Rujuta Biware’s Post

Last year, people who knew me were saying, “you should move into product, you’d really like it.” But I wasn’t quite sure what they meant by that, or what a move to the product function could mean for me. I was curious but unsure. With the guidance of a Product Manager, I decided to ask myself some questions before making the decision. 1. What was product to me? Did my understanding reflect reality? (I researched online, bought books about product management, spoke with other PMs and read job descriptions on LinkedIn to find out.) 2. What were my proudest moments at work — the ones that made me feel fulfilled, motivated and excited? What skills was I utilising at those times? What made those moments special for me? 3. Was I interested in developing my conflict management, empathy and communication skills? (I wouldn’t call myself a “natural” people-person, but I have been passionately working on those skills for a while.) Heads up: this role works under pressure with a lot of stakeholders. I was told that being “technical” won’t be enough. 4. Did I got excited about the unknowns? Did I had the curiosity and humility to be proven wrong again and again? (PMs like to say, “focus on the problem, not the solutions” because even the “best solutions” could easily be proven wrong when put out to the market for testing.) 5. Was I a lifelong learner? Did I enjoy the process of learning? Product People, comment below if I’m missing anything. Best of luck to the rest! 💪 #CareerTransition #NewProductManager #CareerGoals

👉👉Every role—no matter how small—is a stepping stone to success. Becoming a successful Product Manager isn’t about having a specific degree or years of experience or always building cool products from 0. It’s about giving 100% to every task, every time. Whether you're managing project plans, liaising with stakeholders, or analyzing data, excellence is the key. By consistently exceeding expectations, you build credibility, gain trust, and open doors to new opportunities. Remember these three essentials: 1. 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗳𝘁: Excel in your current role, regardless of its size. 2. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆: Deliver exceptional results and earn trust. 3. 𝗕𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁: The journey to product management isn’t always linear, but perseverance pays off. Where are you on your journey? #ProductManagement #CareerAdvice #Success #ProfessionalDevelopment.

The advice I wish I got at the start of my PM career: 1. Learn as much as you can about the users, the product and the market. The ROI on this work is huge and the more you learn, the more trust your colleagues will have in your judgement. 2. Relationships are 80%. When people know and trust you, results follow. This is not the first point, because usually subject matter expertise and authenticity get you that credibility. 3. You only need enough product craft to get through the first month. There are lots of books on product strategy, discovery processes, analytics etc. Many of these are approaches that are best learned as you go. Sure, it's good few key books in PM craft ("Lean product playbook", "Inspired", "Cracking the PM Interview") but after that you are better off going back to step one and reading up on PM techniques as you need them. 4. Empowering people > being the superstar. Let people own things as much as possible. Get them excited about what you're doing as a team and let them be their own boss once they know what success looks like. Give them as much credit as possible. This will drive performance better than any individual brilliance you can bring to the table. 5. Product is messy, roadmaps are messier. Roadmaps are important and extremely useful. But the timelines will blow out and plans will change. Don't seek that perfect state where everything is going according to the plan. Your job is to make sure that changes that come from the top down don't impact team morale and that delays to release don't impact leadership's trust in you. Obviously, leadership shouldn't be changing their strategy every week but no effective PM team ever created a five year roadmap and just executed on it. *** What are some of the things you wish you knew at the start of your corporate career? #productmanagement #programmanagement #jobs

I decided to take the course from LinkedIn “Transition to Product Management”. Thanks to Cole Mercer for a clear roadmap, with specific steps and logical explanation. My professional life contains conscious transitions between three professions. Over the past years, I’ve accumulated a lot of experience in Product/Project Management and began to study: - in 2023, I completed the HR Product Owner program - I’ve been studying for a year in the Chief Product Owner program and completing tasks from my personal mentor You can see the program here: https://lnkd.in/e7vfczHa #linkedin #productmanagement #management #motivation #strategy

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.

