Revisiting 'How to Break Into Product' & The Associate Product Manager Role
An updated perspective on how to actually get a product management role
Two years ago, I penned a piece on Medium with the simple aim of scaling myself. I was inundated with outreach from aspiring product managers and needed a way to share my story and offer tips. Fast forward to today, and I find myself revisiting that piece because…
It's springtime, a season synonymous with new beginnings, particularly for graduates embarking on their job search journey.
I’m preparing to teach a course on product management this spring at Cornell Tech and with that, it's brought the topic to the forefront of my mind once again.
Fresh off listening to Lenny's interview with Marty Cagan, I’ve been reflecting on his beliefs on the Associate Product Manager (APM) role.
Two years ago is … a lifetime ago. So, below are some updated thoughts for aspiring product managers looking to break or pivot into the field.
What I still stand by
APM programs (like Google’s) remain the most effective pathway into product management. They’re still, and perhaps increasingly, scarce. Best of luck out there.
Starting in customer-centric roles can serve as a viable alternative.
UX, Customer Support, Sales, Data science all provide a really good foundation for learning how to advocate for the customer.
And if you’re in school, consider studying software or business.
The MBA path is still a strong pipeline to product management.
Getting feature team experience is the kind of tactical experience companies want to see when hiring junior product managers.
Fluency with backlog management, requirement writing, roadmap building and shipping products are what people hire on. Sadly, people aren’t hiring on potential in this market. You need to have done the job to get hired today.
I agree with Marty that product managing in a feature factory is never ideal - for the customer or the business - but I disagree with him when it comes to building a product development foundation. I think there is tremendous value in learning how product development1 works, even in a feature factory. Is is ideal? No, but it is the reality for so many aspiring PMs that never make it into a coveted APM program.
I surely benefited from feature factory work to develop into a real product manager that was outcome > output focused.
*NEW* - The product management role has become bloated and diluted. As a Product Coach, Marty’s observations on this deeply resonate with me; the over-hiring and under training of PMs, compounded by the rise of AI, have left the role vulnerable.
What I’ve shifted on
I came up in a golden era of tech - lots of hiring and money to go around. Each team had their own UX researcher, UX writer, data scientist, program manager, product marketing manager….you get the picture. It was a privilege but I think it caused a lot of swirl. Ok, I know it caused a lot of swirl.
Doing more with less allows for ruthless prioritization which in turn allows for focus on customer OUTCOMES vs. team OUTPUT. It’s better for everyone.
You don’t need to hire more people, you need to have more focus. Maybe most importantly, your leaders need to understand that. And they need to be ok with their product leaders pushing back.
While certification programs have their merits, they're not a substitute for real-world experience. There are so many companies peddling programs to land you a product role and its just not the experience that hiring managers are looking for. I know it because I was one.
What needs to change
While most companies can’t fund their own APM programs, they must invest in coaching senior leaders to effectively mentor junior PMs.
If PMs are meant to deliver outcomes, not output, they need to ensure Senior PMs know how to teach that, not just hire assistants.
Companies could also invest more in creating a clearer, stronger product practice. What does a product path look like outside of Google, when resources are tight?
This is where a Product Coach2 could come in really handy 😉
For smaller companies, CEOs and founders need to discern the right time to bring PMs on board.
Too often I see PMs - from PM to Head of Product - in roles that aren’t well defined. It causes massive frustration for all those involved. It’s why so many PMs are unhappy today. I know because I coach them.
Lenny’s had a great piece on this.
Anecdotally, I think it depends on the founder. If the founder has a product background, hire a PM post product-market-fit. If not, it should likely be before product-market-fit.
Admittedly this update felt more pessimistic than the one I wrote two years ago. But the reality is, times have changed. I was fortunate to wiggle my way into product management. Though I want to preach accessibility, today, I’m matching that with a healthy dose of realism.
What are your thoughts on the APM role and the evolving landscape of product management? Disagree with my take? Tell me! I’d love to be challenged :-)
When I say product development here I mean the product lifecycle, not necessarily the product role.
Yes, I plug my own work. What’s the point of having a blog?!
I say it was a realistic take rather than pessimistic! Super helpful.