Product manager to chief product officer
A product manager already meets 23% of what the chief product officer role asks for. The move turns on 16 required skills not yet in the profile.
74.8/ 100
1 How much of what a chief product officer is expected to do is already part of a product manager’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the chief product officer role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A chief product officer role treats 5 of its required skills as things a product manager already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- develop new products
- integrate marketing strategies with the global strategy
- plan product management
- product comprehension
- product data management
What stands in the way is 16 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 7 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A chief product officer role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a product manager background worth leading with.
- already held develop new products communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held plan product management management skills
- already held integrate marketing strategies with the global strategy management skills
- already held execute marketing plan communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held product data management business, administration and law
- already held develop product design communication, collaboration and creativity
All 7 carried skills, including the 5 the chief product officer role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 24 missing skills fall into 6 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn develop the product catalogue required
- still to learn align efforts towards business development required
- still to learn collaborate in the development of marketing strategies required
- still to learn implement strategic management required
- still to learn integrate new products in manufacturing required
- still to learn interact with the board of directors required
- still to learn perform product planning required
- still to learn develop product policies required
- still to learn lead managers of company departments required
- still to learn lead the brand strategic planning process required
- optional, not held draw up marketing and sales plan optional
- optional, not held develop company strategies optional
- optional, not held plan marketing strategy optional
- still to learn keep up to date on product knowledge required
- still to learn monitor proper product handling required
- optional, not held collect briefing regarding products optional
- optional, not held keep updated on innovations in various business fields optional
- still to learn characteristics of products required
- still to learn product packaging requirements required
- optional, not held research and development in textiles optional
- still to learn business strategy concepts required
- still to learn marketing management required
- optional, not held blockchain optional
- optional, not held blockchain consensus mechanisms optional
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a chief product officer role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 characteristics of products study this
- 02 develop the product catalogue practise this
- 03 keep up to date on product knowledge practise this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 7 skills that carry over
- already held develop new products skill
- already held integrate marketing strategies with the global strategy skill
- already held plan product management skill
- already held product comprehension knowledge
- already held product data management knowledge
- already held develop product design skill
- already held execute marketing plan skill
8 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held draw up marketing and sales plan optional
- optional, not held blockchain optional
- optional, not held blockchain consensus mechanisms optional
- optional, not held research and development in textiles optional
- optional, not held collect briefing regarding products optional
- optional, not held develop company strategies optional
- optional, not held keep updated on innovations in various business fields optional
- optional, not held plan marketing strategy optional
55 held skills the chief product officer role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role advise on communication strategies skill
- not needed by the target role analyse consumer buying trends skill
- not needed by the target role analyse cultural trends skill
- not needed by the target role analyse data about clients skill
- not needed by the target role analyse economic trends skill
- not needed by the target role analyse market financial trends skill
- not needed by the target role apply strategic thinking skill
- not needed by the target role carry out sales analysis skill
- not needed by the target role circular economy knowledge
- not needed by the target role combine business technology with user experience skill
- not needed by the target role consumer goods industry knowledge
- not needed by the target role coordinate events skill
- not needed by the target role cost management knowledge
- not needed by the target role create prototype of user experience solutions skill
- not needed by the target role define technology strategy skill
- not needed by the target role design customer experiences skill
- not needed by the target role design management knowledge
- not needed by the target role develop business plans skill
- not needed by the target role develop communications strategies skill
- not needed by the target role develop promotional tools skill
- not needed by the target role develop revenue generation strategies skill
- not needed by the target role draw conclusions from market research results skill
- not needed by the target role ensure products meet regulatory requirements skill
- not needed by the target role follow production schedule skill
- not needed by the target role identify market niches skill
- not needed by the target role industrial research and development knowledge
- not needed by the target role make data-driven decisions skill
- not needed by the target role manage budgets skill
- not needed by the target role manage feedback skill
- not needed by the target role manage product testing skill
- not needed by the target role manage production systems skill
- not needed by the target role manage profitability skill
- not needed by the target role manage the customer experience skill
- not needed by the target role manage the handling of promotional materials skill
- not needed by the target role market pricing knowledge
- not needed by the target role market research knowledge
- not needed by the target role maximise sales revenues skill
- not needed by the target role organise participation in local or international events skill
- not needed by the target role oversee quality control skill
- not needed by the target role perform market research skill
15 further entries not listed here
7 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn characteristics of products required
- still to learn business strategy concepts required
- still to learn marketing management required
- still to learn product packaging requirements required
- optional, not held blockchain optional
- optional, not held blockchain consensus mechanisms optional
- optional, not held research and development in textiles optional
Other moves recorded from product manager
- product development manager 56% covered · moderate
- category manager 28% covered · career change
- promotion manager 27% covered · career change
- banking products manager 26% covered · career change
- sales manager 24% covered · career change
- marketing manager 23% covered · career change
- brand manager 21% covered · career change
- online community manager 19% covered · career change
Common questions about this move
Can a product manager become a chief product officer?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. A product manager already covers 23% of what a chief product officer is expected to do: 7 skills carry over, 5 of which the chief product officer role treats as required.
What skills does a product manager need to become a chief product officer?
16 required skills are missing, plus 8 optional ones. They fall into 6 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by communication, collaboration and creativity. The single most important is characteristics of products.
How hard is the move from product manager to chief product officer?
Its learning distance is 74.8 out of 100, which is the substantial band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.