Breaking into Product Management

Overview

Junior Role at Mid-Large Companies: Associate PM or rotational PM.
Startups: Entry as a product manager with smaller teams.
Transition within Company: From roles like software engineering, product marketing, etc.
Traditional Path: Business to PM straight out of school or graduate school for large companies (Google, Meta).

No strict prerequisites: Backgrounds vary—history, tech support, sales, marketing, etc.
Meetings: Expect multiple daily meetings, teamwork is essential.
Personal Traits: Ability to handle meetings, work in teams, facilitate decisions.

Technical Background: Increasing importance; programming courses recommended.
Experience Pathways: Hackathons, internships at tech companies, contributions to product discussions.
CS Degree Importance: Highly preferred by big companies for rotational programs.
Alternative Education Paths: Technical classes at institutions like Stanford or MIT online.
Product Skill Development: Understanding technical, design, and business skills is crucial.

Broader Skills: From founder to senior roles, reliance on executive and product strategy skills.

Formal Education: Product management graduate programs, CS degrees.
Self-Learning: Online courses from top universities, practical business metrics understanding.

Newsletters: Akash Gupta’s Product Growth, Lenny’s Newsletter, design newsletters by Kate Suma and Julie Zhuo, CJ Gustafson's business metrics newsletter.

Work Experience: Gain product experience in current roles, self-paced learning on weekends.
Management Consulting: Excellent foundation for transitioning into product management roles.
Find Right Fit: Align with product leaders and company culture that matches personal strengths and work style.