Blurring the Lines: Product Ops and the New Clinical Model of Tech

My path into product operations didn’t follow a straight line—and that’s true for many of us. It was an opportunity that presented itself in the most unpredictable moments of our careers. We were tossed in—support reps, biz ops weirdos, analysts with half a foot in the backlog. Somewhere along the way, we started doing more than keeping the lights on. Individuals holding the product operations title soon became synonymous with their product management counterparts. Leaving many confused as to who we are, what we do, and ultimately second-guessing who’s the one calling the shots.

We’re at a turning point—if we haven’t crossed it already—in the evolution of product operations. Yes, voice-of-customer, identifying trends, building feedback loops, and creating efficient operational systems are still critical elements for Prod Ops - but more and more, there appears to be a trend where product operations is asked to step in deeper within the product development lifecycle. It’s not uncommon for product operations to take up requirements gathering, PRD writing, write dev tickets, and join in on grooming sessions. I mean, it’s almost a natural progression to do so considering we’ve become the human bridge between cross-functional teams. This is where the “Aha” moment hit.

It reminds me of healthcare. In many practices, nurse practitioners now perform duties once exclusive to doctors. Diagnosing patients. Writing prescriptions. Owning treatment plans. Not because the system broke—but because the system evolved.

I’m not saying PMs will become ceremonial sign-offs—but I do believe we’re approaching a timeshare model of product development. Some pods have already done versions of splitting up the product development lifecycle between product and product ops, but I believe the key is finding where that clear-cut line needs to be drawn. Too much product ops involvement may lead to thrash, slowing down or completely throttling product decisions. Too little and product managers will make ill-informed decisions.

As the dust settles, one thing is certain: product operations is no longer just a supporting act. The next stage of our evolution will reshape what it means to build products faster and better.