Hello again,
As the year ends, I've been reflecting on many things I did (and did not do) this year.
While retrospecting and planning for the new year, I've approached things differently this year.
- Remember my achievements during the year (instead of thinking of the things I could not achieve)
- Identify things I do that slow me down (instead of reading about things other productivity experts do to become better). The goal is to do less, not more, in my effort to improve.
I am still trying to translate this approach into concrete learning and actions. I will share more in the upcoming weeks.
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There has been one other question I've been thinking about a lot:
What would I do differently today if I were to start my career again?
The answer (so far) to this question is a list of things that had the highest impact on my career, but I realised that a little too late.
Everyone's journey is different; what worked for me might not work for you.
However, I still feel that doing the things on this list will help you create a path for yourself that will quickly put you in the world's top 10 percentile of product managers.
So, if you haven't already, I recommend you start doing these things today:
Invest in learning effective communication
90% (maybe even 95%) of our jobs is communication. You can NEVER be a great product manager if you don't communicate well.
Invest in relationships
Without strong relationships with critical people, it is almost impossible to create a successful product or career.
Only YOU are responsible for your success
No one else. Empower yourself to take charge of your career from the very start. Clearly and boldly share your aspirations, goals, and wants with your manager and work with them to achieve the goals.
Invest in learning
Technology, people, priorities, skills, and the market will change rapidly. You must intentionally invest in learning to stay on top of what is happening.
Have a mentor
Identify people who have achieved what you aspire to do. Learn from them how to overcome the challenges you're facing today.
Be curious
If there is something you do not understand, do not hesitate to ask questions. Do not give up until you have the answers. And if you require help, demand it. Remember, your success depends on your knowledge and willingness to take charge.
Focus on being productive, not busy.
Set yearly/monthly/weekly goals (in that order.) Every day, challenge yourself to only do the things that contribute to those goals. Do NOT to anything that doesn't contribute to your goals.
Treat your time like money
Save it. Never waste it. Spend it on things that are worth it. Never let others take it for granted.
Understand what true success means
Remember that job titles and salary do not equate to personal success. Set 1-2-5-year goals for yourself. Every six months, evaluate your progress towards these goals. To measure your success both in the short and long term, use the dimensions in the below image (I discuss this approach in detail in the FOP course.)
Other learnings
A few other learnings I documented this week. Here are the top 3:
- What does a PM do: to this day, I struggle explaining what PMs do, especially to those who are not technical. So I asked Twitter how they tackle this challenge.
- Product Managers without experience: see what leaders care about when they hire PMs without experience.
- Questions to ask the interviewer: When interviewing for PM roles, you are judged not only on your answer, but also on the questions you ask them. Here is a list to can keep handy
