6 articles and 11 data-backed shifts for CPOs, CPTOs, VPs of Engineering and VPs of Product.
Updated November 3, 2026
In-depth reads on hiring product and engineering leaders, built on the data below.
Product builder roles grew 10x in a year while traditional PM roles fell 30%. The CPO you hire needs to lead that shift.
6 min read · Nov 3, 2026
3 product leadership seats, 3 different candidate pools. A side-by-side guide and a 5-question decision check.
6 min read · Nov 3, 2026
37% of engineering leaders do more hands-on work than a year ago. What that changes in how you hire one.
5 min read · Nov 3, 2026
Base pay from live CPO, VP Product and VP Engineering postings, plus what CPTO searches pay.
4 min read · Nov 3, 2026
93% of AI product roles ask for senior level or above, and 43% come from companies with 10,000+ employees.
5 min read · Nov 3, 2026
A step-by-step process for 2026, from defining the mandate to the first 90 days.
5 min read · Nov 3, 2026Product builder roles grew 10 times in a year, while traditional PM roles fell 30% across industries and up to 70% in SaaS. 3 in 4 product leaders now use AI to prototype and explore.
2026 CPO Insights Report, Products That Count and Mighty Capital, 1,500+ product leaders
The share of CPOs naming speed to market as their main internal challenge rose from 14% to 22% in a year.
CPO Insights Report 2026
Strategy and innovation took over the CPO calendar in 2026. Stakeholder management and roadmap work dropped sharply.
CPO Insights Report 2026
Over half of CPOs hold P&L responsibility, and 1 in 3 owns the AI M&A budget. 20% of Products That Count CPO award winners became CEO or President within 12 months.
CPO Insights Report 2026
Open PM roles at tech companies reached the most since 2022: 75% above the early 2023 low and up nearly 20% since January. 23% sit in the Bay Area.
TrueUp via Lenny's Newsletter, Mar 24, 2026
Over 67,000 open engineering roles globally, 26,000 in the US, with growth speeding up in 2026. Open recruiter roles are almost back at 2022 peak levels.
TrueUp via Lenny's Newsletter
Of 12,397 US AI product postings, 93% ask for senior level or above and 2% are junior. 43% come from companies with 10,000+ employees; 31% are fully remote.
Flatter orgs and AI coding tools pull leaders into hands-on work. AI for internal use is now the #1 engineering priority.
84% of engineering leaders believe AI will make it harder for junior developers to enter and grow in the profession.
LeadDev 2026
Christian & Timbers reported CPTO search demand up more than 110% from late 2023 to H1 2024, mostly at PE-backed software companies, with base pay of $350K to $650K plus a 30% to 50% bonus.
When a CPTO fits, per Egon Zehnder:
Watch for burnout and a thin candidate pool.
Christian & Timbers release, Sep 2024 (firm-reported); Egon Zehnder
The CPO role existed at 3% to 4% of Fortune 1000 companies in 2020 and at more than 30% two years later, per Products That Count.
CPO Insights Report 2026
Each figure sits next to its scope and date. Firm-reported and survey figures are marked as such.
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