Among other things, I am a product manager at Nucleus, a photographer, and a Oakland native transplanted into NYC. In my journey of building product, I’ve found that it is crucially important to think about the meaning and value you want to create in the world, and what it is about who you are that lets you add something unique and meaningful to the products you build.
Define Product Management for Yourself
Product management continues to evolve as new products emerge in the market, and as the discipline and practice itself matures and adjusts to the fast-changing world we live in. With all of this change, it can be challenging to determine where to begin. As you learn more about product management, it’s critical to understand what it means to you, as well as what changes you want to see in the world.
Finding “Product-Me” Fit
Ask yourself, “Why does product management matter to me?” Through a bit of introspection, you enable yourself to find the product that fits you. You will almost certainly find that you lean more towards one aspect or another of the product management craft – perhaps you favor design, or perhaps the engineering is what delights you, or maybe your gift is in understanding customers’ needs. And beyond that, there are an incredible amount of products out there, but that doesn’t mean that you should jump at each opportunity. Find the product that matches your values and your mission and you will find great success as a PM.
