You want to become a product manager. How can you gain the experience you need?

Você só será capaz de encontrar um problema, se viver ele de alguma maneira. Estou falando puramente de empatia, mas de uma empatia que chamo de 'empatia funcional' , onde de alguma maneira você possa viver a realidade do outro. Em termos práticos estou falando por exemplo, de ir na empresa e viver um dia como funcionário que utiliza o sistema.

Initially, start by asking yourself "Why?" Yes, that was the question I was asked when I decided to become a PM. A PM job is crucial, and if it's an early-stage startup you join, you become a core member. Begin with the problem statement, define objectives, and conduct discovery queries while staying empathetic. Engage in user research, focusing on qualitative attributes. Once everything is in place, step up to build an MVP. All these actions become more effective if you also receive support from mentors. If you're working, you can always approach the product team. If they have time, try to learn from them and ask questions about the problem statement they are trying to solve, making sure not to disturb them :)

Don't wait for a perfect problem or a formal role to start. Dive into messy, complex issues even if they seem small or unconventional. This hands-on approach forces you to navigate ambiguity, a key skill for any product manager. Document your process, decisions, and outcomes. This not only builds your problem-solving skills but also creates tangible evidence of your capability to identify needs, conceptualize solutions, and iterate based on feedback, showcasing your potential to future employers.

As a junior product manager, I tackled a real-world problem in athletics. I started with user interviews and thorough research, documenting all progress. Identifying the main issues, I tested initial solutions using Notion to gather feedback. Moving forward, I plan to develop a more detailed prototype and create a product vision board. This approach has sharpened my problem-solving skills and reinforced the importance of a user-centric approach in product development.

To become a product manager, gaining experience is key. I'd start by diving into online courses and self-study to grasp the fundamentals. Then, I'd seek opportunities within my current role to take on product-related tasks or projects. Volunteering for cross-functional teams or shadowing experienced product managers helps gain insights. Networking is vital; I'd connect with mentors in the field and attend industry events. Additionally, side projects or freelancing gigs offer hands-on experience. Lastly, I'd keep learning and adapting, staying curious and proactive in seeking growth opportunities.

1. There are a lot of product spaces that host competitions for solving cases. Participating in these can help in learning and building credibility. 2. Every time you use a product, be it digital,software or even hardware, then apply product sense to it and analyse it from all lenses- is it meeting the requirements of it’s users, features you like or would want to add, measuring performance etc. eg: something as simple as a chair, a notebook to the apps you use daily. 3. Identify the product skills you already use in your current job/role or the areas where you can use some product skill.

Aqui vejo que a maneira mais contundente de aprender sobre o produto, é coletar feedbacks. Estruturar as respostas de quem efetivamente usa o produto, encontrando pontos de intersecção de diferentes pessoas, poderemos compreender os principais pontos de melhoras, de vantagens e de desvantagens.

Estudar o mercado, modelos de negócio e história de empresas de sucesso são ações simples, mas que começam a gerar insights e clareza. Consumir produtos e serviços com um olhar mais técnico, olhar para um aplicativo e listar as funcionalidades que são mais diferenciais, sair do automático e realmente olhar com aprendizado. A nossa capacidade de criação e inovação é também proprocional à quanto você se abre ao conhecimento e aprender coisas diferentes é ampliar a visão sobre como resolver problemas.

1. There are a lot of product spaces that host competitions for solving cases. Participating in these can help in learning and building credibility. 2. Every time you use a product, be it digital,software or even hardware, then apply product sense to it and analyse it from all lenses- is it meeting the requirements of it’s users, features you like or would want to add, measuring performance etc. eg: something as simple as a chair, a notebook to the apps you use daily. 3. Identify the product skills you already use in your current job/role or the areas where you can use some product skill.

As someone who has recently transition to PM, the utmost important thing is to be able to think like a PM. Now, to be able to shift to PM, consider who your customer is here: someone who will review your resume. Now, what do they want: someone who has prior experience as a PM and/or can think and work like a PM. So, identify how can you modify your current resume in a way in which you can show that you are a First Principle thinker, have a methodological thinking, think from the customers perspective and can work with multiple teams. Finally, talk in numbers. Anyone can transition to PM with their current experience itself.

