Building the PM Squad: Redefining MBAs in Silicon Valley
For many of my peers in business school, a career in tech is the golden egg opportunity. Former consultants and bankers have longed to ditch the suit and tie to join startup firms with gourmet chefs and stock options. For others like me, who’s been nerding out about products at a young age, we want to make an impact on millions of lives. While I had trouble selling product vision in my prior life as an engineer, business school has taught me to be more analytical and structured — akin to the Power Rangers going into Super Mega Mode.
Though the perception of MBAs is starting to shift in the Valley — from opportunists looking to cash in on hot startups to savvy generalists who can provide real value — the number of PM roles available through MBA programs are far and between (in fact, business schools have traditionally bucketed the PM function under marketing, which is a misnomer for Brand Management). To land a PM gig at a West Coast firm, the candidate not only must demonstrate product intuition, but also connect with the people and culture of said company. This is not an easy feat for the aspiring PMs. Throughout my time at Michigan, I was fortunate to have met other like-minded folks to build our expertise together (partners in crime @kalpanaadlakha, @jknauss, @nkemdilim, and@swaiing). This is the story of how this group of aspiring PMs came together, and we are excited to kick off the publication with you.
PMs, unite!
In typical PM fashion, we thought hard about the needs and goals of this publication as the idea incubated. At Ross, we were frustrated by the lack of direction in navigating the path to becoming a PM. Looking across the available resources in this space, we noticed two categories of material that either speaks to 1) how to be an effective PM (Quora Product Management, Medium on Product Management), or 2) product/industry strategy (Stratechery, Ben Evans). While these are indispensable resources to the PM discipline, we couldn’t find others on product discussions through the PM lens — how PMs are thinking about specific products, or what precisely makes one product better than another.
We believe this collection of product discussions and PM learnings will marry the intellectual capital at Ross and the greater PM community. Ideally, this publication will satisfy both the experienced and the aspiring PMs. For the aspiring PMs, the publication will provide a medium (pun) for discussion and deeper learning. For the experienced PMs, the publication will bring a fresh perspective to your thoughts about products.
Deliver a great product
Our goal for the publication is to deliver content to an engaged readership that feels empowered and entertained. As our respective careers progress, we hope to share new thoughts and experiences on the publication. This is the beginning of a dialogue in our community, and I encourage you to engage with us throughout this journey. Drop us a line in the comments or via Twitter, and don’t forget to follow the publication!
