Ijeoma Okoye’s Post

How often do you pause to take in where you are and ensure you are on the right path? It's a question that often gets overlooked in the hustle and bustle of our daily lives. One of the fundamental practices in product management is knowing when to pivot and make tough decisions. It's about reviewing your current position honestly and not clinging to the hope that "one more try" will fix everything. Personally, I've found it challenging yet essential to stay true to my commitment of making necessary changes, even when it means letting go of past decisions that no longer serve me. This process, though daunting, is liberating, a necessary part of the learning experience and keeps me agile and adaptive. Like any skill in product management, the ability to pivot requires practice. It's about setting aside time to evaluate your progress critically and make adjustments based on your current knowledge and insights. This practice is not only beneficial in a professional setting but also in personal growth. I've learned to constantly ask myself: Is our current strategy working? Is it delivering the expected results? While it may be uncomfortable, I've had to be upfront with my team and stakeholders when something isn't working, even when met with resistance. As I continue on this journey, I've come to appreciate that the courage to pivot and cut losses is not just a skill—it's a mindset that shapes our success in both work and life. So, I challenge you to reflect, reassess, and be willing to make the tough decisions that will lead you in the right direction. What's a situation where you had to pivot, and how did it impact your outcome? I'd love to hear your experiences and insights.

Nobody owes you an opportunity.  It’s up to you to create your own. Three years ago, I was stuck. ↳ Struggling with imposter syndrome. ↳ Lacking confidence as a Product Manager. ↳ Missing the core skills and frameworks to navigate the full product lifecycle. I knew something had to change. So, I made a choice. I enrolled in a product management course at Stanford. I woke up at 4am to attend live sessions. It wasn’t easy.  Balancing work, family, and coursework. Was it worth it? Absolutely. Here's what I gained: ↳ A global community of like-minded professionals ↳ Clarity, structure, and the confidence to level up. ↳ Knowledge that made me better at my job. Today, I lead cross-functional teams as a Senior Product Manager at Yotpo. Here’s what I’ve learned along the way: ✅ Progress starts with one decision. ↳ No step is too small.  ✅ There’s no “perfect” time to start. ↳ Life will always be messy - make time for yourself anyway. ✅ Opportunities don’t just happen.  ↳ It's on you to create the life you want. If you’ve been waiting for a sign, this is it. 👉 Ready to take the first step toward the life you want? DM me 'GROWTH' for tips and actionable insights to help you move forward.

The Power of Asking Questions as a Product Manager One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced in life was finding the courage to speak up in the presence of others. Growing up, I was taught to remain quiet when others spoke, to avoid expressing my opinions, and to simply do as I was told. Over time, this shaped my mindset in ways I couldn’t initially see. I held back, suppressing countless questions that buzzed in my head because I feared judgment or disruption. It wasn’t until I met a mentor who changed my perspective that I realized the true power of asking questions. My mentor emphasized how transformative it could be, not just in my personal growth, but in shaping the trajectory of my career. This was particularly crucial as I embarked on my journey as a Product Manager. Why Asking Questions is Essential for a Product Manager.Asking questions isn’t just an occasional necessity, it’s the foundation of being an effective Product Manager. Here’s why: ✔️ Questions Bring Clarity ✔️ Questions Expose Loopholes ✔️ Questions Signal Investment ✔️ Questions Help You Envision the Product’s Future ✔️ Questions Highlight Research Opportunities #productmanagement #curiousityrocks

Luck or Hard Work? Today, someone told me, "You’re so lucky; within a short time, you’ve transformed a lot." Well, when I transitioned into the product domain, the path was filled with skepticism—not just from others, but within myself. As a budding Product Manager, I often doubted my own worth and capabilities. The challenges and setbacks I faced made it easy to question if I was on the right path. But I knew that if I wanted to grow, I had to push through these doubts. I poured my heart and soul into learning the nuances of product management, determined to overcome every obstacle in my way. I remember someone telling me, “When the road gets tough, it’s easy to feel discouraged. But remember, growth happens outside of your comfort zone.” I refused to let negativity hold me back. Instead, I embraced consistency, hard work, and an insatiable hunger to learn. I also want to express my deepest gratitude to my mentors, managers, and colleagues who have been by my side, helping me sail through the toughest times. Their support has been invaluable, and I know there’s still so much more to learn. As I always say, “this is just the beginning.” #ProductManagement #NewSkills #LearningandGrowth

