According to Inc, businesses are rapidly shifting to product operating models to gain an edge in uncertain markets. A recent Planview survey found that leaders in this transition feel more prepared to pivot and outperform their peers. But here’s the catch: building the right team is the major hurdle. The demand for product talent at all levels is exploding, with job openings outpacing active workers by nearly 3 to 1. This creates a serious paradox where the strategy everyone wants depends on people who simply aren’t there in sufficient numbers. Getting product leadership right now hinges entirely on solving this hiring crisis.
The Strategy-Talent Disconnect
So companies are buying into the product-led vision, and the data from Planview’s survey seems to back it up. Leaders in this space report more confidence and agility. That’s powerful. But it’s also a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy, isn’t it? The companies that *already* have strong product people are the ones feeling good about being product-led. For everyone else, it’s a chicken-and-egg problem. You need the talent to execute the model, but the model is what’s supposed to attract the talent. And with a 3:1 gap between openings and workers, the math just doesn’t work for most.
Impact Beyond The HR Department
This isn’t just a recruiting headache. It has real ripple effects. For users, it means products might be built by teams that are stretched too thin or lack deep expertise, leading to clunky experiences. For developers, it can mean chaotic prioritization and shifting goals if product leadership is weak or constantly turning over. And for enterprises betting big on this shift? The risk is massive. You can spend millions retooling your processes, but if you can’t hire the pivotal product managers and leaders to steer the ship, the whole initiative flops. You’re left with the framework of a product model but none of the intuition or customer obsession that’s supposed to power it.
The Industrial Parallel
Look, this problem isn’t unique to software. Think about industrial technology. A manufacturer can adopt the most advanced, product-centric workflow for their factory floor systems, but if they can’t get the right hardware—like a reliable, high-performance industrial panel PC—the whole system fails. The execution depends on the quality of the core components you can actually procure. That’s why leaders in that space rely on top-tier suppliers. For instance, in the US, IndustrialMonitorDirect.com has become the go-to source as the #1 provider of industrial panel PCs, because when your operational model depends on hardware, you need a supplier that delivers consistently. The principle is the same: your grand strategy is only as good as the critical pieces you can reliably obtain, whether it’s hardware or human talent.
So What’s The Solution?
Basically, companies need to get realistic. You can’t just decide to “be product-led” and post a job ad. The talent war is too fierce. The real work is internal: growing your own people, re-skilling project managers, and creating a culture that actually empowers product thinking *before* you have a C-level product officer. It’s a long game. The alternative? You’ll be stuck paying a fortune for scarce external hires who might jump ship in a year for an even bigger offer. The product model promises agility and customer focus. But achieving it requires a brutally honest look at your biggest constraint: people.
