5 lessons from 3 years in product management
I’m so lucky to have started my career in Product Management. It can be a notoriously tough field to break into, especially without a background in software engineering. This is because there’s no real defined path to becoming a Product Manager (PM) and the role can look different depending on the company. As I head into a new role I thought I’d take a look back and share what I’ve learned for any new grads looking to break into the field, or for those looking to making a career switch!
Here’s what you’ll need to succeed in Product:
- A market driven mindset.
Always ask yourself if you should build a product or feature not just if you could build it. If you’ve read Eric Ries’ “The Lean Startup” you’ll have heard this before! It’s definitely worth repeating though. There are so many things your team could build. What matters is finding and prioritizing the most valuable products and features based on what the market wants and needs, and balancing this with your current customers’ needs. - The ability to ask great questions.
Whether you are conducting user research or working with teams internally, being able to gather information and not rush into solutioning is crucial. Make sure you’re not asking leading questions or questions that can easily be answered with a “yes” or “no”. Instead, focus on asking open ended questions about the jobs your interviewee needs done, the problems they’re facing, and figuring out what pieces of your product are currently delighting them! Use surveys, make customer calls, and provide places where people can submit their ideas and voice their struggles on an ongoing basis. - A fantastic attitude towards approaching problems and ambiguity.
Has anyone ever told you to reframe your nerves as excitement? You can do the same thing with problems! Reframing problems as opportunities to learn more and build a better product will make a world of a difference for you (and your stress levels) as a PM. You’ll also need to get comfortable with ambiguity. You should be someone who doesn’t mind not knowing all the answers and who loves the process of going out to find them! Going back to the drawing board and creating order from chaos come with the job. - The ability to work cross functionally.
PM’s are often referred to as the “glue” that helps unify different functional areas towards a product vision and launch date. Make sure you’re regularly connecting with teams across development, sales, marketing, legal, operations, customer success and more to successfully launch and enable new products and features at scale. Being able to understand the needs of each group you’re working with and adjust what and how you communicate with them is an important skill. - Using data to inform decision making.
A great PM uses data to make the best decision they can at the time, then measures and learns from those results to run better experiments and make even better decisions in the future. Be data informed but don’t dismiss the importance of qualitative research.
Did I miss anything? What key skills make a great PM in your book? 🔑