Apr 26, 2024
Want to Be a Product Manager? Bring Your Past With You!
Your Past is Your Superpower that defines you as a Product Manager.
Are you looking to transition into product management but feel like your current background is not a right fit for being a PM? Or are you in Product Management but finding it difficult? Well then, this article is for you!
First, you need to understand that there is no single career path to becoming a PM. The truth is your unique experiences, even if seemingly unrelated, can be your greatest asset and help you stand out as a Product Manager.
Take my journey for example: I surely wouldn’t have gotten where I am today (Director, Product at Dream11, India’s biggest fantasy sports platform), if not for my diverse background. Let’s have a look:
From Equity Markets to Stressful Product Go Lives: How Finance Taught me speed, accuracy and being calm!!
In June 2015, my professional journey began in Equity Research at J.P. Morgan. The fast-paced, high-pressure finance environment was the perfect training to prepare for those tight deadlines for big-ticket product launches. I learned how to stay focused and make decisions with a calm head under pressure – the perfect skill set for those critical pre-launch moments. Finance also honed my data analysis skills, a must-have for any PM.
From Music Streaming to Teamwork: My PM Skills Take Center Stage at JioSaavn!
At JioSaavn, the first thing I learned was how to tell good captivating stories (presentation skills). But more importantly, I learned to manage teammates from different departments across tech, product design, finance, legal, marketing, partnerships, content et; a crucial PM skill. It’s all about building trust, getting everyone on the same page, and at the same time giving enough autonomy for everyone to grow and work well collaboratively – just like leading a high-performing product team. Being in the music streaming industry also taught me the art of hustle and growth hacking – forming a habit of a paid music subscription to an Indian audience. Like Barney said, “Challenge accepted!”
Three Career Changes, One Powerful Lesson: Embrace the Unknown!
The most valuable skill I gained so far is Adaptability. Switching lanes three times has helped me embrace the process of journeying from A, learning new things along the way, and communicating effectively with folks from different industries and cultures. And yes, that’s exactly what PMs do all the time.
More importantly, I learned to embrace the unknown. Learned that “It’s okay to say I don’t know” – in fact, it’s one of my strengths as a PM. The focus has shifted from being right all the time to being less wrong, and focussing on finding the right problems to solve vs jumping into solutions with a bias.
So don’t let your background hold you back. See it as your secret weapon! Your signature moves to stand out as a PM. Your PM Journey Starts Now!
Here’s the challenge for you. Write down your experiences. What skills do you think translate perfectly to product management? Remember, there’s no one-size-fits-all path to PM. Your unique journey is what makes you special. So embrace it, and use it to take product management by storm and build incredible products!
