So you wanna be a Product Manager…

I like to tell the story about how I stumbled into product management, and how it’s been such a rewarding role. My involvement in the product scene and helping shape the product community is my way of paying forward the opportunities afforded to me over the years. As the product scene in Malaysia continues to mature and the importance of the product role becomes more pronounced especially in tech driven companies, I find myself getting more questions from aspiring product managers about what it takes to become a product manager. So I figured, perhaps writing a post about it may be helpful for the product community.
So here goes, a short medium article (all pun intended) about the 3 things I believe has helped me become a better product manager and I believe is important for anyone who wants to be a product manager…
Purpose
This is the top of my list because I think it’s the most important. The best product managers that I know of are those who know are convinced of their role, are totally aware of its challenges and still love it. It doesn’t matter how we got into it, but we know why we got into it and more importantly, we’re still in it. As product managers, we usually get little praise, but shoulder most of the responsibility when something goes wrong. For me, I was not familiar with the role when I applied for it, but reading the job description, I knew I wanted the challenge of the responsibility and ability to really make a difference in the direction of a product.
Until today, I still get the buzz when I see not just features getting shipped, but seeing value being delivered; I still get excited when I’m trying to explain a new idea or when conducting a user journey mapping session; I still get a kick when I read feedback from a satisfied customer or one of our internal teams gives excited feedback about how something we delivered solved a problem. It keeps me going despite the difficult nature of the role, because I know there’s no other role that I would want to be in at this point in time.
So if you wanna be a product manager, but you’re not sure why, perhaps that’s a question you need to wrestle with before jumping in.
Initiative
Many a time, job descriptions throw in buzzwords like “self-starter” and “able to work with minimal supervision”. I can say that in order to be a good product manager, these aren’t just fluff buzz terms because you will definitely need both of those. I still remember giving feedback to an intern when he asked about his performance. I loved that he was really hardworking and he’s always eager to learn, but encouraged him to take bold steps to seize opportunities that are presented instead of asking for approval all the time.
Product managers are tasked with making important decisions at critical times and we don’t always have the luxury to always ask for approval. The mantra that I often tell my team is that the most important thing in product management is that we really need to get sh*t done. Whether that means having to talk to 6 different departments to get some cohesion into execution, or having to call out issues within the organisation that is stopping us from delivering value, we do whatever it takes. I have had really good mentors in my career and one of the best advice I received was that “it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission”. I joked at a recent presentation that I probably make a good product manager because I’ve mastered the art of having thick skin; making mistakes, learning from them, and refusing to back down.
Are you willing to do what it takes?
Never stop learning
The only constant is change, and that is never more true in the world of product management. Opportunities can come in the blink of an eye and we can just as easily miss the boat if we’re not able to spot the trends. One of my favourite parts of the day is taking the train to and from work because that’s when I get to read; I try to read at least 10 articles each trip because knowledge is power and the minute I’m out of date, that’s part of the battle lost as a product manager.
But learning isn’t just about reading. It’s also about learning from everything that happens around us; I coined the term PMES© (Product Manager’s Ego Syndrome, pronounced as “mess”) because I know I have been guilty of being too proud to learn from someone or something that happened simply because of my ego. Some of most important things I’ve learned about product management have come from non-product management folk, and some of the best insights have come from failure.
I’m also actively involved with the product community not just in Malaysia, but building bridges with product managers across South East Asia because I want to know how product teams in different geographical locations function, how they scale, and compare notes about what’s happening within the product scene. It’s a sacrifice because I do it in my own time after work, but one I feel is necessary because it’s just another avenue to learn and improve.
Some jobs, you can get by with just doing the same ol same ol. No such luxury exists as a product manager.
I hope I haven’t scared too many of aspiring product managers away, but instead, I hope I have been able to provide some guidance and advice from my own experience.
If you’re an experienced product manager with tips to share, please feel free to comment as well.
