Are You Really Doing Your Dream Job?
As a kid, I wanted to become an astronaut. Why? I don’t even know. Maybe because I used to watch a lot of sci-fi since a young age. And the unknown was always more appealing to me. But then somehow, I started coding. I was thirteen then. I got into the programming game and began participating in international-level competitions.
Then I went into solving badass complicated problems and coding, coding, coding.
This was a whole lot of fun. With every new problem solved, I was getting more into software engineering. I was hooked.
At some point in my life, I even got into one of Google’s most prestigious student programs where I worked for some six months. Then, at the age of 22, I got an offer to do tech Product Management at a startup. Of course, I accepted the challenge, and I liked it! I felt that I could do Product Management 24/7.
Then somehow I had to get back to Armenia where I got another offer which was to become a VP of Engineering at one of the biggest software development companies in Armenia. It was a leading engineering company consisting of 300+ engineers back then (a year ago). So, you already know what I did. Exactly! I accepted this new challenge!
But in the long run, being a VP of Engineering was not that exciting as being a Product Manager. So after a year of working in this company, I decided to get back to my old love — Product Management.
Of course, I sometimes stay late at night and try to hack different interesting problems. I think that’s in my veins already (lol). But, overall Product Management is what I want to do till the end of my life. At least, this is how I feel at this moment.
And as you can see, it took me a while to understand what my true dream job is.
I didn’t end up being an astronaut.
I didn’t end up being a sportsman through I am very much into Taekwondo and Boxing.
I didn’t even end up being a VP of Engineering whole my life.
I just chose whatever I was passionate about. And I think that’s the key to inner peace. And to success too.
You don’t want to go to work every day, seven days a week, 22 days a month with your only happy day being Friday, right? It won’t be a life; it will be torture!
A lot of younger folks come to me for career advice, and I always ask them this one question?
“What do you find excitement in?”
As soon as I get the answer, I tell them to go for it!
I have seen a lot of great Product Managers who weren’t happy in their current position because they were dreaming of doing their hobby full-time. I even know a girl who quitted her career as a Product Manager to go after her dream of being a full-time photographer. And this girl is delighted now. She is not merely doing her dream job; she is LIVING her dream life.
What I do as a Product Manager every day is what I call DDM which is a constant cycle of Discovery, Delivery, and Measurement. I have coined this term myself, and I am very proud of it actually (lol).
So, let me tell you about each step of the cycle one by one. In case you opt to become a Product Manager, you are going to do this on a daily basis. And unless you don’t love doing this, you won’t feel happy at your PM role.
So here we go.
Discover what needs to be built and why it needs to be built (at least have some reasonable assumptions and, more preferably, evidence about what should be built for your customers). In other words, understand and suggest the right solution for the customer.
Delivery is a whole process the end goal of which should be to deliver a shippable product increment. Delivery has two parts — providing all necessary details for the engineering team to know exactly what they are supposed to build and leading the team through the whole process.
Measurement is the step in the cycle where you measure what you have already done. The end goal is to understand what works well and what doesn’t. Understand why it didn’t work. Evaluate what the measure of success is.
At the end
If you liked the DDM cycle, then maybe you should give Product Management a shot and see what it brings to you. This is what I do and what I love doing, meaning I have found my dream job. And if you still have doubts regarding yours, then it’s never late to start doing whatever you are really, really very passionate about. And as a bonus, with a dream job, you won’t have to worry about your work-life balance, your gut feeling will help you maintain it.
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