Presales to Product: A Mini-Series
Jump to Part I: Three Differences Between Sales Engineering and Product Management
The last 10 months have been a bit foggy.
Most of us can identify with that not-so-funny feeling of starting a new job. You start off not knowing very much– you have no frame of reference and little intuition to help you make decisions in the new environment. It’s chaotic, tiring, and down right stressful.
After a few months, you start to accumulate moments that feel more “familiar”. People call this “experience”. But that limited set of experience hasn’t quite compounded long enough to pay dividends. Nope. Not yet. After a few months, you feel that familiarity, but you still don’t know what you don’t know.
For me personally, the 8–10 month mark is the “sweet spot” for when I start to realize “I don’t know everything AND I don’t know what I don’t know”. Luckily, this is about the same time compound interest kicks in, and those familiar feelings gained from your few experiences actually become valuable toward decision making. I often describe this feeling as “knowing what things look, smell, and taste like”… you’ve TRIED it before, but you’re no expert yet.
Turns out, I just hit this “sweet spot” in my fortunate transition from Sales Engineering (SE) to Product Management (PM). And I really do mean fortunate. I loved my job as an SE, and had the most supportive leadership anyone could ever ask for. In fact, they completely supported my transition (something that is NOT common at most companies), which speaks to the level of investment they make people, and not just jobs.
It really feels like the stars aligned. I’m so grateful for the chance to contribute to such a high-octane team that’s making waves within a large organization. But it wasn’t easy. It took over two years to make the career transition. If it weren’t for amazing mentors (shout out to Martie!) and supportive presales leadership (shout out Jason and Ryan!), I’d still be sitting on the sidelines waiting for the perfect time to get in the game. Instead, I’m practicing and playing for real (…and failing/learning every single day).
Over the last ten months, I’ve come across dozens of folks interested in understanding the details of transitioning from being an SE to a PM. Enter this three-part series. Over the course of three posts, I will share:
- Part I: Presales to Product Part I: The Three Biggest Differences Between Presales and Product
- Part II: Presales to Product Part II: Skill Gaps
- Part III: Presales to Product Part III: Skill Overlaps
- Part IV: Presales to Product Part IV: 3 Practical Actions for Transitioning to Product
I hope this series provides some clarity for those who might be thinking about moving from sales engineering (aka presales engineering) to product management (or considering any career transition). I hope it serves as a bit of inspiration that you can make this transition happen. Instead of sitting on the sideline, you can practice, so when your number gets called, you have a chance at that not-so-funny feeling of starting a new career, and can capture it.
So let’s dive into topic #1: just how different is Sales Engineering and Product Management? Click the link below to find out!
Presales to Product Part I: The Three Biggest Differences Between Presales and Product
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About the Author:
I’m just a Sales Engineer turned Product Manager that’s sharing my experiences with folks who are eager to make a similar transition. Feel free to drop me a note in the comments!
If you enjoyed this article, check out some of these blog posts!
•Presales to Product: A Mini-Series
•Presales to Product Part I: The Three Biggest Differences Between Presales and Product
•Presales to Product Part II: Skill Gaps
•Presales to Product Part III: Skill Overlaps
•Presales to Product Part IV: 3 Practical Actions for Transitioning to Product
