You can easily but business roles involve direct P&L KPI so keep that in mind, its much more stressful

Product Head

My total experience:  3.5 Years: Channel Strategy & Growth: Life Insurance 1 Year: Cofounded Startup: Manufacturing  8M: Digital Products: Life Insurance  Not liking the PM role  any way that I can...

Welcome to Business Roles's Private Community

My total experience:

3.5 Years: Channel Strategy & Growth: Life Insurance
1 Year: Co-founded Start-up: Manufacturing 
8M: Digital Products: Life Insurance

Not liking the PM role - any way that I can move to Startups in Biz Role without compromising on salary.

Need Advice: Want to move from PM role to Biz Role

Product Manager

Need Advice: Want to move from PM role to Biz Role- Grapevine

Welcome to Product Managers's Private Community

Hi All, I'm working as a PM in a private bank. Prior to this I had worked as a Business PM in another bank 😅
My experience is that work expectations, KRAs of bank PMs are not in line with what is standard. Mostly stuck with meaningless work, getting very few conceptual projects. Feel like I am a glorified BA, who receives additional shit shovelling from senior mgmt.
Unable to get in depth experience in any vertical.
Earning 20LPA, experience 2.8 years. 

Need advise should I move out of PM and target Biz roles?

Unsure about PM career

I have switched job from tech role to strategy role at a reputed company after 6 years of working. 

Any me anything.

Tech to non tech role switch- AMA

Program Manager

I feel I am just bored of Designing as a job. I was looking for steps to land an APM role in the startups without an MBA ;-;

I have 2YOE in B2B SASS. But, I want to switch to PM roles

UX/UI Designer

I am a PM with 10+ years experience. I am now interviewing with Meesho for Heading their lending vertical. This is not a pure PM role but it involves setting up a vertical grounds up. Not sure if this is a right role for my career right now. Any thoughts would be appreciated 😌

Senior folks (10+ years). Have you switched from PMing to some other role?

Sharing some reflections on this:

1. Product is not a function with a large hierarchy / multiple levels in the ladder. Managerial responsibility comes in very late in the product career and the spans are typically small (relative to other functions like engineering, sales, operations). This also means a steeper funnel to the top and only a handful VP Product roles in the industry.

2. Product is centered around technology and digital consumer trends, both of which are fast changing. This requires constant unlearning and relearning. But more critically, this also means that previous knowledge/experience hits a plateau on marginal value beyond a basic threshold (where you have developed some essential product semse and skills).

3. Product managers are also much higher-paid vs other functional peers, at comparable years of experience. This means that a PM gets to a very high salary (say, 1+ crore) by the age of 40 (15-20y into their career). Tech functions in non-tech companies (like FMCG, banking) cannot offer that kind of pay, meaning salary growth beyond a point is limited to tech-first companies / limiting addressable market for lateral moves.

All of these considererd, how should PMs think about the longevity of their careers? Unlike traditional roles, this does not seem like a "retire at 60" job. What would be the realistic age one should plan for, at which career growth and salary growth will stagnate? What are ways in which a 80%ile PM can extend their career (eg: also taking up engineering management or P&L responsibility or growth function etc., to increase scope)?

PS: this post is not for the top 5-10% PMs. They will always find roles at VP level etc, this is for the 50-90%ile bucket of PM talent.

Longevity of a product career

Will commend you on a very well written and well articulated post. 
  
 Options for the future will be apparent at ~40.  Most peak roles will be achieved between 45-50. 
  
 Possible exits: 
  
 1. Running Category roles at companies which have a broad canvas, multiple product categories. 
 2. Deputing for and eventually running a P&L or a LoB. 
 3. Sales or more critically Customer Success.  Don't shy away from revenue responsibilities. 
  
 Engineering is a sharp left turn imo.  It's not an overlapping skillset at best and don't see how that is part of a PMs likely roadmap.

Sales Manager

Investor

Tier 1 MBA, 5 years of consulting plus corp strategy experience, 2 years data science exp pre MBA. Current ctc around 45.

Speaking to friends etc in the PM roles, I've developed an interest in the role. And would like to give it a fair shot. Just can't seem to figure out how. Any pointers would be really helpful.

Those of you who managed to break into a PM role after upto 5 years of non-PM work ex, how did you go about it?

Strategy & Operations

Hi guys. My company is probably going to go under soon.
I am from a decent Grad college which is not famous and from a worse MBA college which no one knows.
I have 2 yoe as a Data PM.
This is my order of priority:
1. A big company which won't fire people for the next 3-4 yrs.
2. AI Product Management. I know stuff but very little experience. No formal education here.
3. Fintech since my current role involves finance and accounting stuff

Would love referrals, mentorship and gyaan.

Need to crack new PM Role

I am a Finance guy with around three years of experience but thinking to move to Product roles in fintech or a products that has anything to do with transactions. Where do I start?

Want to switch to Product Management

Director Finance

Welcome to Indian Startups's Private Community

I was super curious for product management roles and switch to startups was one of easy bets, my current role( 3 yr work ex as implementation consultant)  in B2B  involved customer interaction and working on requirements on OOTB product,but back then i didn't appear many interviews, i wasn't actively applying but with recent scenario of all layoffs and startups fundings, what should be a good strategy now? Need suggestions from experienced folks

Product Roles

Associate Product Manager

Old IIT Graduate
4 YoE; T-1 Consulting firm (Non-MBB) + Strategy team at a Unicorn Startup
I am thinking of moving to a product role looking at rising opportunities. Though, I have loved the work I have been doing till now. What do you guys suggest? How should I assess this?

