Finding Purpose, Then Product
A simple way to approach a career in product and the mindset needed to set yourself apart from the competition.
Lately I’ve been connecting with recent college graduates as they look to explore job opportunities within the product management arena. I typically keep the conversations casual and informative so I can paint a realistic picture of what to expect when pursuing a career in product, while also helping these young professionals dream up their own personal product stories.
Before every call, I usually dig up a little bit of personal information on the individual even if it’s a quick skim of their linkedin page or personal portfolio. I’ve realized the quicker I can get to some common ground the more valuable the conversation will be for both of us.
While the meat of this article won’t focus on what a typical day looks like for a product manager, it will focus on the mindset required to set yourself up for long-term, foundational success. I’ll start with a piece of advice that might sound crazy, ease into a fun little analogy as it relates to cars, and pump the breaks as I end with why your product story doesn’t have to be this linear path to the top.
It starts with purpose, not passion:
I recently came across this Youtube video where the speaker talks about why telling young adults to follow their “passion” was the worst advice you could give someone. It took me a few minutes to let that sink in, but his whole point was this: if you tell someone to follow their passion and they’re lucky enough to land that dream job doing what they love, what happens when things don’t go according to plan? What happens when you get burnt out or you disagree with the direction of the company? What happens when you no longer actually care about the work you do? I’d be lying if I said I had this foresight as a college student. At the time, I was a D1 collegiate soccer player with hopes of one day playing professionally. In retrospect, I’m glad it didn’t work out because I ultimately would have burnt out, failed, and lost my passion for the game. Fast forward 6 years, and I’ve worked at a large investment consultancy, a small tech startup, and now a solid digital transformation agency where I’ve started to find my purpose. And while I still have a long way to go, my ultimate goal is to help improve the lives of others, so they too can go on to find their purpose in their personal and professional lives.
The best advice I can give to others at this time is this: no matter where your career takes you, no matter what your LinkedIn profile says you are, find something you’re good at, get better at it, and try not to compare yourself to others. Build as many skills as possible and never lose the curiosity to keep learning. Helpful hint: developing skills outside of your domain will typically happen when no one’s watching. If you really want it, find the time to put in the extra work and be ok when nobody notices. I think that’s what makes me a decent product manager. I’ve been the finance guy, I’ve been the UX + Design guy, I’ve been the sales guy, and while my title may be “product manager”, I’m just the guy who tries to get the job done, which leads me to my next point.
Getting from point A to point B:
Product management is a bit like moving from point A to point B. It’s not as clear cut as that, but if you’ve ever driven a car I think this analogy will make a lot of sense. For context, I’ve been a car guy from a young age, so I try to approach driving in the most efficient manner possible. While I don’t own that manual BMW E21 (yet), I’ve always been more of a utility guy, so it only makes sense that I drive a pick-up truck. Like many of you, I often hop into my car to get from one place to another, but before I turn the ignition I already know where I need to go and I always give myself a few different routes to get there. First lesson of product management: ground yourself in your product’s long-term vision so you know where you’re going, but be flexible enough and willing to adapt if/when things don’t go according to plan.
On this particular journey, I’m heading to my friend Mike’s house to crush some pizza, but I notice that Google Maps is telling me there’s construction on the route I typically take. I hit that outside smoke* and take the highway instead, cruising to 64 in a 55 (general rule of thumb — a cop won’t pull you over for going 9 miles over the speed limit, but they might for 10). Things are going smoothly, the product team is well on their way to iterating against our MVP, and now it’s time to have a little fun.
When I drive on the highway I’m always thinking 1 or 2 steps ahead of those around me. The safest place to be on the road is as far away from other cars as possible, so when I see a gap opening up I adjust my speed, shift lanes, and get into pole position. Being a good product manager requires thinking multiple steps ahead of your design team, tech team, and ultimately your investors. Sometimes this means speeding up development to get to your MVP faster so you can start user testing. Sometimes it means slowing down UX/design so you incorporate the right type of functionality at the get go. And sometimes it means sitting back and relaxing because you’re on autopilot and everything is going exactly as planned — this ones a joke, because that will rarely happen. Take the term “agile” to heart and be willing to slow down, speed up, and hit the open gaps when the time is right.
Everything was going so smoothly until I started to see “Construction Ahead” signs and a sea of red brake lights for miles ahead. I hit that outside smoke once again to take the next exit. Only a couple miles away from my destination, I realize the only thing better than 1 pizza is 2 pizzas. So I call in a large pepperoni pie at The Italian Store and a side of 6 cannolis from the bakery. Product management is all about being efficient with your time, resources, and energy because it will burn you out if you don’t slow down and treat yourself when the time is right. I called in this order enroute to my final destination (maybe that means ordering lunch for your team) and threw in some cannolis (aka beer in the office setting). Point being, if you don’t take care of each other and celebrate the little milestones, your product journey will feel like a never ending road trip that leads to a bad experience and ultimately, an unhappy customer.
Your role as a product manager is to deliver. Whether it be the product, a pizza, or some drinks, ensure your team has what they need to keep the wheels turning. If your team stops, that responsibility falls on you.
Pump the breaks:
At this point I hope you’re amped up about product management, but this is where I tell you to pump the breaks. Before you go down this path you must first find your purpose and focus on something you’re good at. There are plenty of good product managers out there that can get the job done, but in order to be a great product manager you have to find purpose in what you do. This often takes time, so don’t put too much pressure on yourself to find that purpose quite yet. As you dip your toes into product, learn about different industries, and work with different types of people, you’ll start to understand what you like and what you don’t like about each. Use those insights as guidance for yourself and your career as you think about your journey and the skills that you need to succeed. Remember, your path doesn’t have to look like all the other product managers you’ve seen on LinkedIn. Believe in yourself, believe in your ability, and create your own product story.
*Outside Smoke Definition: a phrase coined by my college roommate, this was strictly used when we had to pass someone using the right lane instead of the left.
