I'm also a technical product manager and have struggled with this question too.
I have also wondered the same thing in the startup context: is there a good role for me in a <10 person startup, <5 person startup?
I have also wondered the same thing in the startup context: is there a good role for me in a <10 person startup, <5 person startup?
It depends a lot on the kind of project the company is building, of course. A developer platform vs a consumer app will have a vastly different need for such things. I work at a 10 person developer-focused startup and as an ex-PM with engineering chops, I jump between building the product itself, working on developer-facing stuff, and randomly helping out. I definitely wouldn't call myself a product manager at the moment, though -- if you really want that as your job title then you probably need a slightly larger company where you can take the reins on product from the CEO, while the CEO switches to focusing on developing the company itself.
IMHO, very rarely. At such a small startup, a founder or co-founder is going to be the effective product manager.