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Ken will discuss what it’s like to work in this dynamic role and what it takes to get your foot in the door. You’ll also get the inside scoop on the day-to-day work as a Product Management Coach, the challenges of the job and personal insights from their experience.
Wed, February 24, 2021
⏱1:00 PM – 1:30 PM PST
Here’s a peek at what we uncovered:
Salaries rising, companies hiring = product is growing in every way
PM’s are in the driver’s seat of digital transformation
Product-led business is in - sales/marketing-led out
And more!
I think all of your options are viable and smart. In the end, it'll all boil down to what makes more sense to you and your gut.
Here's my take.
1. This option will probably get you any job the fastest. While there are many who've started in PM by landing an APM or junior PM role, most PMs I know have transitioned to it from another position. Here's an article on How to Transition from Engineering to Product by Rubrik's Product Manager you might be interested in: https://bit.ly/2WoSS3P
2. This is also a good option, and I wouln't be too judgemental about it. Once you have a PM's title, it'll be easier to gain the necessary experience to transition into a company you like more.
3. The startup life is not for everyone, but it was for me! Entering a startup will always be a gamble. But if things go well, they could turn out great!
4. I was the PM of Product School when we began. I don't regret a thing. Still, i don't see why you can't start your own thing and work as a PM at another place simultaneously. Here's a resource about side projects you might like: https://bit.ly/3mr4fD6
However, the most essential thing you're missing is finding an actual problem you want to solve.
Any Product Manager will tell you that at the CORE of every product and business there's a problem. So right before you jump into a new business. Check out this article where we go step by step on how to find a problem, validate it, and most importantly, fall in love with it enough that you're able to overcome all obstacles.
So these are two different questions. But I think that the only viable answer to both is that whether you're making a decision based on your competitors or something else entorely, you should always use a decision-making framework.
Here's a pretty common framework a PM at Facebook shared at a Product School interview. (You can also read the full article over here: https://bit.ly/33f93ER)
Firstly, work to identify what the criteria for success are. These are what you’ll measure your various options against. The main question you wanna ask is: “If there’s an option that satisfies all criteria, would we be happy with that solution?” If the answer is yes, you got your criteria. I would highly encourage you to validate these criteria with leadership first.
Secondly, map out all the various options that you can think of. If you struggle to find options and can only think of one, think again. Look at the opposite spectrum and then find a 3rd option that is a middle ground.
Assess your options against your criteria. Write a clear explanation of how each option meets your criteria.
Traffic light it! Use 3 colors, red, green, and amber. I normally have the criteria in the columns and the options in the rows so that you have a nice table to color. Make sure that green means good across all criteria, otherwise it’s hard to read
Make a decision, just do it. Make a recommendation based on the colors you identified. Is there a clear decision with all greens? Are there disagreements with other functions that you need to highlight? This is the place to do it.
At Product School, we have countless free resources including e-books, masterclasses, articles, and podcast episodes about transitining to Product Management.
You can access them over here (https://bit.ly/2TyX4MU) to check them out!
Glad to see you're taking the PM route!
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!
I'm glad you decided to write a Product Management book. I did so myself with The Product Book (link here https://bit.ly/32YkW2B) a few years ago.
I'd say that the PM community would definitely benefit from quite a few of those topics. My favorite ones are Why great PMs build bad Products and Moving from Jr to Sr PM.
My advice is to make it as holistic as possible. Go out and see how different PMs have managed those challenges and how each experience is unique. In the end, there is no one right way to succeed in PM.
If you’re looking for a job in Product, It is very possible that the hiring company will ask you for a portfolio. And since it is a reflective experience, it can prepare you for interviews and other challenges that require you to share your achievements.
First of all, It looks like you don’t have direct experience in Product. And that’s fine! A tip from the Product School blog is to build your portfolio to explain “Even though I have not had my first product experience yet, all of these experiences have prepared me for it”. In other words, you have to select those features of your personal history that scream user knowledge, business acumen, and technical leadership abilities. It’s not just thinking about innovative products. Other things to consider:
Think about “format”. For instance, imagine that you worked in a YouTube-oriented PR company and have video editing skills. You could build your portfolio via a creative video, something dynamic that helps you reach even more people. So depending on your skills, experience, and who you’re targeting, the format of your portfolio can vary.
“Brand” your portfolio. By tying yourself to a particular sector, you can target the community. It can be very powerful to show that you are riding the wave in terms of what is going on in the sector. That is, linking your career history to the latest transformations in the industry.
Emphasize the “full package”. Your portfolio shouldn’t just about the products that you helped or wanted to create, but the skills that made them possible.
And lastly, don’t be afraid to experiment!
Here are some tips:
- Treat your project as a partnership. Make sure everyone knows why you’re making your decisions the way you are. You should have a clear problem, hypothesis, and success metric. Start from there and let everything else come later.
