Personalities Are Also Products
In product management, we often focus on tangible products: software, hardware, and services. However, you might not realize that personalities can also be scalable products in their own right. YouTubers, Twitch streamers, essayists, and other content creators are leveraging their unique traits and skills to solve pain points and drive innovation at scale.
Let's explore how this phenomenon aligns with key aspects of product management such as defining target audiences, rapid experimentation, and scalability.
Crafting Personality Products
Defining Target Audiences
Successful creators are masters at identifying and catering to specific audiences.
For example, Marques Brownlee (MKBHD), Tim Urban of Wait But Why, and Salman Khan of Khan Academy each serve distinct demographics with tailored content that addresses their unique needs and interests.
MKBHD delivers in-depth tech reviews, targeting tech enthusiasts who crave detailed and trustworthy insights. His clear explanations, high-quality production, and engaging personality have earned him over 16 million subscribers on YouTube. By consistently delivering value to his niche audience, MKBHD has established himself as a go-to source for tech reviews.
Similarly, Tim Urban captivates readers with long-form, visually rich essays that simplify complex topics, appealing to intellectually curious individuals. His blog, Wait But Why, tackles subjects ranging from artificial intelligence to procrastination, using humor and relatable analogies to make the content accessible. Urban's unique storytelling style and ability to break down intricate concepts have attracted a loyal following.
Meanwhile, Salman Khan provides educational content aimed at students and lifelong learners, democratizing access to high-quality education. Khan Academy offers a vast library of free educational videos covering subjects from math and science to history and economics. By identifying the need for accessible, engaging educational content, Khan has built a platform that serves millions of learners worldwide.
These creators continuously refine their content to align with their audience's evolving preferences. They use data and feedback to understand what resonates with their target audience and adapt accordingly. This iterative approach mirrors the product management process, where customer feedback and data-driven insights guide product improvements.
Rapid Experimentation
Content creators constantly iterate on their formats and topics, similar to how product managers experiment with features and functionalities. Rapid experimentation allows creators to test new ideas, gauge audience response, and optimize their content for maximum engagement and impact.
For instance, RockSlope, a high school math teacher and Twitch streamer, combines his ability to connect with young adults with video games to create engaging variety content. He experiments with different games and interaction styles to find what resonates best with his audience. By playing a diverse range of games like Hades, Ori, Minion Masters, Hearthstone, Stardew Valley, and Touhou Project, RockSlope keeps his content fresh and appealing to a wide audience. His willingness to try new things and adapt based on viewer feedback has helped him build a thriving community on Twitch, and his ability to spark enthusiasm across a variety of age ranges has led to a flourishing Discord community.
RockSlope's approach to content creation mirrors the rapid experimentation process used by product managers. He continuously tests new ideas, measures their impact, and iterates based on the results. If the experiment proves successful, he can double down on that content type and further refine it. If it falls flat, he can quickly pivot and try something else. This agility, viewer empathy, and data-driven decision-making are hallmarks of effective product management.
Similarly, Tim Urban's approach to content creation involves experimenting with various storytelling techniques and visual elements to maintain reader interest and convey complex ideas effectively. He incorporates illustrations, diagrams, and humor to make his essays more engaging and memorable. This flexibility and willingness to pivot based on audience reception are hallmarks of successful product management.
Urban understands that his readers have limited time and attention, so he must continually find new ways to keep them engaged. By experimenting with different formats and styles, he can identify what works best and double down on those elements in future essays.
Scalability and Impact
The scalability of personalities as products is a key factor in their success. Content creators leverage multiple platforms to reach broader audiences and create diverse revenue streams. This multi-platform presence allows them to scale their impact and monetize through various means such as ads, sponsorships, merchandise, and donations.
MKBHD, for instance, uses YouTube, podcasts, and social media to distribute content and engage with his audience. His wide reach has attracted sponsorships from major tech brands, enabling him to monetize his content while maintaining editorial independence. By diversifying his content distribution and revenue sources, MKBHD has built a sustainable business around his personal brand.
Khan Academy exemplifies scalability in education. By offering free, high-quality educational videos online, Salman Khan has reached millions of learners worldwide. The platform's scalability ensures that educational resources are accessible to anyone with an internet connection, amplifying Khan's impact exponentially. Khan Academy has not only provided educational opportunities to underserved communities but has also inspired a new generation of educators to create and share content online.
The scalability of personality products also allows creators to have a greater impact on their respective industries. As their reach and influence grow, they can shape trends, drive innovation, and inspire others to follow in their footsteps. For example, MKBHD's success has helped legitimize tech reviews as a genre and has inspired countless other creators to start their own tech-focused channels. Similarly, Khan Academy's impact has extended far beyond its own platform, as educators around the world have adopted its model and created their own online learning resources.
Innovation and Pain Solving
Personality-driven products often drive innovation by addressing pain points that traditional media and educational institutions overlook. Content creators use their unique perspectives and skill sets to tackle complex issues in a way that resonates with their audience.
For example, Tim Urban's blog post on procrastination, "Why Procrastinators Procrastinate," dives deep into the psychological mechanisms behind procrastination and offers practical strategies for overcoming it. By presenting the topic in a relatable and engaging manner, Urban helps readers understand and address a common struggle. His innovative approach to tackling procrastination has not only helped countless individuals but has also sparked discussions about mental health and productivity in the workplace.
