What it's Like Being an Early Career Product Manager

I completed one year as a PM at Loop Commerce, a Synchrony Solution in Silicon Valley. After moving to Silicon Valley in 2018, I utterly fell in love with the fast-paced life here. The people, the culture, the weather, and the competency level have helped me reflect on my inner self and become a better version of myself every day. And the feeling of working at a startup has given me an in-depth experience of a lifetime.

I have tried to share my thoughts and learnings below on what it’s like to shift your six-year data career to being an early career PM. I hope you enjoy reading it and hopefully have at least one takeaway from the learnings.

1. Buckle up for the Challenge Being a PM is a mentally and physically demanding job. Plus, being a PM in a startup is challenging since you need to get accustomed to a fast-paced working environment. And on top of that, COVID times throws new challenges. You are continually collaborating with several teams over Zoom, getting everyone aligned, and making sure you make the right decisions for your product’s betterment. So, fasten your seat belt and buckle up since you are in one of the most challenging and exciting roles of your career.

   
   

2. Listen actively You have to not only be a good listener but an active listener and that becomes one of the most critical aspects of your role. Being an active listener allows you to build trust and show empathy towards your colleagues. Now that we need more engaged Zoom meetings than before with stakeholders and customers, information gathering and sharing, and ensuring you align with all of that requires tremendous energy and resilience. You do have to be up on your toes all the time. So you need to develop a strategy or framework for being an effective active listener and taking notes. I use a medium-size dry erase board to write my to-do’s and priorities so that I can see them right away and act upon them. Sometimes for any urgent or quick matters writing on Post-Its notes in conjunction with your board also helps. Every PM needs to determine which system to use to stay organized — maybe some people are spreadsheet-oriented or like to use the “Tasks” feature in Gmail. Figure out what works best for you and use it in your day-to-day life.

   
   

3. Observe people If you are new to a role or a team, I feel you can best learn by observing people around you. Observe their style of working, communicating, and handling things, and then trying to pick up something that you can improve upon and do better. Set 1:1 meetings to learn how different teams work and how you can add value to the team. I observe my product team members and colleagues to learn the qualities and traits of a good PM. Pick up the things that you’d want to learn and do better in your day-to-day responsibilities. Doing so will only help you move forward in your career and life.

   
   

4. Be open to feedback

   It’s crucial that you take early feedback from your mentors, managers, or team members and ask them what areas you can improve upon to do your job better. For example, one of the early feedback that I received was improving my written communication since written communication is essential for a PM role. My manager advised me to take an online course to enhance my written communication, and that’s how I learned and am still learning to improve my written skills. The next skill I’m working on is increasing taking speed. Trust me; it will help you save enormous time and help you be efficient and productive in your role.

   
   

5. Be a cultural add

   When my head of product interviewed me, she mentioned that she’s looking for someone who’s not just a cultural fit but also a cultural add. It’s such a powerful statement that I’ll never forget. Don’t just try to fit in the company culture or the environment but try to think about what you can bring to the table and the team. How can you add value not only in terms of your work but also your personality? During my first month of joining, I remember arranging and managing an auspicious Diwali celebration with my head of product and other colleagues. We arranged traditional Indian ethnic wear for everyone. I also rehearsed and taught simple dance steps. Literally from the CEO to everyone was dancing and grooving to the Bollywood songs, including the famous Kaala Chasma song! And it was the best Diwali celebration we ever had at our company where I made meaningful connections!

   
   

6. Find mentors

   Building a strong and supportive mentor relationship is crucial for your professional and personal growth. You cannot progress in an employee-boss kind of environment. You need mentors to guide and nurture you since you’ll learn from their perspectives on handling challenging situations and thriving in them. And I’m blessed to have such amazing rockstar mentors around me at my company. They are always there to support, guide, and give feedback. They go above and beyond to help me grow in my career. So, find a mentor who will help you achieve your professional and personal goals and learn from the experiences and wisdom they have built over the years. And also make sure you give it back by using this learning to be a mentor for others.

   
   

7. Focus on your health

   Prioritize your health first, especially during these COVID times, when the boundaries between work and home have blurred. I know most PMs’ actual work starts post 6 pm after a long day of meetings, and we need to make sure we don’t compromise our health for it. Keep moving throughout the day, go for walks, or do some form of physical exercise to keep you sane. I take care of myself by blocking one hour on my calendar daily and doing Pilates. It gives me the mental and physical strength to focus on my work. So, please take care of yourself!

   
   

8. Don’t give up

   With so much ambiguity and uncertainty around us, it’s easy to fall prey and lose the motivation to keep going. Trust me; it happens to most of us. Suffering from chronic pelvic pain(Endometriosis) over the years and life’s challenges, I often find myself in a situation where I feel like that’s it; I cannot do this anymore. But then I take a pause and breathe. I think it’s ok to feel vulnerable with whatever’s going around, but please don’t give up. Try to find a support group that works for you, empowers you, and lets you openly discuss daily challenges without any judgment. For me, it was finding solace in the Women in Product Facebook group. A current report from Women in the Workplace shows that 1 in 4 women are either downshifting their careers or quitting their jobs, especially mothers and women of color. The idea of juggling between a job and a family with kids can be quite overwhelming, and kudos to those amazing women. So, hang in there tight since this is all temporary, and “This too shall pass”!

   
   

In summary, it has been an exciting and insightful experience so far, and I cannot wait to explore what’s ahead. Just believe in yourself and keep shining bright!

You can do it!