In the tech world, it’s not uncommon for a former founder and entrepreneur to return to a big tech company as a product leader. In fact, entrepreneurship is the perfect experience for product leadership roles at larger companies. Entrepreneurs bring a wide-variety of skills that are instrumental to product leadership positions.
Some of the required skills an entrepreneur needs to possess include:
- Analytical
- Context Switching
- Creativity
- Curiosity
- Customer Obsession
- Detail-oriented
- Efficient decision making
- Excellent verbal & written communication
- Execution
- Patience
- Perseverance
- Story-telling
- Strategy
- Systems-thinking
- Team Management
- Willingness to learn & Auto-didacticism
- Vision
These same skills overlap with what is required and typical of great product managers.
As shown in the Venn diagram above, there are more additional skills required for a product manager to learn about entrepreneurship than for entrepreneurs to learn about product management. Product Managers with high aptitude and willingness to learn are able to learn new domains by seeking the knowledge of experts.
Not every Product Manager should become an Entrepreneur
While no amount of experience or training will prepare you for the pleasures and plenty perils of entrepreneurship, product management does gives you the confidence to make the leap. Entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart and it is certainly not for everyone. However, for those product managers with a burning desire to become entrepreneurs and founders, you have the skills you need to get started. The initial steps are akin to that of a product exploration.
Start with a brief that answers the following questions:
- What problem am I solving?
- Who is the target customer and/or user?
- What does the customer/user want and not want?
- What value does my solution provide?
- How is my solution unique/different from existing offerings?
- How do I make my solution and offering desirable?
- How do I deliver my solution to the target customer/user?
- How do I gather traffic and interest from the target customer/user?
Once you are able to answer those questions, all you need is some belief, confidence, luck and you’re well on your way! Just start!