Steven Pressfield, author of The War of Art stated and I quote "Most of us have two lives: the lives we live and the lives we are capable of living". The lives you and I are living, are we sure it isn't the life that is driven by the one who has given in to procrastination and self-doubt? or a life we just settle for simply because we aren't giving our best? Whereas, the lives we are capable of living is actually the one we desire truly, the life we deeply wish we could make our reality, the life that we can get if we show up with the best we've got, giving our optimal effort. For me, I'd say I've been going back and forth, sometimes I get so driven and motivated that I start an adventure like I wasn't going to ever stop and stop like I didn't even started it. I've lost count of things I've actually ventured in without seeing through due to one or two "reasons" that I now see clearly are just excuses to back out. Here I am today, starting a new journey with you all, promising to always show up everyday regardless. After a 3minute career quiz with CareerFoundry , it was deduced that PRODUCT MANAGEMENT is the career path that suits my personality. I started their beginners course today 2nd, July 2024. I learnt that product management intersects the needs of the customers, the goals of the business or administration and the technical feasibility of the product. I learnt the responsibilities of a product manager which includes: -Product vision and strategy. -Research, development and testing. -Rollout, iteration and maintenance. I also learnt that product managers use the product produced and that of their competitors or conduct analysis on users experience concerning the product. By doing this, they unravel unsolved problems and see opportunities on how to make better product. Hope you also learnt a thing or two from today's nuggets??? See you tomorrow and God bless you. 🥰

🎉 LinkedIn gave me a special gift! 🎉 I've been recognized as a "𝐓𝐨𝐩 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐕𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞" 🌟 As I celebrate my one-year anniversary as a Product Manager, this recognition holds special significance. Reflecting on the past year, I vividly remember the leap I took from software engineering to product management—filled with curiosity and doubt. 🙃 Yet, what followed was an adventure where every challenge helped me grow. 🧗♀️ Product management has not only been a gratifying profession but has also imparted invaluable lessons applicable to my personal life. Here are key things I've learned as a PM that have made my personal life better: ⏰ 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐨: Time is limited, and our hands are always full. Just as we prioritize work with higher ROI, I apply the same principle at home. Delegating executional tasks, even if it means shelling out extra $$, and making time for tasks that align with bigger life goals. Outsourcing where possible has been a game-changer. 💫 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧: As a PM you may not have all the answers, but you know how to arrive at a solution. This mindset has transcended into my personal life, where daunting goals no longer intimidate me. I know that with a high-level plan and help from experts, as long as I am willing to take baby steps, even the loftiest of goals can be achieved. 🤸♂️ 𝐄𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐝𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲: As diligent planners, PMs know that things can go haywire. Market patterns change, strategies need to pivot, and adaptability is key. This experience has taught me to flow with change and get into action mode faster, rather than dwelling on the setbacks or succumbing to self-pity. 🤝 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲: In product management, clear communication is paramount. I have moved from being a lazy communicator to a diligent one in my personal life as well. By eliminating room for misunderstandings, you make things simpler for yourself and people around you. There's so much more that I learnt in the last one year, but I'll leave it at these four. If you're a PM, I'd love to hear how this career has made you a better person. 🚀 #ProductManagement #PersonalGrowth #LifeLessons #LinkedInTopVoice

From a young age, time management has always been a skill I have known, but it wasn’t until I paired it with productivity that I truly started seeing remarkable results. Managing my time effectively has been key, but learning how to stay productive within those hours has been a real game changer for me. In my role as a product manager, mastering these two skills has enabled me to tackle complex projects, prioritize tasks, and deliver on deadlines, all while maintaining focus on driving value and innovation. Every second counts, and productivity is what ensures those seconds translate into meaningful results. I am excited about opportunities in product management where I can apply these skills to create impact and drive efficiency. Feel free to follow and connect with me as we continue to share and grow on our professional journeys. #day2of14 #LinkedInpowerup #14dayslinkedInpowerupchallengewithAlice #Tuesdaythoughts #reflection #Careergrowth #Careergoals #productinnovation

A product manager's job is stressful. But understand your job, build discipline, build your skills and make your product successful, and you'll sail. That's your only job. This quote from Marty Cagan sums it up. Happy Friday!!! #productmanagement #success