5 Signs It’s the Right Time (and When It’s Not) to Hire a Full-Time Product Manager

Do You Really Need a Full-Time Product Manager Yet?

Hiring your first Product Manager feels like a milestone. It signals growth, traction, and a commitment to building products the right way.

But here’s the catch: bringing one in too early can create overhead you don’t need, while waiting too long can slow down momentum.

So how do you know if the timing is right? Let’s break it down.

5 Signs It Is the Right Time

1. Your backlog is overflowing - and nobody owns it

Ideas and requests pile up, but there’s no clear process for prioritization. Developers are left guessing, and the loudest voice in the room wins.

2. Customer feedback isn’t driving the roadmap

You’re hearing a lot from customers (through sales, support, or surveys), but no one is synthesizing it into actionable insights. Valuable opportunities are slipping away.

3. Sales and leadership are pulling in different directions

One day it’s enterprise features, the next it’s SMB quick wins. If every meeting changes the roadmap, you’re drifting without a steady hand.

4. Growth is stalling because you’re spread too thin

Your team is working hard but not moving the needle. You’re building too many things at once, and none of them are hitting home.

5. Features aren’t tied to business goals

Work is getting shipped, but no one can answer “Why are we building this?” A PM ensures the roadmap aligns with company strategy and measures success.

When It’s Not the Right Time

• You’re still validating your idea or building an MVP.

• Customer count is small, and you’re learning more from direct conversations than from formal processes.

• The founder or early team is still the best person to make product calls.

• Hiring a PM would pull resources away from more urgent needs (engineering, sales, or support).

In these cases, product leadership may still help, just not as a full-time hire yet.

The Middle Ground: Fractional Product Leadership

If you see some of the “right time” signs but aren’t ready for a full-time PM, fractional or project-based support can be a smart move. It gives you access to product strategy, structure, and decision-making without the overhead.

At Navis Product Partners, that’s exactly where we help: steering founders and small teams until a full-time hire makes sense.

Final Thought

Hiring your first PM is a big step. The key is timing it so product leadership accelerates growth instead of adding unnecessary complexity.

If you’re seeing these signs, it may be time to bring in help, whether that’s full-time or fractional.

👉 Want to talk it through? Let’s connect.