Product operations began to gain recognition around 2020, emerging from changed expectations for product managers and the challenges posed by the pandemic. Many professionals involved in product leadership found themselves fulfilling roles encompassing both the development and operational aspects of products. The importance of product operations lies in its ability to address contemporary challenges and enhance productivity, thus making it essential for companies to recognize and implement dedicated product operations roles or practices for better performance.
The rise of product operations didn't happen overnight. It started with changing expectations around what product managers should focus on, then the pandemic created three specific challenges that made dedicated operational support essential.
Understanding these drivers matters more than just historical curiosity. If you're in product ops, this framework helps you articulate your value when leadership questions your role's necessity.
Most importantly, our work has fundamentally changed since 2020, and it's not changing back. The companies that acknowledge this and build intentional product operations will outperform those that assume they can return to pre-pandemic ways of working.
We weren't struggling to build products before product operations emerged as a discipline. But as we and our work environments have evolved, product operations has risen to meet these new challenges.
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