Five Product Myths I Believed (And Why I Was Wrong)

Lessons learned from years of building, leading, and hiring in product management.

Product management has always been a mysterious role to outsiders. Ask ten PMs what got them their first product role and what makes them successful, and you’ll get ten different answers. This ambiguity has fueled countless myths, each acting like a door—opening opportunities for some while keeping others out.

These myths often suggest there’s a single “right way” into product management. The doors can be so intimidating that even those who stray even slightly from the ‘right way’ often feel shut out. I recently spoke to an MBA student at a top Indian B-school, who had a CS degree and experience in UX design. Even with such excellent credentials, she doubted her path to product management simply because she’d stepped away from software development

There’s some truth in each of these myths, but treating them as absolute truths can create either false confidence or unnecessary doubt, depending on which side you’re on. What’s worse is when leaders buy into these myths, they risk becoming exclusionary, discriminatory, and ultimately less effective—both in hiring top talent and in driving impact within their organizations.

But here’s what I’ve learned: there isn’t just one door. No matter your background, personality, or strengths, you can carve your own path and be wildly successful in this role. 

Here are five of the most persistent myths I once believed—and why they don’t define what makes a great product manager.

1. The PM is the CEO of the product

April 2010. As a first-year MBA student at Emory, I was one step away from my dream internship: product management at eBay. I was a bit nervous, but I was ready. Or so I thought. Five minutes into the interview, the hiring manager asked what excited me most about product management. I had a perfect answer prepared for this one: ‘A product manager is the CEO of the product.’ He smiled—a little too politely—and continued the conversation. The conversation did not last long and I walked out of that room knowing that I wasn’t getting the internship, but I wasn’t sure why. 

At the time, I couldn’t understand why the hiring manager wasn’t impressed. The answer was quoted almost verbatim from the most famous essay on the topic those days: “Good Product Manager, Bad Product Manager” by  Ben Horowitz.¹ It was practically required reading for aspiring PMs like me. Even Marty Cagan doubled down on this idea on his SVPG blog²: ‘The successful product manager sees himself as the CEO of the product.’ Armed with this advice, how could I possibly go wrong?

Fourteen years later, after shipping countless products at companies of all sizes and scales and sitting on the other side of the interview table, I finally understand why my answer didn’t land. A product manager needs the accountability of a CEO but lacks the authority. CEOs can make decisions with a flick of their wrist; product management, on the other hand, is all about influence without authority. It’s not about calling the shots—it’s about aligning teams that they have zero control over to drive outcomes they are held accountable for. That’s the real skill of a PM, and it’s far more nuanced than any ‘CEO of the product’ soundbite.

Not surprisingly, this idea is so catchy it just refuses to die. In a recent survey I conducted, 88% of aspiring product managers still believe it. 

So the next time you hear someone say, ‘The PM is the CEO of the product,’ don’t just smile politely. Ask what they really mean—because that’s where the real learning begins.

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2. MBA is needed to be a successful PM

During my software engineering days at Adobe, my tech lead once said, “In the entire history of Adobe, AG is the only one to make it to product management without an MBA.” In retrospect, I doubt the story’s authenticity, but at that time, that was it. One sentence and my career assumptions were set in stone. I became convinced that an MBA wasn’t just helpful—it was essential for a successful PM career. 

That belief led me to overestimate the importance of an MBA during my first few years post-MBA. At Microsoft, I worked with extraordinary non-MBA product professionals whose skills often left me in awe. Yet, I continued to see them as outliers rather than proof that success in product management wasn’t tied to an MBA. It wasn’t until much later in my career that this myth began to crack.

In 2017, as I prepared to return to India after eight years in the US, I interviewed for a role at OYO. The interview loop suggested I would report to the COO, a Harvard MBA—exactly the kind of leader I admired. But when I joined a month later, I was a bit disappointed to know that I’d be reporting to the CTO instead.

