Hello Reader,
Everyone wants to talk about becoming a Chief Product Officer. But few people ask the harder question: What does it actually take to be one?
In the last five years, we’ve seen a surge of new CPO titles pop up across LinkedIn. Startups, scale-ups, even late-stage enterprises have embraced the role, eager to signal that Product now has a voice in the executive room.
But here’s what I’ve learned working with organizations going through that transition: Giving someone the CPO title doesn’t mean the company is ready for what a true CPO does.
At some companies, the CPO is still expected to execute someone else’s vision. They’re handed strategy from the CEO and asked to “just make it happen.” That’s not a product leader. It’s a delivery lead in disguise. In other cases, the most senior product person is handed the title without ever shifting their altitude from team-level tactics to enterprise-wide strategy.
No wonder there’s so much confusion.
Part of the issue is that product management itself is still evolving. We’ve spent the last decade helping teams escape the build trap, moving away from output obsession and toward outcome-focused work. But the path to becoming a product-led organization doesn’t stop with the product team. It requires leadership that knows how to connect what we build to how the business grows.
That’s where the real CPO comes in
A true Chief Product Officer doesn’t just manage a team of product managers. They align the entire company around what products to build, when, and why. They shape product portfolio strategy that maps directly to business outcomes. They partner with the CEO, not just to execute strategy but to create it.
And to do that well, they need a different skill set than most product leaders have had the chance to develop.
Through my work with hundreds of companies, I’ve seen what separates VPs of Product from CPOs in practice, not just in title.
VPs tend to drive efficient execution. They focus on product delivery, team development, and sometimes, local strategy. It’s incredibly valuable work. But CPOs operate at a different altitude. They look across markets, portfolios, and customer segments. They propose strategic paths forward. They build alignment at the highest levels of the organization, often across multiple geographies and business lines. And they need the operational infrastructure to support that scale. This is where Product Operations comes in.
You can’t lead effectively if you’re flying blind. And too many product leaders spend more time wrangling roadmaps, tracking down performance data, or reconciling conflicting narratives than they do driving strategy. When companies mature, they need the connective tissue to make strategic decisions quickly and consistently. That’s the role of Product Ops: to give product leaders visibility, leverage, and speed. A great CPO will build this function out to support them in what matters the most: driving the strategy and ensuring greater execution.
How do you grow into a real CPO?
It’s not about mastering the latest framework or earning a new title. It’s about shifting how you think. Move from focusing on features to focusing on portfolios. From team-level KPIs to enterprise-level outcomes. From managing roadmaps to setting strategic direction.
And if you’re not there yet, that’s okay.
Use this moment to identify the gaps. Ask yourself where you’re already leading, and where you need support. Get access to the data you need to see the whole picture. Practice telling the strategic story that connects your work to business impact. Surround yourself with people who’ve been there.
Because product management isn’t just evolving. It’s expanding. And organizations that understand what product leadership actually looks like are the ones that will scale with purpose.
Need some help along the journey? Join us for the next cohort of the CPO Accelerator starting in September (only a few spots left) and take your leadership to the next level! Applications close July 31. You can apply at CPOAccelerator.com.
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See you soon,
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Melissa Perri
Founder Product Institute, Board Member, and Teacher
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