# What it Means to be a Product Manager in IoT | Daniel Elizalde, IoT Product Consultant | #AskIoT E004

- Show: [IoT For All Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/iot-for-all-podcast)
- Published: 2019-02-11
- Length: 38m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/iot-for-all-podcast/2019-02-11-what-it-means-to-be-a-product-manager-in-iot-daniel-elizalde-iot-product-consult
- Listen: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/iot-for-all/episodes/What-it-Means-to-be-a-Product-Manager-in-IoT--Daniel-Elizalde--IoT-Product-Consultant--AskIoT-E004-e28bp6r

## Summary

IoT Product Consultant Daniel Elizalde joins hosts Ryan Chacone and Mark BLS to discuss the complexities of product management in the Internet of Things. Elizalde explains his 'IoT Decision Framework' and the concept of the 'T-shaped' product manager, emphasizing the need for broad horizontal knowledge across the tech stack and deep vertical expertise in specific areas. He highlights the critical importance of defining clear business problems before building, warning against 'shiny object syndrome' and premature hardware development. The conversation also covers team structures, the shift toward 'as-a-service' business models, and the challenges of pricing in large-scale deployments.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/iot-for-all-podcast/2019-02-11-what-it-means-to-be-a-product-manager-in-iot-daniel-elizalde-iot-product-consult#t=0) Introduction and Guest Background
- [5:01](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/iot-for-all-podcast/2019-02-11-what-it-means-to-be-a-product-manager-in-iot-daniel-elizalde-iot-product-consult#t=301) The IoT Decision Framework and Strategy
- [9:27](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/iot-for-all-podcast/2019-02-11-what-it-means-to-be-a-product-manager-in-iot-daniel-elizalde-iot-product-consult#t=567) Product Manager vs. Project Manager Roles
- [11:26](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/iot-for-all-podcast/2019-02-11-what-it-means-to-be-a-product-manager-in-iot-daniel-elizalde-iot-product-consult#t=686) Building T-Shaped IoT Product Teams
- [16:51](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/iot-for-all-podcast/2019-02-11-what-it-means-to-be-a-product-manager-in-iot-daniel-elizalde-iot-product-consult#t=1011) Defining the T-Shape and Learning Boundaries
- [23:37](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/iot-for-all-podcast/2019-02-11-what-it-means-to-be-a-product-manager-in-iot-daniel-elizalde-iot-product-consult#t=1417) Common IoT Product Lifecycle Problems
- [24:51](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/iot-for-all-podcast/2019-02-11-what-it-means-to-be-a-product-manager-in-iot-daniel-elizalde-iot-product-consult#t=1491) MVP Strategy and Crowdfunding Validation
- [27:35](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/iot-for-all-podcast/2019-02-11-what-it-means-to-be-a-product-manager-in-iot-daniel-elizalde-iot-product-consult#t=1655) Transitioning to IoT Product Management Careers
- [31:52](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/iot-for-all-podcast/2019-02-11-what-it-means-to-be-a-product-manager-in-iot-daniel-elizalde-iot-product-consult#t=1912) Emerging IoT Business Models and Pricing

## Topics

- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Connected products & IoT](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/connected-products-and-iot)

## Most relevant to

established companies

## Mentioned

- Leverage (company)
- Stanford University (other)
- Microsoft (company)
- Samsung (company)
- ABB (company)
- IBM (company)
- IoT for All (other)
- Indiegogo (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [#017 - How *not* to think about IoT, with Michael Vladimer of Orange IoT Studio, USA](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2017-03-15-017-how-not-to-think-about-iot-with-michael-vladimer-of-orange-iot-studio-usa) (The Hardware Entrepreneur)
- [An Introduction to Over The Air — IoT, Connected Devices & The Journey](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2021-03-24-an-introduction-to-over-the-air-iot-connected-devices-the-journey) (Over the Air)
- [Intrapreneurship, Internal Incubation, Spinoffs, and IoT Product Development](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2021-07-06-intrapreneurship-internal-incubation-spinoffs-and-iot-product-development) (Over the Air)
- [Embracing a Consumer-Centric Approach to Product Development](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2021-06-08-embracing-a-consumer-centric-approach-to-product-development) (Over the Air)
- [#014: Why Your IoT Project Still Hasn’t Taken Off — And How to Fix It](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/coredump-sessions/2025-08-05-014-why-your-iot-project-still-hasnt-taken-off-and-how-to-fix-it) (Coredump Sessions)

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