Product Management

What advice would you give to someone starting their career in product management?

Avoid the trap: Focus on what sets you apart

Well, I think there's a trap that early career product managers fall into of thinking that a product manager has to be good at engineering and business and analytics and understanding the customer, you know, and understanding design. And it's true that over the course of your product management career, you have to develop skills in all of those areas to be able to effectively translate between all of the partners to help the team reach the best outcome. But I think it's better in your early in your career to really figure out what you're good at, what's going to set you apart. So maybe you are making a move from engineering to product management, you should rely on that engineering experience, you know, or you're going to be stronger in analytics, or, you know, I came from, from merchandising. So I had a really strong customer experience, background business background, I had an MBA. And think about how you're going to build that super strength, and get experience in product management by relying on that super strength, and then figure out how you learn the other components of being a great product manager on the job.

Early product managers should focus on what they are good at to help them stand out, and use that expertise to learn the other components of product management while on the job.

My advice to someone starting their career in product management is to avoid falling into the trap of thinking that you have to excel in every aspect of the role right from the beginning. While it's true that product managers need to develop skills in engineering, business, analytics, customer understanding, and design over time, it's better to focus on what sets you apart early on.

Identify your strengths and leverage them to your advantage. For example, if you're transitioning from an engineering background, rely on that experience. If you excel in analytics, make that your super strength. If you have a strong business background or customer experience, capitalize on those skills. Use your existing strengths to gain experience in product management and then learn and develop the other components of the role on the job.

By focusing on your unique strengths and building upon them, you can set yourself apart and make a valuable contribution as a product manager. Remember that it's a continuous learning journey, and you'll have opportunities to develop the necessary skills as you progress in your career.

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Emily Levada