I once heard someone say: “The best way to break into VC is to already be in VC.” While that was in reference to the Venture Capital (VC) industry, I believe the same sentiment sadly applies to Product Management.
The best way to break into product management is to already be in product management
This sentiment sucks and I don’t agree with it. Unfortunately, it seems to be the lay of the land. It’s akin to trying to get your first job but every opportunity requires some prior experience. That being said, for those who are certain about this career path and are persistent, all hope is not lost.
The number one question that I and (I believe) many current product managers get from aspiring product managers is
how do I get into product management?
Though my path to product management was fairly typical, I often ponder about what I would do today if I came from a non-engineering or MBA background.
If I were an aspiring product manager, here are some steps I would take to get into product management:
- Learn about product management principles and their applications: There are lots of books, blogs, podcasts, videos, courses that provide quality and practical information about product management principles. Sign up for programs that provide you with product management fundamentals – Product Management Fundamentals by Lenny Rachitsky is a great one. Lenny is legendary in the tech world and a true product leader. I highly recommend courses that provide you with practical applications to product management, where you get to work with engineers and designers to build a product. Co.Lab is another program that is doing fantastic work in this area. Other notable programs that come to mind are Product Buds and PMDojo. Even after you become a product manager, the learning does not stop. It is a continuous and iterative process.
- Find every opportunity to apply those principles, either by building something or critiquing products:
- Side Project: This could be your own exploratory idea or finding a team to build something with. This can range from performing market research and idea validation to writing detailed product requirements to eventually building or launching a product. Make sure you can articulate your responsibilities as well as influence on the product outcome.
- Document your assessment of your favorite products: If a side project feels too cumbersome, sharpen your skills by deeply evaluating different products or various features of a product. You should note which experiences were delightful and which could use some improvements. Aspiring product managers should go a step further and provide detailed analyses of what they would do if there were product managers of such features or products. Another way to go about this is by reading or watching reviews of a product online (reddit, Amazon, Twitter, Youtube are great resources), synthesizing common themes and ultimately developing a product improvement roadmap with associated KPIs.
- Study Product Manager Interview Guides: I found product manager interview guides to be quite helpful when preparing for product manager roles. The frameworks distilled in books such as: Cracking the PM Interview and Decode and Conquer are great for understanding and developing the mindset of a product manager.
- Get in at your current company: This applies if you are not a full-time student and are at a company that has product managers or understands the importance of product management. Try as much as possible to switch internally before looking for external opportunities. Recruiting is hard everywhere and companies always strive to retain good talent. If your company is aware and supporting of your goals, they will be more willing to take a chance on an internal hire with little-to-no experience than an external candidate with a similar level of experience.
- Break in through Associate Product Manager (APM) & University Programs: Any product manager in school should absolutely engage with APM programs as well as university programs offered at large tech companies. Even if an offer doesn’t materialize, going through the rigors of the process will certainly yield fruitful for another opportunity.
- Through Referrals: This one is quite tough, especially if you don’t have prior experience. Assuming you have learned product management skills and applied it into something tangible, this path could actually get you to the front of the line or, at least, a step closer to becoming a product manager.
- Take Interview Preparations Seriously: Interviewing for a product management interview, especially at a big tech company, is intense. It requires hours of practice and tests your endurance. Interviews test various skills that a PM needs to be successful such as: Product Sense, Execution Abilities, Analytical Sense, Critical Thinking Skills, Communication & Organizational prowess amongst others. There are many resources to help product managers nail the interviews. I’ve listed them under Interview Resources here.
Besides the aforementioned, the one thing I would do as an aspiring product manager is figure out which segment I want to work in i.e. Do I want to be in software, hardware or at the intersection of both? B2B or B2C or B2B2C or SaaS? startup, medium-sized or large org? This is important because product management varies by organization.
If I didn’t know, I’d reach out to current or past product managers within my network and ask for 30mins to learn more about their day-to-day responsibilities as product managers. I’m also not one to shy away from a cold email so I’d include cold outreach to various folks on LinkedIn as part of my inquiries. I’ve found that people, more often than not, are willing to chat and provide advice as necessary. Knowing which sectors you are interested in will help focus your learnings and provide a more targeted approach.
There isn’t one path to getting into product management. While it could prove difficult, it is not insurmountable for those who persist and stay prepared. The good news is that after you get that first product management role under your belt, your next gig should be much easier. After all, you’re officially a product manager.
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