The Power of Deep Domain Knowledge in Product Management

3 MINS

# The Power of Deep Domain Knowledge in Product Management

After spending over twelve years in asset management, I've come to believe that domain expertise is a product manager's most underrated advantage. You can learn frameworks and methodologies quickly. Understanding the nuances of fixed income instruments, derivatives, or regulatory reporting takes years.

That depth changes how you approach problems.

Why Domain Knowledge Matters

In asset management, requirements often come wrapped in jargon: tracking error thresholds, VaR calculations, UCITS compliance, NAV reconciliation. A product manager without domain context will struggle to distinguish between what's essential and what's nice-to-have.

What deep knowledge enables:

Faster requirement elicitation. You speak the same language as portfolio managers and risk analysts. Conversations are more efficient.

Better solution design. You anticipate edge cases because you understand how the business actually operates.

Stronger stakeholder trust. When users know you understand their world, they share problems more openly.

The Journey to Expertise

I didn't start in product management. My career began as a software engineer at Infosys, then moved through VBA development, financial analysis, and business analysis at State Street Global Advisors. Each role added layers of understanding.

By the time I stepped into product management, I had already:

Built automation tools used by risk analysts daily

Documented requirements for enterprise data warehouse migrations

Participated in regulatory reporting across AIFMD, UCITS, and FDIC This background shapes every product decision I make today.

Balancing Depth and Breadth

Domain expertise has risks. You can become too attached to how things have always been done. The antidote is staying curious, reading broadly, and talking to people outside your immediate domain.

Deep knowledge is a foundation, not a ceiling.

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Narendran skipped presentations and built real AI products.

Narendran Shanmugasundharam was part of the September 2025 cohort at Curious PM, alongside 13 other talented participants.