What are some truths (good and bad) about product management that noone talks about?

**The Good** Let’s start with the positives, even though they are much better documented. It’s pretty easy to “fake it till you make it.” I am not alone in feeling the imposter syndrome. Yet, a huge part of being a PM is just asking good questions, learning, listening, and trying to be impartial. Coincidentally, that is exactly what you should do when you don’t know what you are doing—just try to learn. And honestly, it’s really fun. People like to harp on the challenges and skills you need to be a PM, but I feel like no one talks about how enjoyable the job is. You’re in the middle of strategy, business, design, and customers. Every day is about solving problems. It is hectic, yes, but it is also very rewarding. There’s another thing: people like you. It’s shallow to admit it, but the truth is, as a PM, you are delivering value to your company and stakeholders. People appreciate that. **The Bad** But let’s not sugarcoat it; it’s exhausting. Even if you’re an extrovert (which I am not), spending hours in meetings, collaborating, and navigating requirements is exhausting work. The pressure can be overwhelming. When you do badly, it all goes badly. When things are in sync, being a PM feels almost easy. But when the wheels start to come off, it is brutal. Deadlines get missed, you screw up MVPs, you piss off stakeholders, and you feel backed into a corner. It really isn’t fun to let down other people, but it really sucks when you let yourself down. Since so much of the PM job is interacting with internal and external stakeholders, your successes often feel hidden while your failures feel public. A lot of times, it’s because of things outside of your control too. And then there’s the hard part: saying no. You have to say no a lot as a PM. Often, it is to people that far outrank you, like your CEO. There are countless books written about this topic, but no one is open about the fact that saying no kind of sucks. It feels good to give people what they want. Even though saying no is the right thing to do, that doesn’t make it easy or fun.