or misalignment with user needs.
A Growth Product Manager closely monitors churn to identify when and why users are dropping off, so they can address the root causes, whether it’s through improving the customer experience, rolling out new features, or re-engaging lapsed users.
6. Revenue Growth Rate
Ultimately, Growth Product Managers are focused on driving revenue, so tracking the rate of revenue growth is essential. This KPI looks at the pace at which your revenue is increasing over time, providing a big-picture view of your product’s financial health.
Growth PMs pay close attention to this rate and work with cross-functional teams to launch initiatives that encourage users to upgrade, purchase add-ons, or renew subscriptions – anything that impacts the bottom line.
Ready, Set, Grow: Wrapping Up on Growth Product Managers
The Growth Product Manager role isn’t just a job – it speaks of a new way of thinking. Growth PMs are hyper-focused on outcomes that fuel user engagement and revenue, cutting through the noise to zero in on what really moves the needle. They’re like architects who don’t just design a building; they actively find ways to expand, strengthen, and continuously optimize it to keep the occupants (users) happy and invested.
Growth Product Managers bring an explicit focus on blending creative experimentation with a relentless pursuit of measurable impact. Where other PMs may juggle multiple hats, the Growth PM’s “hat” is growth itself, ensuring that every feature, tweak, and initiative is aligned with clear business goals. This role is essential as companies adapt to dynamic markets, where the difference between staying afloat and thriving often boils down to how quickly a product can grow and adapt.
ProdPad is the perfect Product Management tool to help you stay laser focused on driving growth outcomes. With Now-Next-Later roadmaps, linked to a full OKR management system, the entire platform is structured to align Product Teams around core business outcomes.
Let one of our product experts show you around your new growth tool!