My Product Management (PM) Journey: Why I’m Transitioning into Product Management
Hey guys, it feels so good to be back! I hope it’s not too late to welcome you into the new year.
Putting out content has been one practice I found challenging last year; I ended up procrastinating until the year ended. But this year, I decided that I must work on that. One of my goals for 2024 is to publish at least 50 articles (yeah, I know it sounds like a lot. But with constant practice and the support of my amazing readers, I’ll get there), so wish me luck.
To achieve my goal of publishing more content this year, I have decided to launch a new series where I’ll be talking specifically about my tech journey, specifically the fields of product design and product management.
Over the years, I have worked with different software companies but as a non-technical staff. And it has been a great experience. But then, I loved exploring new areas, especially ones that seemed to be challenging and fun at the same time. Hence, I decided to try out product management.
Why Product Management
Here are two main reasons I decided to go for this tech field;
1. It speaks to my personality
I understand this might not be the usual response people give when asked such a question. But I realized it was the perfect response for me. Over the years, I have had colleagues walk up to me and say stuff like, “Esther, you act like a product manager,” and I’ll be like “Oh really? How does a product manager act?” you know.
I didn’t understand much about the role because I had not worked with a product manager before. But a few years later, I have had the opportunity to work with and even network with product managers in the tech industry.
I realized Product Mangers are great solution providers and people managers, which I know I do well. After a close self-assessment and some mentorship sessions from senior PMs in the field, I concluded that I would try product management.
2. Cause the World Needs Product Managers
Is there a need for this role in society? Well, the answer is yes.
A product manager is an individual responsible for the success of a product by strategically guiding and monitoring every step of the product life cycle, from concept ideation to development and launching. A good product manager focuses on solving the problems of the business/clients, the team, and the target market.
When a product manager builds a product, they are concerned not just about how the product will look but, most importantly, how it is built to solve the problems of the end users.
Products like Google, Amazon, Apple, Figma, Airbnb, Netflix, and Apple became global successes because of the involvement of product managers in the development process.
With more product managers in the world today, we’ll get more life-changing products, so you see, the world needs product managers, and I can’t wait to build a product you’ll love one day!
In my next piece, I’ll share more about how I’m transitioning into product management.
Thank you for reading.
See you next time!
