France is leading the way in digital product leadership in Europe, edging ahead of the UK and Germany, according to a new report. Nearly half of French businesses reported that customers’ shift towards the use of digital products would have a ‘major impact’ on their approach to product management, compared with just 36% of businesses in the UK. French organisations are also leading the way in using data insights to shape their product roadmap, with 41% championing this approach versus 36% in the UK.
Pendo – a company that provides software that makes software better – has released its fourth annual State of Product Leadership study in Europe, which explores trends impacting product management and the evolution of the product manager role. The study is based on a survey of 350 technology product management executives and managers from software and traditional enterprises across France, Germany and the UK.
This year’s report shows European product managers rising in influence and impact overall as record venture funding fuels growth and innovation in the region’s technology start-ups and large enterprises accelerate Digital Transformation initiatives. Product teams are also under increasing pressure as companies seek to optimise digital investments made during the pandemic.
“Product leaders are the heroes of any digital organisation – they make sure their companies build the right software and that customers find value in it,” said Todd Olson, CEO and Co-founder of Pendo. “Our study shows that, with the right data and technology, European product teams can deliver software that meets rising consumer expectations and drive their companies’ Digital Transformation forward in 2022.”
Product management is a central, strategic function in European companies
Since last year’s survey, product teams have taken on more responsibility in 16 of 17 business functions, including customer onboarding and education, achieving revenue goals, customer feedback, go-to-market strategy and sales enablement. And in the most innovative companies, product teams are two times more likely to be responsible for their company’s Digital Transformation efforts. In France, half of the businesses cited product teams as responsible for Digital Transformation, compared to just 38% and 31% in the UK and Germany, respectively.
Product teams bring rigour to the business, using data to drive product decisions and measuring the impact of revenue gains
Product managers became more data-driven over the past year – they’re nearly twice as likely to use quantitative insights to make road-mapping decisions than a year ago. Across all three markets, revenue and product usage are now considered the most important metrics of product management success. Last year, survey respondents were primarily measured by how well they delivered against the product roadmap. These findings show teams are more focused on increasing usage and monetisation of the products and features they launched, rather than introducing new ones.