Think what problem bothers you and how you'd like to resolve it. Then start your own small side project and grow it. You'll learn a lot by doing it and who knows, maybe you'll build the next big thing 🙃 But if now, you'll definitely gather a lot of practical knowledge

Product Management is such an experiential career in the sense that all you have to be is someone who knows in depth enough about a lot of functions that makes a product successful. Whether it’s technology or marketing or sales or business modeling or engineering or data science. Broad enough perspective with some depth in atleast a couple of areas, is crucial to succeed in the role, and the best way to find autonomy on what you get to learn while being in school or while working, is side projects.

Product Management is such an experiential career in the sense that all you have to be is someone who knows in depth enough about a lot of functions that makes a product successful. Whether it’s technology or marketing or sales or business modeling or engineering or data science. Broad enough perspective with some depth in atleast a couple of areas, is crucial to succeed in the role, and the best way to find autonomy on what you get to learn while being in school or while working, is side projects.

Starting a side project is key to gaining product management experience. First, identify a real problem that interests you. Then, brainstorm solutions, focusing on user experience and feasibility. Sketch a prototype, even if it's just on paper, to visualize your idea. Engage with potential users early for feedback, iterating based on their insights. Document every step, decision, and learning to reflect on your journey. Share your process and outcomes with the community. This hands-on approach teaches you the essentials of product management, from ideation to launch, demonstrating your initiative, creativity, and problem-solving skills, crucial for a career in product management.

Many NGOs are struggling for help. You can join one of them voluntarily and help them with product management. Doing it you'll b e able to gain a lot of product knowledge and experience

I have been a part of multiple start-ups and have found the experience gained to be extraordinarily valuable, even when not taking compensation just for the sake of the learning. This is likely the very best way to be a part of something big, while earning valuable practical insights for a future product role.

I want to but not yet started but i have joined one cohort where we are working on one such use case which non-profit subject but having really good market audience

O que mais aconselho no processo de certificação, é a própria jornada. O networking que podemos adquirir enquanto nos preparamos ou estamos em imersões, bootcamps, formações, é incrível e capaz de nos dar visões antes não percebidas. Recomendo a se preocupar mais com a trajetória do que com o final.

Certifications and courses are good ways to learn about product management frameworks but do not replace practical experience or skills. If you're new to the area, start with free or cheap resources (books, videos, newsletters, posts from thought leaders) and then advance to more topical, more specific content as you master the area. In addition, mentoring platforms like ADPList or The Mentoring Club can help you connect with mentors who volunteer their time to empower others.

Embarking on the path to become a product manager doesn't mean starting from scratch. Recognize the wealth of experience you already possess, even if it's not in a product management role. Your problem-solving and communication skills from various roles are invaluable. Showcase how these experiences have honed your abilities. Consider personal projects or volunteer opportunities aligned with product management tasks. It's not about what you haven't done; it's about leveraging your existing skills to confidently transition into the role of a product manager.

The widespread nature of this field can allow a lot of your existing experience to be retooled or refocused to fit the product management mold. Roles in customer success, account management, or engineering enable you to focus on some core PM skills like problem solving, stakeholder management, and understanding customer needs, which translate well when switching to this field. I was fortunate enough to start off as a Business Analyst, which is almost considered to be a precursor to modern Product Management. This helped me bring a lot of transferrable skills to the table and allowed me to break through by reframing my experience.

I basically consumed a selected list of books and courses and applied everything I learned retroactively on projects and roles I had in the past but thinking of them from a product perspective

I took a project management course with Google and one thing the facilitator kept saying was at some point we've all managed projects whether it's our sister's bridal shower or wanting to clean our rooms. Now bringing this ideology to product management, there are certain transferable skills we possess from experiences we've had, be it work experiences, school or even leadership experiences that are transferable and can set us up for success as a product manager. Secondly, don't second guess the value you bring, however, take a learner's posture. Be teachable and ask questions. As a beginner, no one will fault you for asking questions whether "irrelevant" or not Lastly, Mentorship! Mentorship helped a lot.

Oh well, it could be as little as being in charge of planning the boss's surprise birthday celebration to planning and executing deliveries for your company or home. It's an experience that could be gained from doing menial things to the huge things.