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Here's my playbook on shifting into product management from an adjacent role 
Disclaimers: These aren't surefire tricks. They are based on personal experiences. They require a lot of work. And a lot of luck. But this is what I've seen be most successful.
Disclaimers: These aren't surefire tricks. They are based on personal experiences. They require a lot of work. And a lot of luck. But this is what I've seen be most successful.
1/ Find the heat
Every company has more problems than they can solve. Find one that no one has time for, has an obvious manual solution, AND is on a team that is likely to grow. Future headcount potential is key.
Every company has more problems than they can solve. Find one that no one has time for, has an obvious manual solution, AND is on a team that is likely to grow. Future headcount potential is key.
2/ Do the work
Figure out how to solve it manually with minimal time (<2 hours per week). Key is that you can get started alone. Keep doing it to learn the ins and outs of the problem space. Document your learnings. Share them with the team.
Figure out how to solve it manually with minimal time (<2 hours per week). Key is that you can get started alone. Keep doing it to learn the ins and outs of the problem space. Document your learnings. Share them with the team.
3/ Abstract the problem
Once you become an expert in the problem, start thinking of ways to solve it in a more scalable way. Write a PRD. Get feedback from other PMs. Get feedback from eng/design on the team. Share it! Then make it better.
Once you become an expert in the problem, start thinking of ways to solve it in a more scalable way. Write a PRD. Get feedback from other PMs. Get feedback from eng/design on the team. Share it! Then make it better.
4/ Find a champion
Identify someone who can help you ship something. It might be a passionate engineer you befriend or a PM who sees the impact and can prioritize it. Practice your ability to influence without power by focusing on the customer value.
Identify someone who can help you ship something. It might be a passionate engineer you befriend or a PM who sees the impact and can prioritize it. Practice your ability to influence without power by focusing on the customer value.
5/ Find a sponsor
All the while, you should be sharing your progress and process with a senior product leader (potentially the lead on the team you are helping) who can eventually vouch for you. In the best case, they hire you themselves (I've done this).
All the while, you should be sharing your progress and process with a senior product leader (potentially the lead on the team you are helping) who can eventually vouch for you. In the best case, they hire you themselves (I've done this).
6/ Don't stop
Congrats! You became a PM. Don't stop working hard. Don't stop learning. The title is just a formality. The behaviors you have developed are what matter. Keep getting better. Then help the next person. Pay it forward.
Congrats! You became a PM. Don't stop working hard. Don't stop learning. The title is just a formality. The behaviors you have developed are what matter. Keep getting better. Then help the next person. Pay it forward.
There are definitely other/better ways to make this shift — I'd love to hear them! But I hope someone finds value and can start charting their own course.
