How to start a Product Manager career?

Defining your path: mapping out your journey into Product Management

May 02, 2024

This question has been asked of me lately quite many times, which has triggered me to write this article. Over my 20-year career in product management, I have mentored several aspiring product managers and also discussed with my colleagues how they became product managers.

There is no single right path

While some roles have a clearly defined path, this is not the case for product managers. Take, for example, the case of a lawyer - in Estonia, it is necessary to earn a master's degree in law, have at least three years of professional experience in a law firm, and pass the bar exams. Similarly, the path to becoming a medical doctor is quite clearly defined.

Education

In the case of product management, there is not one specific field that a product manager should study at university. Looking at the educational backgrounds of today's product managers, there are mainly two paths - many of them have a background in IT and another significant portion in business management. When I think about the role of a product manager, for me, it is now clearly a role in business management rather than IT management; thus, understanding business is very important. However, it is not the case that a product manager needs to have one type of education or another. There are many successful product managers who have entirely different higher education, such as public administration, finance, education, or physics.

Is higher education necessary for a product manager? I would say it is not strictly required - nowadays, there are many other ways to develop oneself systematically and reach the necessary level. Let's take some examples of well-known product managers, for example, Steve Jobs or Bill Gates did not graduate from university at all. However, these are more exceptions that prove the rule. When I recruit a product manager, having a university degree is definitely a plus for me. I have defined for myself that university today primarily provides four things: the ability to think systematically (including the mindset of hypothesis -> experiment -> new knowledge), demonstrates the capability to complete things, provides a relatively broad educational background and worldview, and offers a good network for future life. All these things are generally beneficial to a product manager in their role.

According to LinkedIn data, in Estonia there are 1,700 individuals with the job title of Product Manager, distributed by the universities they graduated from as follows:

* Total number of the specific university alumni is also taken based on LinkedIn data

This confirms my understanding that there isn't one clear university or field from which product managers emerge.

A quick overview of the curricula at Estonian universities that future product managers might consider:

University of Tartu - Technology and Innovation Management - Master's program
As a complete curriculum, in my opinion, this is the best that I currently recommend in Estonia for someone who wants to become a product manager.
Estonian Business School - MBA
This is a very good choice if you already have a higher education degree and wish to further enhance your knowledge in business management. The 1-year MBA program is aimed at those who already have a master's degree, I myself have graduated from this MBA program.
TalTech - Digital Transformation in Business - Master’s Program
This was the closest to what I believe product managers need among the programs offered by TalTech.

I plan to delve deeper into product management and the curricula of Estonian universities in the future, and perhaps also write a longer article about that.

Personal traits

One aspect of a product manager's profile is educational background, but even more important are personal characteristics.

The work of a product manager is very intense, requires communication with many parties, and often the ability to quickly switch between topics. If we look at the personal traits that benefit a product manager, I would highlight the following:

Curiosity: a strong desire to know or learn something, an inclination to explore and discover.
Good at Communicating: Able to explain things clearly and listen well, whether talking to tech-savvy people or those who aren't.
Leadership skills: Can guide and inspire a team, make decisions, and solve conflicts.
Strategic Thinking: Can see the overall goals of the product and how it fits into the market.
Analytical: Good at looking at data to make smart choices about product decisions. In product management, decisions are guided by experiments and data analysis.
Empathic: Always thinking about user problems, their needs, and how the product can provide value to them.
Solution-oriented: Good at figuring out solutions when issues arise.
Organized: Can manage several topics at once, prioritize tasks, and is proficient in organizing work.
Flexible: Quick to adapt when faced with change. In product management, change is constant, with shifts in the external environment and continuous learning as a team.
Tech-Savvy: Understanding the technology behind the product can be beneficial, although it's not always necessary.

What roles often lead to a product manager position?

As there is no single educational path to become a product manager, there is also no single career path leading to this role.

