Etsy's Product Manager, Jason Shen, talked about the 5 Characters of Product Management (and How to Hire for Them). Product managers are one of the toughest roles to define and hire for, in part because depending on the company and the project, they perform a wide variety of activities. It can be helpful to think of the role as five characters — the Explorer, the Analyst, the Planner, the Advocate, and the Field Trip Chaperone.