Similarly, Khan Academy has revolutionized education by providing free, high-quality educational content to anyone with an internet connection. Khan's innovative platform has disrupted the traditional education model, making learning more accessible and affordable. By solving the pain point of unequal access to education, Khan Academy has empowered millions of learners worldwide to pursue their educational goals.
An Optional Path for Product Managers
Product managers can choose to productize their personalities, leveraging their unique perspectives and expertise to build personal brands. This path can be highly rewarding both personally and professionally.
That said, I want to make it very clear: this path is optional! You don’t need to productize your personality to be successful in product management.
I’ve seen too many people stress out over creating PM content with the mistaken impression that it will get them a title promotion or a new job; honestly, it almost never pans out that way.
Podcasts or speaker events almost never directly impact career trajectories - instead, they open up “side paths” that people can explore outside of their full-time role.
That said, if you’re interested in pursuing this path because you’re interested in the craft of “personality products,” I’ll share a bit more about it below.
Shyvee Shi, a product manager at LinkedIn, has successfully built her personal brand by sharing her insights on career development and product management through LinkedIn posts and public speaking engagements. Her content resonates with aspiring PMs and professionals seeking career advice. By sharing her knowledge and experiences, Shi has not only helped others navigate their careers but has also established herself as a leader in the product management community.
Building a personal brand as a product manager can lead to new opportunities, such as speaking engagements, consulting gigs, and even entrepreneurial ventures like book launches. It enables product managers to extend their impact beyond their immediate work environment and contribute to the broader product management community.
Moreover, personal branding can help product managers develop valuable skills such as communication, storytelling, and thought leadership, which can enhance their effectiveness in their core roles.
However, it's crucial to approach personal branding with the right mindset and expectations. Productizing your personality should be driven by a genuine desire to share knowledge, help others, and contribute to the community, not by a quest for fame or quick career advancement. It requires consistent effort, patience, and a willingness to learn from feedback.
Product managers who pursue this path should also be prepared to face challenges such as balancing their personal brand with their day job, dealing with online criticism, and maintaining authenticity in the face of increasing visibility.
Again, I want to stress: you’re not going to get promoted because you’ve decided to productize your personality.
And, if you decide not to productize your personality, that’s a valid and honorable choice as well. Too many social media platforms exert pressure on us to “put on a public performance” at all times, whether it’s pictures or tweets or status updates.
I do not wish to add to this existing pressure, which is why I think it's crucial to be honest about the career impacts of productizing your PM personality. Your success as a product manager will ultimately depend on your skills, experience, and ability to drive results, not on your public persona.
While personal branding can be a valuable supplement to your career, it should never come at the expense of your core responsibilities or well-being.
The Future of Personality Products
As the creator economy continues to grow and evolve, we can expect to see even more innovative examples of personality products. With the rise of new platforms, technologies, and monetization models, the opportunities for creators to turn their passions into scalable products continues to expand over time.
One development is the emergence of creator coins and tokens, which allow fans to directly support their favorite creators and gain access to perks. Platforms like Rally and BitClout enable creators to launch their own currencies, giving them new ways to monetize their brands and engage with their communities. As these models mature, we may see a new generation of creator-entrepreneurs who are able to build entire ecosystems around their personalities.
Another trend to watch is the increasing convergence of personality-driven products with traditional media and entertainment. As creators gain more influence and credibility, they are being tapped by brands, studios, and publishers to create content, products, and experiences that blur the lines between online and offline worlds.
For example, MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson), one of YouTube's most popular creators, has leveraged his massive online following to drive real-world change. He co-created Team Trees, a fundraiser for the Arbor Day Foundation that raised over $23 million for tree planting campaigns.
Donaldson also co-founded Team Seas, a fundraiser for Ocean Conservancy and The Ocean Cleanup that has raised over $30 million to remove trash from the world's oceans. These initiatives demonstrate how personality-driven products can extend beyond the digital realm and make a tangible impact on pressing global issues.
As product managers, we can learn a lot from the success of personality-driven products and apply those lessons to our own work. By studying how creators define their target audiences, experiment with new ideas, and scale their impact, we can gain valuable insights into how to create products that resonate with users and drive meaningful change.
At the same time, we should also be mindful of the unique challenges and opportunities that come with building products around personalities, such as maintaining authenticity, managing fan expectations, and navigating the ever-changing landscape of the creator economy.
Closing Thoughts
The concept of personalities as products showcases the intersection of personal branding and product management. Content creators like MKBHD, Tim Urban, and Salman Khan illustrate how clearly defined target audiences, rapid experimentation, and scalability can drive significant impact.
For product managers, this trend offers insights into leveraging personal brands to extend their influence and drive innovation. While not a mandatory path, productizing one's personality can open new avenues for professional growth and impact.
However, it's important to approach personal branding with the right mindset and expectations. Product managers should pursue this path out of a genuine desire to share knowledge and contribute to the community, not as a shortcut to career advancement. Success as a product manager ultimately depends on skills, experience, and the ability to drive results, not on public persona.
As the creator economy evolves, we can expect to see even more innovative examples of personality-driven products, from creator coins to nonprofits. By studying these trends and applying the lessons learned to our own work, product managers can stay ahead of the curve and create products that truly resonate with users.
At the end of the day, whether we're building tangible products or crafting personality-driven ones, the core principles of product management remain the same: understand your audience, solve real problems, and strive for continuous improvement.
Thank you to Pauli Bielewicz, Mary Paschentis, Goutham Budati, Markus Seebauer, Juliet Chuang, and Kendra Ritterhern for making this guide possible.
