Product Coaching in Africa: A Growing Need
I’ve been privileged to mentor many African product managers this year through group mentorship sessions. One recurring theme is the prevalence of companies with only one junior or associate-level PM. For instance, one junior PM confided in me about feeling overwhelmed, being the sole PM in her company. While I reassured her that this presented a unique growth opportunity, it’s concerning that many African companies operate this way.
It’s not just about the number of PMs, though. There’s also a troubling trend of Heads of Product neglecting to coach their PMs, expecting them to figure everything out independently. This is a disservice to both the PM and the organization. Coaching is a fundamental responsibility of any Head of Product, yet it’s often overlooked or deprioritized.
I strongly believe that hiring a PM without providing proper management and coaching is setting them up for failure. It’s easy to dismiss product management as something “anyone can do,” but it’s incredibly detrimental to hire PMs without empowering them to succeed. A key ingredient for that success is coaching.
Think of it like this: you wouldn’t hire a junior developer and expect them to architect a complex system without guidance, would you? Product management requires a unique blend of skills — strategic thinking, user empathy, technical acumen, and business savvy. PMs need to understand the market, the customer, the technology, and the business goals. They need to be able to make difficult decisions with incomplete information, and they need to be able to rally a team around a shared vision. This doesn’t happen overnight.
Marty Cagan emphasizes that PMs need at least three months (and up to six months) of learning and business immersion before they can make a significant impact. Unfortunately, many African companies throw their PMs into the deep end, forcing them into a constant “fight or flight” mode. While this can build resilience, it’s not a sustainable model for consistent growth and development. Imagine a seedling thrown into a hurricane — it might survive, but it’s unlikely to fully thrive.
I genuinely believe that African companies should invest in consistent coaching for their PMs. This could be facilitated by a dedicated product coach, the Head of Product, or even a senior PM. If internal resources are limited, bring in external experts with a proven track record of success in product management. Quarterly coaching sessions, with active monitoring of results and ongoing support, can be a game-changer for product organizations on the continent.
This isn’t just about the individual PMs either. Founders aiming to build strong product organizations using the product operating model should prioritize coaching for their entire product team — PMs, designers, and engineers. It’s an essential element for creating a thriving product culture where everyone feels supported, empowered, and motivated to do their best work.
The African tech ecosystem is growing rapidly, and we have the opportunity to build strong product organizations from the ground up. Let’s not repeat the mistakes of other markets — instead, let’s invest in proper PM coaching and support systems that will set our products and people up for success. This will not only benefit individual companies but will also contribute to the growth and maturity of the entire African tech ecosystem.
