Should you specialize or stay versatile in product?

A few years ago, I accepted a role as a senior product manager at my first Big Tech company, excited by the prospect of creating impact at scale. The first three months flew by in a blink. I was empowered to solve a significant problem in logistics—a domain that was entirely new to me—and ended up launching an MVP in less than six months. Yes, you read that right: not a feature or an improvement, but a 0-to-1 product in less than six months, which is relatively fast by most Big Tech standards.

But the high of the launch quickly dwindled, and I felt “stuck.” Can you relate to this feeling? If so, read on…

If you're a product manager, you've probably asked yourself this question more than once: Should I develop a niche in a certain domain and stick to it, or should I be open to learning and creating impact in new domains every few years?

I hope the following introspective questions and learnings from my experience help you decide one way or the other.

Some people discover their passion for a specific field—healthcare, cybersecurity, automotive—early in their careers. Others, like me, are less attached to a single problem space but thrive by quickly learning the critical aspects of a new domain, building authentic relationships with subject matter experts, and applying curiosity and intuition to navigate challenges.

Ask yourself which of these approaches resonates more with your personality and career goals. Remember, your answer may evolve over time, and that’s okay.

Choosing to be a domain-agnostic product manager can open up exciting opportunities, as you’re not bound to a single industry or problem space. To thrive, though, you need to build the right mindset. Here are a few strategies that have helped me.

As a domain-agnostic product manager, you’ll often need to demonstrate impact in areas where you have limited prior experience. This can be daunting, but it’s also a rewarding challenge.

Follow your intuition and look for signs of engagement. If you’re a metrics-focused product manager, you might benefit from tracking your learning journey and periodically reflecting on your pace of growth and interest. If you find yourself hesitant to dive deep, it may be a signal that you’re not fully invested in that domain.

External feedback from subject matter experts on your understanding of the domain can also be a valuable input to validate your self-assessment.

Landing an exciting role with a desirable title and compensation can be exhilarating, but those factors alone won’t sustain you. Early in my Big Tech role, I realized that no matter how hard I tried, logistics planning didn’t excite me. Like many, I felt compelled to push through for financial or personal reasons.

However, this approach led to burnout. My turning point came when I reframed my contributions. A product I launched reduced tons of carbon emissions weekly, aligning with my personal values around sustainability. That alignment gave me a renewed sense of purpose, even in a domain that wasn’t initially exciting.

Domains and industries evolve due to changes in customer preferences, technological advancements, and market demands. A domain that excites you today might lose relevance tomorrow. Consider major shifts such as the transition from analog to digital cameras, traditional taxis to ride-sharing apps, and DVDs to streaming platforms.

Keep an eye on industry trends, and be prepared to pivot. Sometimes, adapting is the best course of action; other times, preparing an exit strategy might be more prudent. Having a planned strategy ensures you land on your feet when circumstances change.

Transitioning between domains can be challenging, but there are core skills you can develop and leverage to make these shifts more seamless.

Having a solid foundation in analytics positions you to dive deep into data, validate hypotheses, and become self-sufficient as a product manager. This ability often earns you respect and trust from engineers, data scientists, and stakeholders, especially when you back your conversations with data.

Another core, yet often underutilized, skill is empathy. Empathy can be developed and strengthened over time by contributing voluntarily to design, engineering, or analytics work. Gaining firsthand experience in these areas helps you appreciate the challenges associated with each function and enables you to consider problems from multiple perspectives.

Empathy, however, doesn’t end with your peers—it’s equally important to apply it to your users and customers. A mentor once told me that balancing empathy with accountability is key. For example, letting a customer know that their feature request won’t be prioritized is challenging, but doing so with empathy can lay the groundwork for a strong relationship.

Clear communication is arguably the most important skill for a product manager. When I first joined Amazon and authored my first one-pager, I received feedback to avoid "weasel words" (e.g., "significant impact" or "extremely high customer churn"). Since then, it’s become second nature for me to craft product documents that support every claim with data.

But effective communication goes beyond backing your ideas with data. It requires clarity of thought and the ability to move from an ambiguous problem space to a well-defined product strategy that is relevant and actionable.

Managing impostor syndrome is one of the most important, yet least discussed, aspects of becoming a domain-agnostic product manager. I can’t count the number of times I’ve sat in a room filled with self-doubt, questioning whether I belonged. While there’s no magic formula to overcome it entirely, these strategies have helped me manage it more effectively.

The first time I was in a room with experts in cloud technologies, I wanted to find the nearest exit and disappear. I overcompensated by working late hours, taking on small projects, and trying to learn everything about every cloud service. However, this approach didn’t yield the results I hoped for.

Eventually, I spoke with a mentor who helped me realize that these feelings were common and not a reflection of my capabilities. By acknowledging and labeling my feelings, I shifted from feeling inadequate to being curious. Adopting a growth mindset was transformative and, paired with a healthy dose of vulnerability, allowed me to keep learning without the overwhelming pressure to excel.

I first opened up about impostor syndrome fairly late in my career, sharing my feelings with a peer I trusted and felt psychologically safe around. If it’s difficult to discuss your struggles at work, consider confiding in friends or family members in similar professions. Having a safe outlet to talk about impostor syndrome can help you learn new strategies and become more comfortable addressing this challenging topic.

Growing up, I was taught not to broadcast my successes. This mindset led me to downplay my achievements and move from one goal to another without pausing to celebrate. Over time, this lack of celebration left me feeling unfulfilled.

Working with a professional coach helped me recognize the importance of celebrating wins, big or small. Taking the time to savor accomplishments before moving on has allowed me to reinforce my strengths and take ownership of my successes. This pause between goals has brought a greater sense of balance and fulfillment to my career.