Navigating the PM career path
All about products and PM career from my desk
Welcome to the newsletter. In this newsletter series, I plan to bring all my work and resources that would help PM enthusiasts, practitioners and leaders to get better at their craft. Let me start with my introduction:
I’m Malthi. Fractional CPO at HerKey, a women career-engagement platform (funded by Kalaari Capital)
Coached and Trained more than 100 Product Managers, Product Leadership Coach
Visiting Faculty for Product Management at IIM-Udaipur and Masters Union
Founder and Host of Product Podcast - “Product Talk with Malthi”
24+ years of experience in Software Product Development and Management
Awarded Best Women PM Leader of the Year 2024 by Gain Skills India Ltd.
Rated as one of the Top 100 PMs by The Product Folks
Speaker at various Products and DEI events Every two weeks, I send an article to all subscribers. Consider subscribing to the account. Thanks for being with me so far.
In this newsletter edition, I would like to share about my resources on
Product Podcast - Product Talk with Malthi
Getting started in the PM career path
Launch of my new course on AI PM
Product Talk with Malthi -
Product Talk with Malthi - YouTube
I bring in a new episode every fortnight with founders, creators, and product builders. Each episode is a rich blend of insights, from in-depth discussions on strategy formulation and innovation to actionable advice on navigating product lifecycle and market challenges.
In the recent episodes, we talked about starting and growing a career in product management with industry experts Sumit Kumar Singh and Sonali Nanda
Essential skills and Hiring Insights with Sumit Kumar Singh
Insights on Product Management Leadership with Sonali Nanda
There is much more. Subscribe to the podcast and enjoy the learning!
Getting started as a PM-
In my recent interview with Amit Khanzode in his Podcast Thinkly, I shared my journey and views on PM career path which I hope will benefit those aspiring to get into product management role. Watch the video.
Here is a One Minute- Quick Summary for you.
PM Skills: -
Here are some of the skills that are needed to become PM.
Problem solving, Customer empathy, Curiosity to learn, speak the language of the people with whom you work with, listening skills, conviction, open for feedback, managing without authority. Apart from technical skills focus on behaviour skills, data driven understanding and domain skills.
Transitioning to Product management role: -
Start with the organization that you are already working. Have more than one hop to shift to product management role if needed. Highlight the transferable skills that you bring in from your previous work experience.
Formal courses, driving initiatives within the organisation, internships, Capstone projects, Coaching, being part of PM community, continuous upskilling are proven ways to transition into product management.
PM Career Path: -
One start as an Associate product manager at the entry level and then move on to Product manager, Senior manager where the scope and responsibility increases. From managing few features in the product, one gets into more strategic work of owning a product to owning a portfolio of products.
At this junction, one has a choice to become a People manager as Group PM or to continue as a Principal PM in the capacity of Individual contributor.
Career ladder can grow further into Director and VP of Product where scope, influence, and power increases. It is not only a challenging but also very enriching and satisfying career.
Tools for PM: - (optional section)
Business requirement document, product requirement document, user stories, etc are the assets owned by product manager in an organisation. Product managers have good knowledge about the users, competition, and data. This is a valuable tool kit they have as Product managers.
There are many tools that are available for PM to perform their job effectively.
Product discovery -5 Whys
Design- Figma, Miro
Product execution – Confluence, Jira, Trello to create roadmaps.
Power of writing and tools that help with writing and taking minutes- Fire flies, otter etc.
Leverage these tools, enjoy your role as Product manager and continue to create value for customer. Good luck!
Course Launch Cohort 2- Product Management for AI First Products
Find more details on the course and the testimonials from cohort1
Write to me at malthi.satish@gmail.com for some exclusive discount coupons for my readers.
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