Aight boys, time to get serious. I've got six months to graduate, six months to make something happen. The goal: Get hired at a PM position by the time I graduate, or at least soon after. Here's the plan: Learn: I’ll dive into every product management framework, tool, and resource I can get my hands on. Build: Theory is one thing—practice is another. I’ll be creating a few projects to showcase real skills. Network: Connecting with product managers and mentors to learn from people who’ve done it before. For the next six months, these three areas are going to be my focus. Everything else? It can wait. If you’re interesting in following this journey, stay tuned. I'll (hopefully) be posting a lot about it along the way. Oh, and if you wanna join me, here's a cool resource I found that I'm gonna be starting with and maybe you can too: https://lnkd.in/dva7ws-E Let's see where I land. Wish me luck ;)

Everyone's path to Product Management is different, but I'm curious what did your path look like? Do you think you’ve followed a ‘typical’ career path to your current Product role? 💬👇 ... What steps did you take to get to where you are today? Let me know in the comments.👇 We're writing an article on the topic and we'd love to hear your stories.

This is a great thread describing the varied and interesting career paths of many product professionals. If you ask "How do I get into product management?," the answer might be: from almost anywhere. Also, our biggest tip for early career professionals who want to get into product management is to start as a member of a product team. You might be a developer, designer, researcher, coordinator, copywriter, analyst. But get yourself on a cross-functional product team. See how they operate, prioritize, decide. That's the best first step to product management.

What is the #1 thing stopping you from going after your career goals? Confidence! I always thought that if I worked hard that would be enough. Enough for me get a promotion, those clients, etc. But it didn't happen like that. I fell flat because I thought I needed all these other things, basically overthinking. But what I wanted to be is, Confident like the type of person who doesn't overthink their skills, talent and abilities. They just go after it. Because me not having the confidence was the barrier to me going after what I wanted. My worth was wrapped up in things and people 's opinion that don't matter. So let me tell you, Lack of confidence was a silent killer to my vision. But, what I realized is that I lacked confidence because I didn't feel prepared. And I didn't feel prepared because their were spaces where I didn't take Ownership of what was going in my life, career and business. Once I realized that owning my decisions, my gaps, wins, etc. I could except them. So I doubled down. This pic is below is how I started the first half of the year. In preparation. And this is exactly how I started the second half of the year. This is the time to build your confidence through preparation. 1️⃣ First step to building confidence is Ownership. 2️⃣ Second step preparation. 3️⃣ Next, execute Why am I telling you this? We are in the July. This marks the start of the second half of 2024. Ask yourself what is the second half of the year going to be for you? Time to OWN where you are in your career. Summer is when the market slows down. Perfect time to get prepared. P.S. You are your first product. Take the time to invest in you. My name is Kenyetta, co-founder of the The Agile Product Dojo and we empower product managers, teams and orgs shift, and grow to become elite product leaders. If you are ready to prepare for your next move in your Product Management Career DM me and lets chat! #productmanagement #product #career

🔥 If you haven´t read my last post, be ready to change your Product Manager career path. In this first chapter, you will understand about: ✅ Product Management Career Growth: Outlining a clear, structured path for aspiring and experienced Product Managers. ✅ Skills Progression: Highlighting the essential skills required at each stage of the career journey. ✅ Strategic Focus: Shifting from a delivery-centric approach to a strategic mindset as one progresses. Link to the post: https://lnkd.in/ec6A4_XW Don´t miss it! Chapters 2 and 3 are coming this month! #productmanagement #design #strategy #innovation #growth #gamification

These Soft Skills Will Define Your Success as a Product Manager. Hard skills—like mastering tools and frameworks—are essential for any product manager. But what truly sets you apart isn’t just what you can do; it’s how you do it. This takes me back to a project I worked on as an entry-level product manager. My hard skills were practically a 3 out of 10. Like I was just a total newbie, 😉 and I knew that.😄😄 Despite the uncertainty and gaps in my knowledge, I got the job then I decided to make the most of it. Every day on that project was a learning curve. But here’s the key: I focused on building relationships, collaborating effectively, and resolving team challenges. I became the go-to person for issues, not because I had all the answers, but because I made an effort to connect, understand, and support my team. Eventually I had to leave the team to focus on my academics, it was one of the hardest decisions I’ve made. But that experience taught me a critical lesson: soft skills matter just as much, if not more, than technical expertise. Back to the point… prioritizing soft skills—like communication, collaboration, and empathy positions you as a leader who can drive product success and inspire trust. Master the tools, yes, but don’t underestimate the power of connection, influence, and leadership. That’s where true career success lies. I dropped links to short video on soft skills to learn as a product manager in the comment section 👇🏿 #Tech #product #Manager #growth #health #softskills