That disappointment didn’t last. Over the next two and a half years, the CTO profoundly shaped how I built products, solved problems, and hired exceptional talent. Most importantly, he showed me how to foster a product-focused culture—an invaluable lesson I carried into my role as Chief Product Officer at Dineout. His impact on my career had nothing to do with an MBA.

Since then, many of the best product managers I have worked with, hired, and/or managed didn’t have MBAs, and many did. What set the best ones apart was their ability to think strategically, communicate effectively, and solve problems creatively, not their MBA or lack thereof. 

Don’t get me wrong—I’m still a proud Emory MBA alum and I deeply value the skills and experiences my MBA provided. However, I now view the MBA as one of many paths to success, not a prerequisite.

Still not convinced? In August, Zomato India made headlines by appointing four of their best delivery partners as product managers.

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3. You need a degree in Computer Science to be a good product manager:

When I set my sights on product management as my top post-MBA career choice, I was confident I had the perfect resume: an MBA paired with a strong background in software development, complete with an undergraduate degree in Computer Science. In my mind, that combination was the golden ticket.

But then came the MBA internship fair in the Bay Area. As I sat in the waiting area with my single interview invite—yes, the one with eBay—a gentleman from Cornell struck up a conversation. He had three interview invites. Intrigued, I asked about his background. Surely, he must have a Computer Science degree. Nope. Psychology. Maybe he’d attended a coding boot camp? Not even close—he’d spent his career in market research at a non-tech company I had never even heard of. I was aghast. Life felt so unfair.

With a few years of experience building products at companies of all sizes, I now view this very differently. For highly technical products, such as those rooted in machine learning or complex engineering systems, a background in Computer Science or Data Science can certainly be a huge asset. Even for less technical products, basic technical fluency is needed—not just to foster stronger communication and build credibility with engineers but also to make informed decisions. As Ken Norton says, you need to be “technical enough,” and what qualifies as “enough” depends on the product and the company.³

That said, these skills can be learned. And the reverse is equally true: PMs with technical degrees often need to develop skills like customer empathy, storytelling, and clear writing—strengths that come more naturally to those with backgrounds in psychology, humanities, or design. The best PMs I’ve worked with are those who step out of their comfort zones to grow in areas they lack, whether it’s technical fluency for non-techies or customer-centric thinking for techies.

In the survey I mentioned earlier, more than half of aspiring PMs believed a Computer Science degree was a prerequisite. Interestingly, the split was similar between those who had worked with product managers and those who hadn’t. The belief endures, but I hope it won’t for much longer.

The 2010 Amit Bhatnagar would likely find himself in stark disagreement with his more experienced 2024 self. But the reality is clear: a Computer Science degree, like an MBA, is a tool—not a prerequisite.

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4. Product Management is not for introverts. 

On my first day at Emory, we took the MBTI test. For the introversion vs. extroversion dimension, I scored a 2/10, almost the farthest end of the spectrum. 

Unlike the previous myths that either excited or made me overconfident for wrong reasons, this one almost scared me away. As an introvert, meeting some PMs who appeared charismatic and outgoing made me wonder: Could someone like me, who thrives on reflection and quiet problem-solving, ever succeed in this role?

This doubt still lingers among aspiring PMs today. In my survey, 40% believed that “Great PMs need to be extroverts.”

Thankfully, this was the first myth to be shattered for me. As I started reading more about the discipline, I discovered that some of the greatest product builders—Bill Gates, Larry Page, and Sundar Pichai—have openly shared how their introversion has been an asset, not a hindrance. Even among modern product management thought leaders, Ken Norton, Lenny Rachitsky and Shreyas Doshi identify as introverts.

This is not to say extroverts can’t be good product managers. They bring their own unique strengths to product management. Collaboration with engineers, designers, and stakeholders is essential, and extroversion might come in handy.

