Product, marketing, sales and leadership hiring never stop evolving, and 2025 proved it in spades. From Platform PMs going mainstream to CPO comp hitting new highs, this year’s most-read articles captured the questions founders and hiring leaders were actually asking.
Here’s what you were reading:
1. The Rise of the Platform Product Manager
By Dilsher Singh
Once a niche Big Tech role, the Platform PM has become one of the most in-demand hires for scaleups. This blog explores why the role is so critical, what makes a great Platform PM, and how companies are redefining compensation, upskilling, and branding to compete for scarce talent.
Why it’s a good read: It nails one of the biggest hiring shifts in modern product: treating internal platforms as products. A must-read for any founder scaling multi-product SaaS infrastructure.
2. How Do I Know if a Product Leader Is Actually Good?
By Heidi Ram
This founder-focused guide helps CEOs separate managers from the makers, the true builder persona. Heidi outlines five signals of great product leaders, from owning business outcomes to scaling teams, and one red flag that signals it’s time to walk away.
Why it’s a good read: Use this as your pre-interview checklist. Real questions, clear red flags, and a framework to separate true builders.
3. What’s the Difference Between a Head of Product and a Chief Product Officer (CPO)?
By Lauren Durfy
For first-time founders, understanding when to hire a Head of Product versus a CPO can be confusing. This article breaks down scope, stage fit, and investor impact with a clear side-by-side comparison.
Why it’s a good read: It turns an abstract question into a clear framework, helping founders align hiring decisions to business maturity and growth goals.
4. State of the Market: CPO Hiring
By Heidi Ram
A data-backed look at 2025’s CPO hiring landscape, where leadership was still in demand and compensation was climbing. The article combines LinkedIn Talent Insights with real-world salary data from B2B SaaS searches.
Why it’s a good read: It benchmarks compensation and availability for one of the hardest executive hires in tech, helping founders and investors plan ahead.
5. Five Product Management Courses to Upskill in 2025
By Lauren Durfy
A curated list of the top programs for product professionals from Queen’s University’s Master of Digital Product Management to Shreyas Doshi’s self-paced courses. Each entry outlines who it’s best for and why it stands out.
Why it’s a good read: A go-to resource for PMs serious about leveling up. It filters through countless programs and highlights only those that deliver real career impact.
6. Founder’s Guide to Product Leader Hiring: Advice from Top Product Leaders
By Lauren Durfy
Nine product executives (from Reddit to Mozilla) share what founders should know before hiring their first or next product leader. From stage fit to emotional readiness, it’s a comprehensive playbook on the CEO–CPO dynamic.
Why it’s a good read: Unfiltered advice from people who’ve been there. The result is an insightful, founder-first guide to getting one of the most important hires right.
7. Product Marketing AMA: What Founders & Product Marketers Want to Know
By Lauren Durfy
A recap of The Product Recruiter’s LinkedIn Live AMA on Product Marketing, covering market trends, salary ranges, and the evolving PMM role in startups. The session answers real founder questions on reporting lines, domain expertise, and defining success.
Why it’s a good read: A summary of our webinar and an honest, insider take on one of the most misunderstood startup roles. A must-read, or watch, for founders hiring their first PMM or PMMs ready to level up.
8. Recruiting a Series A Product Manager – What You Need to Know
By Lauren Durfy
This article walks founders through what makes a great Series A Product Manager, from adaptability and strategy to collaboration and technical fluency. It offers actionable steps to write better job descriptions, evaluate soft skills, and compete for top talent.
Why it’s a good read: It turns the abstract challenge of early-stage hiring into a clear roadmap. Perfect for founders in search of their first foundational product hire.
9. Hire the Right Marketer for Your GTM Strategy (Not Just a “Great Marketer”)
By Bibiana Pulido
Not all great marketers are great for your company. This article breaks down the marketer profiles best suited to each GTM motion: PLG, SLG, MLG, and more and explains how to hire for alignment, not general talent.
Why it’s a good read: A simple but powerful truth for SaaS founders: your GTM strategy determines your marketing hire. This framework saves companies from one of the costliest hiring mistakes in tech.
10. Why Your Interview Process Is Killing Your Culture (And Your Growth)
By Lauren Durfy
A hard truth for founders and hiring teams: disorganized interviews quietly damage culture and brand reputation. This article exposes five “culture killers” and offers a three-phase framework for turning the process into a competitive advantage.
Why it’s a good read: For growing SaaS startups, it’s an essential read on how process discipline drives both talent and trust.
From hiring frameworks to salary benchmarks, from leadership insights to cultural transformation these were the conversations that defined 2025.
Each of these stories reflects what we hear daily from founders, investors, and startup leaders: scaling successfully isn’t just about funding or features, it’s about people, process, and precision.
Thank you for reading, sharing, and shaping these discussions with us this year. Stay tuned for our 2026 State of the Market dropping next month.
What’s next? Bookmark this page. Share it with your co-founder. And if you’re hiring in 2026, book a call—we’d love to help you find your right hire.