- Be willing to make tradeoffs. Each one of you is there for a reason and their expertise. Understand the technological limitations and above all, understand your user. Just because the technology is new and exciting, it doesn’t mean that the product needs ALL of it to be effective.
- Remember to always be considerate: if you’re the PM, you need to be aware of a scientist’s time and momentum. It’s important not to expect them to work at your pace or presume to tell them how they should organize their time. And if you’re the DS, you must clearly communicate your work process and its limitations.
* “Iterate until awesome” @_productMonk * “It's in the backlog” @MiroHQ * “What problem you solving (from NYC, grammar is correct)” @jrochelle * “Yes, but not now” @roberthamilton * “User + Customer + Business Outcomes” @socialnerdia
My answer was: “Make users win”
As for the way you should market yourself, you should remember that while many candidates have had vast educational and work experience in the business world, not as many speak the language of computer science. Not to mention have a business background as you do as well. So, what you should do is sell the fact that you know how to do both.
I would recommend these two books because they really give you the preparation you need to learn about the tactical part of PM and the soft skills required to excel at your job.
The Ultimate Product Management Guide: which you can download for free here https://bit.ly/31YhGUu
The Making of a Manager https://bit.ly/2ZOo4eb
1. You have an excellent track record in your career of Product
2. Your side projects sound very compelling. Certainly something employers will take notice of.
3. You are self-motivated. People love that.
4. You have a wide range of skills within Product which means you are a versatile product person.
So, knowing all of that the only things I can think of (and apologies if this comes off as harsh) is that you are limiting your scope within Raleigh, being complacent about searching for a job, or there is something else that is missing in this equation.
If you are only willing to work in Raleigh, then you are going to have limted opportunities due to geographical restriction. This is not to say that there aren't ambitious and awesome companies and positions in the area, just that there are areas outside of Raleigh that might have exactly what you are looking for.
Lastly, with your wonderful experience and awesome side projects, you have to ask yourself if you are presenting it to employers correctly. Is your CV showing off your skills? Do you have a portfolio that highlights the extent of your work? Are you networking enough and sharing your skills with other product people? If you are, then it is just a matter of being patient and persistent because it looks like you have the chops to be a great PM anywhere.
With our courses, you learn from Senior-level Product Managers who are currently working for top companies like Amazon, Netflix, Spotify, and many more. They teach hands-on approaches to learn the skills needed to be a successful product manager in real-work environments.
There is also career advisors and mentors who help you navigate through your transitional period into Product Management, and who will be there to advise you on your job search.
You can learn more about getting a Product School Product Management certificate here: https://www.productschool.com/product-management-certificati...
Rather, have an honest conversation, and see if there is anything that can be done to create a more honest image of what you are doing. Hopefully they will have some sway or insights on how change can be brought about.
If your boss is unwilling to hear you out, you might have a problem you can't fix. In this case, if the company is willing to deceive its customers for financial gain, then it is likely time to start looking for a new job elsewhere.
In the long run, companies that do shady business practices get found out, and won't last very long. Luckily for you, it seems like you have an honest head and your shoulders, and will be a great candidate for a business that does things the right way.
As some have already mentioned, the PM is often the person who is kind of a "utility tool" within the departments. PMs have to be able to communicate effectively amongst each team, and translate each departments needs into positive action.
I have also noticed that a lot of answers here are saying that all you need is a competent engineering lead instead of a PM. I don't agree with this at all. Engineers are critical to the success of a product, there is no doubt about that. But they also are generally more of a hard-skills player in the development of the process. PMs often have to be able to translate the work of hard-skill colleagues into understandable insights for other stakeholders. Some may see this as frivolous, but you'd be surprised at how many times I've seen an engineer deliver a report in a way that was impossible to understand, and far from relatable.
While this post could literally be pages long, I am going sum up the final point here: PMs do the work that allows engineers and members of other departments to focus on their core responsibilities. Engineers don't always have the time to determine customer needs, assess market competition, develop sales strategy, move information through departments, or the many other tasks that are necessary to create a top-tier product. So before jumping to conclusions about Product Management responsibilities, be sure to do your homework and see what the best PMs have done to take their businesses into greener pastures.
We actually just launched our Product School Job Portal that is specifically designed for people in Product. We also post jobs that are available in London, as well as the rest of the world.
It is important to note that we do our best to cover the spectrum of product jobs. Here you can find Product Owner roles, Product Manager roles, Product marketing roles, and the list goes on.
Great work with yours though!
- Create a profile that highlights quantifiable, impactful actions you had on your previous work. This will show companies what you will be able to accomplish if you are hired.
- I would highly recommend taking a PM course to show interviewers that while you don't have any "experience" as a PM, you are taking the steps to learn the necessities of this role.
- As Kognate mentioned, reviewing books on PM interviews will be extremely useful.
- Go to networking events! Make sure to meet other PMs and get as much advice as you can. This may even be your ticket to an interview!
PM jobs definitely require experience, but if you are able to show that you have done relatable work that can translate well to a PM role, then you will certainly find a something.