But introverts bring unique strengths to the table—active listening, deep thinking, and empathy—that make them exceptional collaborators. These traits allow introverted PMs to tune into their customers’ needs, ask better questions, and make thoughtful decisions.

In hindsight, I realize my initial mistake: many of the PMs I thought were extroverts may not actually have been extroverts. Many simply communicated clearly and confidently, —a skill often mistaken for extroversion. I still make this mistake today. An ex-colleague, who I always assumed to be an extrovert, recently described herself as a “pseudo-extrovert”: an introvert who happens to be an excellent communicator.

And that’s the key: clear, impactful communication matters far more than extroversion. It’s a skill anyone can develop—regardless of personality type.

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5. A PM needs to be an Idea Machine 

Early in my career, I believed that generating a wealth of good ideas was a key marker of a great product manager—an endless fountain of creativity that would fuel innovation. 

This belief came to life in one of the most embarassing applications of my career —in hindsight. While applying for a PM internship at a startup named inSparq, I encountered the essay question: “What is Facebook missing that you would like to see?” Determined to stand out, I sent in a laundry list of ideas—personalized recommendations, testimonials, better survey tools, and even an “unsubscribe” button for those endless notification threads. Back then, I thought this brainstorm was guaranteed to get me an interview call. As they say, there are no bad ideas in brainstorming and my ideas were actually good. Looking back at that application, I can’t help but cringe. The ideas were actually pretty decent for somebody with zero product experience, but there was no execution plan, no validation, and no sense of prioritization. Unsurprisingly, I never heard back.

Now, I know better. Ideas are critical—they spark innovation and set the direction for a product. But ideas alone don’t make a product manager. In fact, too many ideas without focus can become a liability.

What truly sets great PMs apart is their ability to prioritize. Sometimes, the hardest part of being a PM is killing good ideas to focus on the great ones. Idea machines often get too attached to everything they generate, while great PMs prioritize ruthlessly to ensure resources are directed toward the most impactful opportunities.

But prioritization is just the starting point. A PM’s true strength lies in execution—turning ideas into reality. This means aligning teams, navigating constraints, and delivering value to users. Even the best ideas are meaningless if they aren't executed well. 

As a hiring manager, I prefer to hire people who excel at both ideation and execution, but if forced to choose, I’ll pick an execution machine over an idea machine every time. Why? Because execution is what transforms ideas into great products.

If I have to advise my younger self, I would give him a pat on the back for the list of ideas and then ask him to re-apply with the whole list of ideas and then pick one big powerful idea to expand on. 

The value of a PM isn’t measured by how many ideas they generate—it’s measured by the impact they create. And that impact always depends on more than just the idea.

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Steve Jobs, arguably one of the world’s greatest product managers, is proof that these myths are just that - myths. He didn’t have an MBA. He couldn’t code. He was famously introverted, preferring solitude to boisterous networking events. And while he was brimming with ideas, he believed that the hallmark of great companies was killing good ideas to focus on truly great ones.

Jobs’ success wasn’t about walking through any single door but building his own. He aligned diverse teams, relentlessly prioritized what mattered, and communicated his vision with clarity and impact. If anything, Jobs reminds us that product management isn’t about fitting into a mold. It’s about creating value by drawing on strengths from all walks of life.

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Which of these myths have shaped your perspective on product management—whether you’re just starting out, currently navigating the role or building teams? Take a moment to reflect and share your thoughts in the comments. Together, let’s demystify product management and create a more inclusive, impactful profession!

1. Originally published by Ben Horowitz in 1997 during his time at Netscape, this essay was republished on the a16z blog in 2012.: https://a16z.com/good-product-manager-bad-product-manager/

2. Marty Cagan’s blog, where he emphasizes on the “CEO of the product” analogy: https://www.svpg.com/recruiting-product-managers/

3. Ken Norton’s article on why some companies keep the CS-degree filter and why you just need to be “technical enough” for the role: https://www.bringthedonuts.com/newsletter/product-manager-technical-enough.html