Product Management for Women: Empowerment through Leadership in Digital Innovation

Increasingly, digital innovation is enhancing outcomes in product management careers, from improving efficiency to enabling data-informed decision-making. Women, who occupy an estimated 36% of product management roles, are ideally positioned to lead this initiative. By developing the right skills, staying on top of trends, and seeking out the support necessary to excel, women can bring the latest in tools and solutions to their employers and advance in the field.

The Role of Digital Innovation in Product Management

Recent developments in technology have created immense potential for change across the product management field. Such advances include the following:

• Automation to streamline workflows and tasks
• Increased data collection and processing capability
• Proliferation of AI tools

Product managers trained through Carnegie Mellon University’s Master of Science in Product Management (MSPM) program are uniquely positioned to stand at the forefront of the digital transformation process. The core curriculum builds essential skills like data-informed decision-making and incorporates a rigorous analytical framework, which product managers can use to identify market trends, anticipate user needs, and drive the creation of cutting-edge digital products that exceed customer expectations. By aligning their technical capabilities with strategic vision and creativity, MSPM graduates help technology-driven industries stay ahead of the curve and deliver high-impact solutions. 

Women in Product Leadership: A Highly Effective Combination

Having a diverse leadership team can be critical to product success. For example, diverse teams have been found to make higher-quality decisions an estimated 87% of the time. Companies with more women in leadership positions also outperform companies without gender diversity in leadership across multiple areas, including market share, profitability, and shareholder returns.

In the product management field, strong professional networks and mentorship relationships can have an immense impact on future career outcomes and leadership advancement.

Carnegie Mellon’s MS in Product Management: Preparing Women for Digital Innovation

Carnegie Mellon’s MSPM program strives to provide women with the tools and connections they need to excel in their future roles. The one-year program that helps students develop their skills in business, technology, design, and leadership. This joint program between the prestigious Tepper School of Business and the top-ranked School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon provides students with hands-on experience, including an internship and capstone project to help students further develop their skills. 

The program integrates digital innovation and leadership development through courses like Managing People and Teams, meaning future product leaders develop the skills they need to build, motivate, and lead high-performing, cross-functional teams.

It also includes mentorship opportunities, alumni connections, and access to industry leaders, empowering women to cultivate the relationships and confidence needed to thrive in leadership roles.

Trends in Digital Product Development and the Future of Product Management

There are many trends currently shaping the future of product management, such as the following:

• Streamlining tasks like data analysis, customer support, and product development through automation
• Predicting future trends and user behaviors through analytics and AI 
• Gaining deeper knowledge of customer behavior through data-informed insights
• Improving product demonstrations and training through augmented reality
• Streamlining production, improving quality, and reducing costs through robotics

By engaging with these trends in product management, women can leverage them to drive innovation across their organizations. Digital product development for women can provide amazing opportunities, and staying at the forefront of these digital innovations is critical.

Alumni Success Stories: Women Leading in Product Management

Women are increasingly moving into product management roles through digital innovation. The Tepper School is proud to highlight two of our 2024 alumnae that are making moves in the product management space.

Brielle Irving, a digital product manager at RocketMortgage, maintains balance as a mother while advancing her career in AI product management. She started her career in large global staffing organizations and startup tech, where she observed the impactful work of product managers. Eventually, she was able to hire and fill product manager positions, which provided her with greater insight into the incredible value of these individuals and the work they performed. She enrolled in Carnegie Mellon’s MSPM program to pursue product management as part of her own career path. 

Priyanka Khandelwai

Priyanka Khandelwai, a Senior Technical Product Manager at Amazon Web Services, also experienced the benefits of the MSPM program, developing career-boosting skills through the MSPM curriculum. "The prestige of CMU, coupled with its well-structured curriculum and robust alumni network, attracted me to the MSPM program," shared Priyanka. "The most valuable skill I gained was learning how to 'ask the right questions.' Professor Beth's class on 'Communication for PMs' proved to be instrumental during my internship."

Enroll in Carnegie Mellon’s MS in Product Management Program Today

Digital innovation is rapidly transforming product management, making it an optimal time to develop key skills and move into this field. If you are ready to take the next step in your career, explore the application process for the MSPM program today and learn how you can develop the expertise you need to lead in digital product management.