I have seen various transitions, such as IT project manager, business analyst, user researcher, customer success, tester, marketer, designer, journalist, etc. Perhaps what stands out more or less in all these roles is the need to understand user needs, pain points, and how the product addresses them.

It's often assumed that product managers need to be experts in their domain. In fact, thorough knowledge of the field can sometimes be also a disadvantage. A product manager's main role involves understanding users and constantly researching their problems and needs. When PMs rely too heavily on their own experience, they might overlook the importance of user feedback, which can lead to biased and incorrect decisions.

Some good books to start with

One good way to better understand product management is to read books on the subject. If I were to recommend three books to someone who wants to understand more precisely what product management is and how to start their path as a product manager, my personal recommendations in this field would be:

Inspired by Marty Cagan. In my opinion, this is currently the best book for understanding the essence of modern product management.
Cracking the PM Career by Jackie Bavaro and Gayle Laakmann McDowell - this book seems very comprehensive and covers a lot of different aspects related to product management, including skills, frameworks, and practices. I have not read this book myself yet, but reading its reviews prompted me to order it, and it is waiting on my bookshelf to be read.
Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products by Nir Eyal. This product management book is highly recommended by many product managers. A must read for everyone who cares about driving customer engagement.

Online course about product management

Take an online course in product management. There are many available on LinkedIn Learning, Coursera, and other platforms specifically focused on product management education like https://productschool.com.

For online courses, don't just stick to the Agile Scrum Product Owner course and certification. The Product Owner role defined in Scrum framework is just a part of the product manager's job.

Before taking a course, read reviews and make sure the creators have backgrounds in modern tech companies.

Entry product management roles

The positions offered in product management depend heavily on the structure and size of the organization. Below, I outline the most common product management entry roles.

Associate Product Manager (APM) / Junior Product Manager: This is a beginner role in product management. APMs learn by helping more experienced product managers. In Estonia, to my knowledge, Associate Product Manager roles are not very common, but there are still some organizations where there are associate product manager positions (for example, my former employer Textmagic).
Product Owner: They work very closely with tech teams, focus on delivery and the details of product features. I recommend considering this role if you have a background in IT. Historically, there are quite many Product Owners in Estonia, but mostly in modern product organizations, the role of the product owner is no longer separate and becomes a part of the Product Manager's job. In this case, dealing with delivery and development task details is more likely to fall on the technical team.
Product Manager: A Product Manager is an independent contributor. They cover one or several product areas and are capable of understanding user problems with team members, conducting the product discovery process, agreeing on necessary solutions for solving problems, and delivering them. Additionally, an important role is to meet the information needs of various stakeholders related to the product and involve them at crucial moments. Depending on the organization, the product manager may receive support from a group product manager, other senior product managers, CPO, or other leaders in the product area.

There are cases where individuals start in roles related to product management, such as analysts, even though they aspire to be product managers. For example, a person in my network began as a Business Development Associate and later became a Junior Product Manager in the same company after 1.5 years.

Need for continuous learning

The world is constantly changing, and the role of a product manager requires continuous learning and self-improvement. Staying updated with the latest industry trends, technologies, and best practices is essential. Networking with professionals in the field through industry events, conferences, and online communities can also provide valuable insights and opportunities.

Fortunately, the Product Managers community in Estonia has become increasingly active, and there are various opportunities for product managers to network, share experiences, and learn from each other.

Conclusion

There is no single path to becoming a product manager.

Here's my advice for anyone wanting to be a product manager:

Read some of the recommended books about product management.
Talk to other product managers to see if it's right for you. I'm happy to chat on LinkedIn or have a coffee together.
Think about if your skills match what's needed, like curiosity, good communication, empathy and analytical thinking.
Take an online course in product management. There are lots out there.
Consider further education, like an MBA.
Apply for product manager jobs to see if it's a good fit.

From my experience, being a product manager is exciting but challenging. It's a job where you can make a real difference.

Good luck on this exciting journey!