Move to Product from Strategy?

Consultant

Saw some misguided student post about PM internships. This is for anyone considering a PM internship.

DONT.

A fresher should not be going into Product Management. Focus on building hard skills first. You need an edge/alpha in your career strategy while reducing risk.

Atleast work for 1 year in the industry in a hard skill role. Then, think about transitioning.

This does two things.

1. You have a core differentiator compared to other candidates: Engg/ Design/ Sales/ Data Science/ Analytics.

Having a PM internship is not a good enough differentiator. No company would hire a Product Management intern over someone with hard skills in another domain. 

Product is different. In SDE, it makes sense to have multiple internships as it gives confidence to the recruiter that you’ll be able to do your job.

In PM, no recruiter worth their salt will consider a PM internship contributing to you being a successful PM. Your internship doesn’t contribute anything meaningful to its ability to communicate your skill.

2. You realise if you’re getting into a field because it’s a fad or you’re genuinely interested in it.

I’ve seen many such freshers switch into product and get into suboptimal orgs. Don’t. Do your career a favour and work on your hard skills. That alone will contribute a lot more to your Product Skills than some poor internship.

As a GPM at Gojek, I will never hire anyone who has done a PM internship unless they have a solid track record in a hard skill based role.

You can only be a good “enabler“ if you can empathise with a “builder”. 

Can you be a PM out of college, YES? Should you? NO.

You’ll realise this later in your career. First gain experiences building/enabling real products, you’ll thank yourself for that when it helps you build better Products. 

Also, stop listening to these charlatans who masquerade as Product Gurus. They are out to make a quick buck. Don’t do these Product Courses. It’s all a farce. First, get some experience and then you’ll know

Why you shouldn’t do PM internships?

Hi!

I have a professional dilemma and would appreciate any thoughts, advice and experience you can share.

I have a 5+ years in strategy consulting working for a Big4 - I like my work, team and the organisation 

Though, now I crave for some different experience - maybe work for startup’s or a VC firm

I have been offered a job in a boutique investment bank - which works with startup’s in India

My questions:
1. Is it worth switching for a Big4 to a Boutique Investment Bank - will it effect my further employability
2. Does this get me closer to my goal of working for a VC fund someday?
3. What salary hike should I ideally expect 

Thank you in advance for all the help!

Career Move | Management Consulting Vs Investment Banking

Strategy Consulting

Been seeing this trend lately : people in start ups who are hiring or calling themselves leads/ directors etc have only less experience but they want to hire candidates with much more experience how the hell are they getting hired in the first place

Clueless

Customer Success

Indian. I am a SDE (backend) currently. ~2 yrs exp. 16 LPA and I work 40-50 hrs a week. I like where I am, but I am not feeling the zeal for tech anymore. Probably will do a MBA down the line (thinking abroad, not sure) 

Looking for equal or greater pay, similar WLB, new domain. Should I switch to PM and try a hand at it? 

Am I aware of the reality or living in my own isolated reality?

Switch to PM?

Software Engineer

Hi guys, 
I have between 5-6 years of experience in engineering role (QA/Test automation). However over these years I have found the role to be unfulfilling due to the growth, impact and visibility. 
I have been considering going for a full time executive MBA (In India/Abroad) to switch into a PM/Strategy role. 
Wanted to understand if this is going to be really worth it, considering I will have high chances to start again at an entry level position? Or is this common to do post MBA?

Worth shifting into a PM role after 6-7 years of eng experience?

I've started looking for a new PM job. Haven't switched ever before. Need help here.

What is the salary I should look for now? Profile:
- 5 year experience with a unicorn startup 
- Tier 1 MBA - 1yr
- 1.5 yrs experience with an IT MNC 

Total: 6.5 yrs
PM experience: 4.5 yrs

Currently, at 18+1.5L. Need genuine help. 

Also, is it possible to market correct my salary in just 1 jump?

Salary Ask

Hi, I know it’s a much debated topic but I wanted honest views of my fellow grapers/viners/grapeviners. How valuable is an MBA as a PM? What are the trade-offs - MBA vs Non MBA? Does it affect the career 10 years down the line?

About myself: I’ve 3.5 years of work experience as a PM in the BFSI sector. I did my engineering from a tier 1 institute and started my career as a PM. Currently wondering what to do next. The learning experience in the current company has been below par as of today with no signs of improvement. I would like to explore VC, PE but I’m happy with PM too. 

If you are pro MBA, bonus points for suggesting any relevant courses. If against, then please suggest any upskilling resources 🙌🏻

TIA

MBA as a PM

I am currently working in a non-tech related role after MBA for 3 months.Had previous work experience in tech as application support engineer.Is it possible for me to switch to product management related roles given current market situation?

PM role switch

Analyst

Hi,

8 YOE, Security engineer trying to switch to PM role. Studied everything related to PM. Joined cohort based course who promised interviews but nothing came. Currently writing cold emails.

I am expert at cyber security who can understand code, write scripts, do front end dev, can design

What should I do to land a PM role?

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