Becoming a product manager is a time-consuming and challenging journey filled with excitement, growth opportunities, and ultimately a more fulfilling career. If this is the path you have found yourself on, you can use this as a guide to understand how to get started, what traits make a PM successful, and the best next steps.
There is no one path to becoming a product manager. In truth, there are very few helpful product management degrees which means product managers often start in a semi-related field but can come from almost any background. Here at Realtracs, we have PMs who started as engineers, marketers, and designers; for me, I transitioned from a role as a customer success manager.
To begin, I recommend spending time learning what a product manager does at a few different top technology companies by reading blogs, job descriptions, etc. Each company will view the role of a PM differently so be sure to focus on companies that define PMs as strategists rather than requirement builders and backlog managers. Take for example how we define the role of product management here at Realtracs or how Miro defines a product manager.
Through my experience and research over the years, I have identified the below 5 skills as the most important skills to help you get, keep, and succeed in a role as a PM. These may not be skills that as a beginner you have mastered but more than likely you have some experience that you can leverage as a starting point.
1. Strategic Thinking
As a product manager, strategic thinking is essential for understanding complex markets and customer needs in order to identify new opportunities and the opportunity cost of pursuing an idea. Once new opportunities are identified PM’s play a key role in defining a product vision and the product roadmap for their team. A seasoned PM can use their strategic thinking skills to analyze market trends, competitor strategies, and relevant customer feedback to make informed decisions that drive product success. As you prepare for your first PM interview, identify stories that talk about your experiences making informed decisions as well as how to continue developing this skill.
2. Communication and Collaboration
Strong communication and collaboration skills are necessary to effectively align cross-functional teams and stakeholders around product goals and priorities. A good PM should be able to articulate a compelling product vision, facilitate productive meetings, and negotiate trade-offs to drive consensus and alignment across the organization.
3. Problem Solving and Adaptability
In the ever-changing technology world, problem-solving and adaptability traits are invaluable. As a PM you will need to iterate quickly, experiment with new ideas, and pivot when necessary to navigate evolving market dynamics and customer needs.
4. Product Lifecycle Management
A comprehensive understanding of the product life cycle, from research and ideation through design/development and launch is a crucial part of the PM role. Some companies break out the different phases into distinct roles, but other product managers will have to do it all as they envision a new feature and act as the ambassador to get all teams aligned. If you are new to the product development world consider taking a course on product management as well as shadowing an engineering team at your company.
5. Curiosity
Having a curious mindset is a critical part of your success as it directly impacts your ability as a PM to drive innovation, solve complex problems, and stay ahead in a competitive market. Being curious drives your ability to get to the root of the issue when interviewing customers, challenging assumptions along the way, and embracing uncertainty. Having a curious mindset ensures you are fostering a relentless pursuit of knowledge, exploring new ideas, and constantly seeking ways to improve the product and your skill set personally.
I recommend you take a proactive approach to your skill development and learning. Find leaders in the product management field and learn about their certifications, the methodology they specialize in, and the skills they focus on in their job descriptions. Ask about their early years as a product manager and how they made the transitions between companies or different roles. Seek out opportunities to expand your knowledge through online courses, workshops, industry events, and mentorship programs. Leverage internal resources and networks within your organization to gain insights into product development best practices and learn from experienced product managers when available.
As you research companies and prepare for interviews make sure to prioritize a company that values learning over experience and don’t be afraid to own your knowledge gaps as you speak to your relatable experience. Finding a company that looks at product management as a strategic role rather than another project management role was critical to my early learning and success and I encourage you to do the same. I found that Realtracs did just that. They truly relied on product managers to be the experts in their product areas which meant each PM knew to identify the next best opportunity and lead the process of prioritization within their domain.
My transition from a customer success manager to a product manager has been a rewarding but challenging journey. I learned to embrace every challenge and approach each interaction as an opportunity to learn, grow, and make a meaningful impact on the product and the company as a whole.
To learn more about product management at Realtracs, check out Expectations of a Product Manager.
