Some PMs build, some scale, and some optimize
High-performing Product teams start at matching the right PMs to the right problems
Some PMs build, some scale, and some optimize. Kristin Dorsett, CPO at Viator, believes high-performing product teams start with matching the right PMs to the right problems. 👇
Check out the full episode with Kristin here:
Not every PM should be a visionary
There are different kinds of PMs:
0 to 1 PMs (Builders): The ones who thrive in ambiguity and love starting from scratch
1 to 100 PMs (Scalers): Take a scrappy but promising solution and turn it into something scalable and maintainable
100 to 101 (Optimizers): Detail-oriented, fine-tuning to eke out the last bit of performance
Trying to fit everyone into the same mold only leads to misalignment.
Here’s how to balance a team of builders, scalers, and optimizers.
Match the right person to the problem
Trying to fit every PM into the same mold only leads to misalignment.
“Where I’ve seen things not go so well is if you put a zero-to-one on something like risk or compliance... they’re going to struggle. And it’s not that either is better — they’re just better at different types of problems.”
As a CPO, Kristin sees her job as a strategic matchmaker:
“I love solving problems… but I can’t do it for all of them anymore. What I have to do is stay at 10,000 feet and match the most important problems with the right people to solve them.”
A good product leader spots the biggest opportunities and aligns them with people on the team who have the right mindset and skills to execute them.
Projects evolve, and so should your team structure
Don’t let your PMs get complacent — or bored. Recognize when a PM needs a new challenge to stay engaged.
Kristin shared a past experience where she felt underutilized when a scale-focused project turned into optimization work over time:
“If I’m not building something, I get really bored. I’ve had great optimizers on my team who love the 1–3% wins. But that’s not what energizes me — and I need different kinds of people for different stages.”
The high performers who thrived in the early stages might need a different kind of project 2 years in.
Create structure but leave room for flexibility
Viator uses a dual-track method that balances company-wide strategy and team-level autonomy.
Each year, leadership defines a set of top-level OKRs and picks 10–12 “big bets,” high-impact initiatives that consume roughly 50% of the product team’s capacity. The remaining 50% is driven by individual product teams.
“The goal would be: these are the big bets… and then [teams] fill in the rest with the team-driven work that helps drive their charter forward.”
This model gives clear direction without crushing autonomy.
The future of product leadership isn’t about doing it all, it’s about connecting the right people to the right problems at the right time.
How do you manage your builders, scalers, and optimizers? Which are you? I’d love to know.