🚨 What do Product Managers do in their free time?

These days, I am gathering inputs from other PMs about what they are pursuing om their weekends or holidays as due to certain family restrictions by traving has stopped so usually have lot of free weekends at hand and was just exploring ideas about how to make them productive or fun weekends.

Product managers are a divisive bunch. Ask us what we do, and most of us puff our chests and babble about Steve Jobs, PMF and god-knows-what. The rest slouch and mumble something about writing JIRAs. Curious about how non-PM folks view us - both good and bad!

When asked at the end of the interview, what questions do you generally ask the interviewers? There can be two types of interviewers, one from the PM org and the other from the engineering org (in later rounds) and usually senior folks. What type of questions can be asked to both types of panels?

I am PM with around 5 yrs of experience. I’m struggling to take my skill to next level. always receive feedback from management that output isn’t good, mostly that UX isn’t good. what can I do to improve my work? 1. Read books ? 2. Study successful products from outside ? 3. Listen to podcasts 4. Work with great product people? but hardly these exist 5. leave this field altogether? 6. Just have patience and keep learning everyday? Can experienced people share what has worked out well for them? or point me to some directions?

Lately I am seeing a lot more people talk about the fact that being a PM is a sub optimal strategy for an eventful career in Tech. However, let me remind you that people in tech tend to be predominantly engineers and they like the people skills needed to be good at making Products for actual humans. I have personally witnessed PMs be great at talking to various teams in Engg, Design, Analystics and Operations. They are so good at talking that they forget that they actually need to work and not just speak all the time. I feel that PMs are all talk but now work and just chill around the foosball table all day. Once in a while they will go and flirt with that new chick that joined their team. In case the joke wasn't clear, "PMs are the cesspool of Tech". 😂

I’ve been into startup product management for about more than 5 years. While the problems are interesting at times, the daily life is mentally draining. I can’t think of anything else apart from work even post working hours. Feels like there’s no life/identity apart from the work I do. I try taking time offs but it gets back to where it was in no time. I want to transition to PM roles that have better WLB. Not sure if any startup could offer that. Is a PM role at a big tech services firm less stressful - WITCH, maybe? If so, what could be the best route to get to one. At this point, I think I’m ok doing boring projects as long as I can take the work off my head after working hours and balance out a better personal life alongside.

Lol. These are the problems of useless folk that haven't got a clue on what it takes to actually build something for real. Always cribbing about someone else not doing their job. Which makes sense because there is not one real thing you people actually do. U product managers are whole new level of free loaders. You want a less toxic life? Learn a real skill!

Hello, thanks for your patience. As someone from the creative industry I’d like to understand what product managers do exactly. What kind of companies hire Product Managers? As someone who has dwelled in copywriting, films, ads, and handling film production I’m looking to change towards Product Management. Are there any skills transferable to this professions? Appreciate your time.

What are your weekends usually like as a PM?

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