Ask HN: Transition from mobile developer to Product management? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Transition from mobile developer to Product management?

1 pointnpballard112 comments

I have been a ‘hybrid’ mobile developer (native iOS & android) for over 5 years now. Have had a great career so far and worked with some prominent companies and smaller startups throughout. I also build my mobile passion projects on the side. I’ve delved in the server side quite a bit as well, mainly REST api’s and some frontend. Truth be told, I love coding and the problem solving gratification of it, but I’ve come to realize that I’ve gotten by through sheer persistence and hard work my whole career. Technically speaking, most developers I’ve worked with are more gifted than me in that sense.

I initially got into coding because of the creative aspect of it. I have too many ideas and not enough time in the day and I feel at the coding level, I’m not as impactful in my role as I potentially could be in a more product based position. I have a really good rapport with people and coming from a sports background I have leadership qualities that I think would transition well.

Is this a realistic pivot for me at this point in time? Any one have any suggestions on how I could make this pivot? Obviously, there’s a lot of uncertainty in the world, but I’m relishing the idea of a new opportunity where I can be more impactful.

Hey!

My view on Product Management has always been that anyone can transition into the role if they want to and have the ability to lead challenging projects and teams.

I think that you’re reasoning to want to become one makes sense, and you should follow your intuition. However, you’ll see that once you do, it is a VERY different landscape to the one you’re used to.

Having developing experience will give you an edge when it comes to working with engineers. However, that’s not going to be enough. If you want to become a full-stack PM, you will need to work on your design, marketing, and communications skills to feel comfortable working with different stakeholders across the board.

Now, as to how to transition, I think that the first thing to do is get your portfolio in order. You may already have one which showcases your experience as a mobile developer, but it may be useful to look at it from a product management perspective. Highlight the work you did with the product manager and how involved you go in processes outside of actually building and coding.

Another way to get some PM experience before applying for an official role is to build something of your own. Having a side project that you manage yourself will give you valuable experience, but it will show your creativity and entrepreneurial thinking, setting you apart from other candidates. Even if the product doesn’t take off, you’ll have more to talk about in an interview, and learning from failure is critical for good product managers.

Of course, some things can’t be taught. Luckily, there are industry-recognized Product Management certifications to show you everything you need to know. I'll throw the link here to the Product School ones so you can check them out (https://productschool.com/product-management-certification/?...).

Good luck!

Thank you so much for the response. I didn't notice any activity on the post.

Great advice about filling the gaps outside of development and I'm definitely giving that a go this year, as there's so much time to do so! Side projects well underway and pushing them beyond just a release -- marketing and then some.

Will checkout the certifications and hopefully that'll make the transition that much easier.

Thanks again!

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