Define common product team roles—product manager, designer, developer, QA tester. 6 role patterns for understanding team structures and hiring needs.
Team role patterns clarify responsibilities, skillsets, and hiring criteria for product teams. These patterns cover product managers, designers (UI/UX), full-stack developers, frontend specialists, backend engineers, and QA testers. Understanding roles helps founders hire effectively, set clear expectations, and build balanced teams. Each role has core responsibilities, required skills, and collaboration touchpoints with other roles.
The strategic role that defines what to build and why. Product managers prioritize features, gather user feedback, and align team efforts with business goals.
Engineers who build both frontend interfaces and backend systems. Full-stack devs handle databases, APIs, and user interfaces—ideal for early-stage startups.
Designers who create user experiences and visual interfaces. UX designers research user needs, while UI designers craft the look and feel of products.
Quality assurance specialists who test software for bugs and ensure reliability. QA engineers write test plans, automate testing, and validate features before launch.
Infrastructure specialists who manage deployment, hosting, and system reliability. DevOps engineers automate CI/CD pipelines, monitor uptime, and scale infrastructure.
Analytics experts who measure product performance and user behavior. Data analysts create dashboards, run A/B tests, and translate metrics into actionable insights.