It has been a long journey in the IT industry—moving from development into leadership roles. One thing remained constant: never standing still. Continuous learning, experimenting, and staying aligned with evolving technology shaped the way I approach products and teams today.
This journey led me to be recognized as a Technical Product Manager, sometimes referred to as a T-Shaped Product Manager. That said, this title does not imply knowing everything. It reflects a balance—depth in one area, with awareness across many.
What T-Shaped Really Means
A T-shaped profile combines broad understanding across disciplines (the horizontal bar) with deep expertise in one area (the vertical bar).
For a Technical Product Manager:
- The depth lies in technology
- The breadth spans business, user experience, delivery, and stakeholder alignment
This balance enables better decision-making, clearer communication, and more realistic product outcomes.
The Reality of Going Beyond Roles
Throughout my career, I have often gone beyond what was expected. Not to take over someone else’s role, but to ensure the product succeeds.
At the same time, I have been careful not to step into ownership that belongs to others.
This is where things get complicated.
Even when roles are clearly defined, boundaries are not always obvious in practice. Questions naturally arise:
- Where does a Technical Product Manager stop and a Solution Architect begin?
- How does a Product Manager differ from a Marketing or Growth Manager?
These overlaps are not just theoretical—they create real tension within teams.
When Ambiguity Turns Into Conflict
Role ambiguity often leads to friction in cross-functional teams.
Not because people are wrong—but because:
- It challenges ownership
- It disrupts comfort zones
- It creates a sense of being questioned
In some cases, this tension becomes visible through reactions like:
“Do you want to join the development team?”
Statements like this are rarely about the actual discussion. They reflect discomfort when boundaries feel unclear.
If not handled carefully, such situations can lead to unhealthy team dynamics—where instead of focusing on building great products, individuals begin protecting their space.
And a team with internal conflict will rarely deliver its best work.
Defining the Roles (From Experience)
Product Manager
- Owns the vision, problem space, and outcomes
- Focuses on users, business goals, and prioritization
Technical Product Manager
- Bridges business and technology
- Understands systems, constraints, and trade-offs
- Challenges decisions constructively while staying outcome-focused
Development Lead / Solution Architect
- Owns the technical design and implementation approach
- Ensures scalability, performance, and maintainability
How I Approach the T-Shaped Role
Being a T-shaped Technical Product Manager is not about control—it is about clarity and alignment.
From my experience, a few principles help maintain that balance:
1. Go Deep, But Not Too Far
Understanding technical details is important. Owning them is not.
The goal is to:
- Ask better questions
- Understand trade-offs
- Avoid unrealistic expectations
Not to replace engineering decisions.
2. Stay Outcome-Focused
Discussions should always connect back to:
- User impact
- Business value
- Long-term product direction
This keeps conversations grounded and reduces personal friction.
3. Respect Ownership
Every role exists for a reason.
Crossing boundaries occasionally is natural. Staying there is where problems begin.
4. Handle Challenges Carefully
Challenging ideas is necessary. Challenging people is not.
The difference lies in:
- How questions are framed
- The intent behind them
- The respect shown in conversations
Where to Draw the Line
From experience, the line becomes clearer with intent.
Step in when:
- Product outcomes are at risk
- Trade-offs are unclear
- Technical decisions impact user experience
Step back when:
- The discussion is purely implementation-focused
- The team is aligned on direction
- Input starts becoming prescriptive
Final Thought
The T-shaped Technical Product Manager operates in a space that naturally overlaps with others. That overlap is not a problem—it is a necessity in modern product teams.
The real challenge is managing it with awareness.
It is not about knowing everything.
It is not about controlling decisions.
It is about connecting perspectives without creating conflict.
And when done right, it turns a group of individuals into a team that builds with clarity, not competition.
Tahir Shahzad
Tahir Shahzad is a Product Manager, Product Owner, and technology consultant with over a decade of experience helping startups and organizations build products people actually use. If you are working on a product problem worth solving, reach him at tahirshahzad.com/contact/
