Gender diversity in product teams: women still struggle to reach the top

While exceptions exist (Amandine Durr at Back Market, Chloé Martinot at Mano Mano, Juliette Laborie at Jobteaser, or Gabrielle Gleysteen at Meetic), they only confirm the rule: very few women currently manage to rise to the top of product teams. When will the real turning point come?

Being the only woman facing a room full of men? Having to choose between "playing the pretty face" or becoming "one of the guys"? That is exactly what Marion Darnet experienced as former Head of Product at Synthesio and Lead Product Manager at Privateaser.

I struggled to find my place. There was no outright hostility from men, but when a roadmap gets decided during a "cigar lounge" offsite, you don't exactly feel invited to the party.

Marion Darnet, co-founder of Pachamama and the L'Avant-Garde collective

Now co-founder of the tech recruitment agency Pachamama and the women's collective L'Avant-Garde (which brings together 180 women in product leadership roles), Marion Darnet observes these dynamics from above. She reminds us that FrenchCPO, the community of 200+ top CPOs in the French ecosystem, includes only 18% women. "Yet in the layers below, product teams are actually quite balanced," she notes.

The tech industry is not as pro-diversity as it claims to be.

Marion Darnet, co-founder of Pachamama and the L'Avant-Garde collective

So what is going wrong? According to Marion, on one hand, the glass ceiling is very much real, while on the other, too few young women enter STEM programs. Hélène Hurel, Senior Product Manager at Octopus Energy, recalls being the only woman in her software development program, while women were still a clear minority in her engineering school.

Having a technical background is fundamental for better collaboration with engineering teams, because you are not just coming with a request. You understand how things fit together, and it gives you legitimacy.

Hélène Hurel, Senior Product Manager at Octopus Energy

Within L'Avant-Garde, Marion Darnet also observes a challenge around female leadership. "Most women want to climb the ladder while keeping their personal ethics, authenticity, and leadership style. But the tech world, which champions diversity, is not actually that open. A woman who shows emotions is still uncommon, just as LGBT+ community members still struggle to be open about their true identity," she observes.

That said, some organizations lead by example. For our interviewees, it mostly comes down to company culture. Hélène Hurel tells us she is deeply inspired by Géraldine De Boisse, Global VP Product at her company, while many women hold top positions at Octopus Energy. "These role models are essential because they give us different references for leadership. We are also regularly asked to participate in surveys about whether we get interrupted in meetings, for instance. There is real follow-up and awareness work happening," she explains.

Communication: the key to everything?

To reach the top of management, women in product (and elsewhere) most often prove themselves through sheer competence. Laura Dominique, CPTO at MyTraffic, is one of those who succeeded without compromising who she is. Promoted after her maternity leave, Laura took charge of both tech and product at her CEO's request.

Of course, I had imposter syndrome before taking the role. I came in being anything but dogmatic. Above all, I was happy to be able to elevate other team members to VP positions at the same time.

Laura Dominique, CPTO at MyTraffic

Aware of her strengths and weaknesses, Laura tells us she operates on gut feeling and intuition, combined with strong listening skills. "I try to bring maximum transparency to the decisions we make. On the other hand, I can also be assertive. Once a direction is set, I expect everyone to follow it," she shares.

Laura is not the only one raising these communication and management issues. Éloïse Emptoz, Head of Products & Ops at moka.care, seeks inspiration from her peers through discussions within the L'Avant-Garde collective.

It is true that some women find it harder to put themselves forward. We tend to self-censor. I noticed it especially when I was a guest lecturer at a school. Many women downplay their experience. Within L'Avant-Garde, we discuss our product challenges, but most importantly we find mutual support and a listening ear.

Éloïse Emptoz, Head of Products & Ops at moka.care

How to shift into the next gear?

Daring to apply even when you do not check 100% of the boxes is one of the challenges that remain for female talent, and one Marion Darnet follows closely. Fortunately, she is witnessing real change. "With proper support, the PMs I mentor show much more boldness. Sometimes I even have to hold some of them back on certain positions," she notes with a smile.

Boldness also means knowing how to showcase your own work "without waiting for someone else to validate your skills," adds Hélène Hurel.

While there may be feminine traits in how teams are led, all our interviewees agree on one thing: there is no "feminine way" of doing product. "It is first and foremost a matter of personality," continues our interviewee, who hopes to see even more women rise to the top, despite a turbulent economic and geopolitical climate that leaves little room for diversity issues.

Despite small steps forward, I still find that things are moving very slowly. That is why it is so important to keep driving change from within, by supporting women on stakeholder management challenges and on how to market their work internally. That is one of the keys to shifting into the next gear.

Marion Darnet, co-founder of Pachamama and the L'Avant-Garde collective