Brian Chesky, CEO of Airbnb, eliminated the PM (Product Manager) position in order to manage with design. This decision was a big deal in Silicon Valley, and designers welcomed it, but existing PMs and developers did not. Chesky realized that the PM role was inefficient as the company grew, and he believes that design-centered management can run the company better, and he is practicing it.
What Chesky is talking about is closer to role adjustment than the uselessness of planners, which was a topic of debate in Korea in the past.
Design-centered management
Empowering designers: We've elevated designers to the same level as PMs.
Introducing the Product Marketer: We combined marketing and PM by changing the existing PM role to ‘Product Marketer’.
A/B Testing Limitations: We decided to only conduct A/B tests when absolutely necessary.
Opinion leaders' reactions
Julie Zhou, former VP of Meta Design: “Products need to be built by people with great judgment.”
Steve Johnson, VP of Design, Netflix: “It’s time to create new roles and responsibilities.”
Lenny Rachitsky, former Airbnb engineer & PM: "Having a good PM makes everything easier."
Questions to think about
Is design-centric management the future trend?
If the PM role disappears, what jobs could fill the void?
Who has more important judgment, a designer or a PM?
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