Product Operations
Product Operations is the function that builds 'products for the product team' - systems, processes, and infrastructure that help PMs and their partners work more effectively at scale. It bridges the gap between centralized product strategy and distributed execution without taking away decision-making from PMs.
The Guide
4 key steps synthesized from 5 experts.
Define the function as systems-building
Product Ops creates systems that allow product teams to thrive. The function doesn't make product decisions - it informs them by standardizing processes, surfacing insights, and reducing operational overhead. Think of it as building internal products for your PM organization.
Featured guest perspectives
"Product operations for a VP or a head of product or a product manager is the creation of some system that allows you to thrive or allows your team to thrive in product management."— Christine Itwaru
"Product operations does not take away decision making rights from the product manager. It's there to inform them."— Melissa Perri + Denise Tilles
Bridge product and operations
Product Ops originated to solve the gap between centralized product teams and distributed operations. The function sits with product but has accountability to operations, helping translate between the two worlds and ensuring product decisions account for operational reality.
Featured guest perspectives
"One solution to that problem, our solution at the time was to start up a new function called product operations who had accountability and reported into operations but physically sat with and operated much like a member of the product team to help solve that."— Brian Tolkin
Handle scaling work that distracts PMs
Product Ops takes on the work needed to scale product development - release management, enablement, operational tasks, and coordination. This frees PMs to focus on strategy and execution rather than process overhead.
Featured guest perspectives
"We invested early on in product operations... they basically are tasked with a lot of the work that needs to get done to continue shipping products and scaling product development."— Geoff Charles
Standardize insights and check-ins
At scale, Product Ops helps standardize how roadmaps are communicated, how user research is scaled, and how data insights reach teams. The function creates consistent formats and processes that make the PM organization more legible and efficient.
Featured guest perspectives
"Product management at scale is really hard, and that's where product operations comes in. So what it does is it helps you get the right insights to the team, and then help standardize those outputs and those check-ins."— Melissa Perri
Common Mistakes
- Having Product Ops make product decisions instead of informing them
- Not investing in Product Ops until scaling problems become critical
- Treating Product Ops as a project management function rather than systems-building
- Keeping Product Ops too far from either product or operations to bridge effectively
Signs You're Doing It Well
- PMs spend less time on process overhead and more on strategy
- Insights and data reach teams consistently without custom requests
- Release management and enablement happen smoothly at scale
- Product and operations teams speak the same language and align easily
All Guest Perspectives
Deep dive into what all 5 guests shared about product operations.
Brian Tolkin
"One solution to that problem, our solution at the time was to start up a new function called product operations who had accountability and reported into operations but physically sat with and operated much like a member of the product team to help solve that."
Christine Itwaru
"Product operations for a VP or a head of product or a product manager is the creation of some system that allows you to thrive or allows your team to thrive in product management."
Geoff Charles
"We invested early on in product operations... they basically are tasked with a lot of the work that needs to get done to continue shipping products and scaling product development."
Melissa Perri + Denise Tilles
"Product operations does not take away decision making rights from the product manager. It's there to inform them."
Melissa Perri
"Product management at scale is really hard, and that's where product operations comes in. So what it does is it helps you get the right insights to the team, and then help standardize those outputs and those check-ins."
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