How to Break Into Product Management
Breaking into Product Management is not easy. The competition is high, and most roles require you to have 2–3 years of experience before applying.
But “How do you get experience without getting the job?”
This is this the “Chicken and Egg” question that has stomped a lot of aspiring PMs from getting into the job.
Don’t worry, in this post, I’ll show you that step by step process of incrementally attaining experience and landing yourself a PM role. Let’s go!
The Chicken Came First Before the Egg
Firstly, let me answer the “Chicken vs Egg” question, the Egg actually came first. A few million years ago, a proto-chicken laid a mutated egg. The mutated egg hatched a mutated proto-chicken. Then these chickens laid more mutated eggs. Over time, these species evolved into the chickens we know today.
The same evolutionary process applies to being a product manager. You’ll need to evolve into a Product Manager by doing the job before getting the title.
It Takes 6 to 12 Months To Break Into Product Management
The journey to break into Product Management can last from 6 to 12 months. However, the path can differ depending on the type of experiences you possess.
If you’re from a business background, you’ll need to learn the Design and Tech perspective. If you’re from a Tech background, you need to learn the Business and Design perspective.
You need to practice the process of creating products, launching products, then iterating products in the market. Here is what you need to do in the next 6 to 12 months:
- Months 1–2: Understand the role in more detail
- Months 3- 4: Learn the Product Manager mindset
- Months 5–6: Get formal training
- Months 6–12: Build your…
