What is an Inverted Product Manager?
In the dynamic world of product management, we recognize the unique challenges faced by those who specialize in security, safety, and privacy. The Inverted PM Community is a hub for those who work on preventing harm caused by malicious intent, driving impact in the shadows, and making a positive difference in the digital landscape. We are a different breed of product people, and all our challenges are somewhat “inverted”.
In the area of product management, you’re already accustomed to bridging engineering, marketing, sales, and leadership teams. But in the security space, we’ve identified several key differences between being an Inverted PM and a traditional PM:
1️⃣ Your Persona: In this adversarial landscape, your multi-sided audience involves protecting the “good actors” from the “bad actors.” Unlike other multi-sided products, the spaces you navigate have an inherent adversarial relationship. Balancing competing objectives is challenging, especially when identifying a “bad actor” is a craft in itself.
2️⃣ Strategic Approach: Your battle is adversarial. Launching protections triggers adaptations from malicious actors, making it an ongoing battle. Unlike traditional PMs, your strategy isn’t solely based on user needs. You can’t set broad goals like becoming a leader in a category; instead, your focus is on combating bad outcomes.
3️⃣ Measurement Challenges: Enter the “Invisible Line.” Metrics become elusive as you can’t definitively gauge the extent of badness out there. Detecting more badness doesn’t mean failure, and a decrease doesn’t necessarily indicate success. It’s a nuanced challenge that sets you apart.
4️⃣ Unique Launch Approach: Comparison is your vital tool. Measure the impact of features and policies by launching to a subset and observing the change in detected badness. Clarify to stakeholders that these impacts are specific to that particular launch at that specific time.
5️⃣ Communication Style: “Security is like air.” When communicating as an Inverted PM, emphasize the impact of your work not happening. Educate stakeholders about the adversarial nature of your role, addressing queries about making certain actions impossible by referencing earlier sections.
6️⃣ Hard Trade-offs: Defining criteria for preventing bad outcomes involves navigating a sea of trade-offs. Acknowledge the impact on other metrics within the company, as your security features may influence other teams’ products. Embrace the reality of false positives and negatives.
7️⃣ Impactful Mission: The heart of your journey lies in making hard trade-offs to prevent bad outcomes driven by bad actors. The satisfaction comes from potentially saving lives and sparing people from the impact of abusers. Your mission is to create a world free from the badness you combat.