I started as a graphic design/copywriting intern, then spent two years in product design, and the last two years as a product manager. I'm currently the VP of Product at Delivery Dudes, where I manage a product line supporting food delivery across 42 cities. We've launched over 20 products.
What Product Managers Actually Do
Let me break down the core functions:
- Setting product vision and roadmap — Where are we going and how do we get there?
- Strategic thinking — Prioritization and problem-solving
- Executing vision — Collaborating with designers and engineers to ship
- Communicating — Keeping the organization aligned and informed
Mastering all of these simultaneously is hard. It requires patience and a commitment to continuous improvement.
Here are three things that have accelerated my growth:
1. Become Obsessed with Consuming Content
Tech moves fast and so should you. Products have a quick lifecycle.
Become a learning machine. Stay current with industry trends. I consume podcasts every morning:
- Seeking Wisdom (Drift)
- a16z (Andreessen Horowitz)
- Masters of Scale with Reid Hoffman
- How I Built This with Guy Raz
I use Overcast.fm for my morning listening. And if you read one book, make it The High Growth Handbook by Elad Gil.
2. Be Active in the Community
Twitter is the cocktail party of product development. It's where professionals share insights and engage with each other.
Some people worth following:
- Luke Wroblewski (@lukew) — Mobile and UX insights
- Jeff Morris Jr (@jmj) — Product leadership at Tinder
- Brian Norgard (@briannorgard) — Former CPO of Tinder
- Ryan Hoover (@rrhoover) — Product Hunt founder
- Andrew Chen (@andrewchen) — a16z General Partner
- Jason Fried (@jasonfried) — Basecamp founder
Follow them. Engage with their ideas. Share your own.
3. Sharpen Your Product Sword
This means developing a critical eye for product decisions.
Here's an example: On Spotify, the play icon enlarges when you hover over it. That's not an accident. It's an intentional design decision to draw attention to the primary action.
Start noticing these details everywhere. Ask yourself: Why did they make that choice?
Focus on user engagement rather than visual trends:
- For e-commerce, that means selling more products
- For a meditation app, that means increasing daily minutes
- For a social platform, that means more meaningful interactions
Bonus tip: Remake your favorite apps in Sketch or Figma. There's no better way to understand product decisions than by recreating them yourself.
If you're starting out in product, commit to these three things. The compound effect will surprise you.
Originally published on HackerNoon.