Read on Twitter
A PM is a cross-functional leader responsible for 4 Ds:
1. Define what to build, why to build it, and who to build it for
2. Drive cross-functional actions to get it built
3. Derive its adoption by highlighting its user value
4. Deliver business value and its overall success
To be successful, a PM needs to be good at 4 activities:
1. Observe
2. Analyze
3. Imagine
4. Communicate
PM is not the "CEO of the product". Both CEO and PM have a huge vantage point, access to a variety of data, and hence cross-functional context. But the CEO manages top-down and executes by positional authority. A PM needs to execute by influence, persuasion, data, & context.
There’s no defined path to be a PM. So most hiring managers want a PM who is already a PM. Keep trying harder and perfecting your pitch to convince someone to take a chance on you. Use your network. Easier to convince someone within your own company or someone that knows you.
Move to Silicon Valley. There’s no better place to be a PM. If not for its infinite opportunities and networking possibilities, move to simply increase your odds at serendipity.
If you were an Engineer or a Solution Architect before, you need to unlearn to learn and learn to unlearn. Solutions Architects solve a problem for a single customer at a time. But PMs need to solve aggregated customer problems and at scale. https://twitter.com/reidhoffman/status/941074760569561089
PMs should stay in the “problem space” (what, who, why) and curb the temptation to venture into the “solution space” (how). Define the problem well and trust your Engineering team to design the solution well.
Beware of other cognitive biases such as Overconfidence Effect, Confirmation Bias, Ikea Effect, Focusing Illusion, etc. when building a brand new product. Just because you like the product doesn’t mean others will. https://twitter.com/shreyas/status/1309708343963865088
Use prioritization frameworks to decide which problems to solve and what features would fetch the biggest bang for the buck. https://foldingburritos.com/product-prioritization-techniques/
Nothing important happens in the office (NIHITO). Get out and talk to customers. A lot of them. As often as possible. https://www.pragmaticinstitute.com/resources/videos/product/nihito-principles-in-action-strategies-for-conducting-systematic-buyer-and-user-interviews
Being able to sell the product easily is as important as building an easy product. PMs need to focus on both. Just as you experiment with various features to see what sticks, you need to experiment with various positioning and pricing models to see what sticks.
Find champions that believe in you and your product. Both among your customers and your Sales team. Nothing gets people onboard more than customer accolades and sales success. Success is the best lever to influence your team to execute and deliver more success.
It is extremely difficult to sell to a buyer that isn't the user of your product. Avoid, if you desire fast outcomes. But if you do, expect a much longer cycle so you first create fan users that can eventually influence the buyers. Shortcuts usually result in shortcircuits.
Most new products fail and only some succeed. Accept this truism but keep trying. Learn from every failure and try differently next time.
Learn to deal with imposter syndrome. Stop trying to measure your competence based on what — and how much — you know or can do. Get comfortable saying, "I don't know" but also follow it up with, "let me find out." https://mobile.twitter.com/jbonhotal/status/1351178613937364995
Be strategic. Strategy is hard. Learning it not only requires good vision, analysis, and structure but also a lot of patience. Focus on differentiating your product from the competition. Build a unique product and play in the market segment where it will be most valued.
Product positioning and GTM are extremely important. To quote Zig Ziglar, “Every sale has five basic obstacles: no need, no money, no hurry, no desire, no trust.” Good positioning and GTM help you overcome these obstacles. https://twitter.com/aprildunford/status/1367474832804315138
Creating a good strategy is one thing, but communicating it effectively and aligning everyone for execution requires a lot of time, effort, and patience. Persuasion, negotiation, decision-making, executive communication, & political savviness are essential to be successful.
Mentoring others is a great way to sharpen your own skills. It forces you to re-synthesize and re-play what you already know in a way your prodigy can understand it effectively. Mentoring also builds deep relationships and a support system to count on.
Join @SVPMA or a local product meetup around you. You will meet and learn from other PM leaders. This is when Bismarck’s “learning from the experience of others” becomes real.
Keep interviewing often even if you aren’t actively looking for a new job. Interviews make you vulnerable & help you identify your gaps. Interviews also help you network with people that were unreachable before. There’s always something new to learn from everyone you meet.
Be an infinite learner. Learn from everyone and everything. The more you learn, the more there is to learn. But the more you know, the more successful you can be as a PM. PM is, after all, “the jack of all trades.”
https://twitter.com/ApplePodcasts/status/942488323003731969
Pay it forward. Help others around you. Share your learnings with the community. It is a profoundly gratifying feeling.
If you liked my learnings, you may enjoy reading my story too. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/my-learnings-pm-sandeep-potdar
Back to the top of this thread: https://twitter.com/SandeepPotdar/status/1379227083583283202
