Transitioning from a Product Manager to a Product Lead
Ever since I started my new role as product lead a few weeks back, I felt that there was a huge difference in the work and responsibilities I perform as compared to my PM roles back in Crypto.com and Alibaba.
And I am not entirely sure if this is because of the role, or perhaps the nature of the company where the startup environment requires me to always be scrappy. But I am definitely loving every moment of it and I am constantly learning to be a better version of myself in this new role.
With that being said, I wanted to share my experience and highlight some of the main changes I have identified to better prepare any first-time product leads out there.
You are no longer just an individual contributor
I think the largest difference that I realized was that I was no longer an individual contributor. Gone are the days where I could simplyfocus on perhaps 2–3 projects and see them to completion.
Instead, a lot more managerial skills are at play here — I am held responsible for anything under the product and it is my sole responsibility to ensure that myteam is progressing as expected.
But, do not mistake this as an abolishment of your role as an Individual Contributors (IC). You still have projects that you are directly in charge of (e.g. writing PRDs) and you also have to make sure that those are done perfectly.
More thinking, less execution
I also realized that the work I was doing involved a lot more product thinking, rather than product execution.
This meant performing more of:
- Competitive analysis
- Strategy planning with higher management
- Monitoring of data and getting insights
- High-level Roadmapping
And performing less of:
- Scoping out requirements (non-technical/technical) with stakeholders
- Feature roadmapping
- Overseeing product development processes
This is something I definitely enjoy a lot more compared to my previous roles, as I feel that I finally have a say on how I want to build my product. But of course, at the same time, this also places a lot more pressure on me as my work performance is directly linked to the performance of the product.
Being willing to do EVERYTHING
It is almost natural for a startup to not have all the resources you might need to perform your job. For instance, a lack of manpower, undefined processes etc.
But I realized that you need to look past these hurdles and start overcoming them by taking charge.
Not enough manpower to handle the workload? Work a little longer than your regular hours.
Lacking manpower in a specific area (e.g. QA)? Learn a new skill and start trying to help out in that area
No processes in place to manage workflows? Start defining them yourself and make sure they are followed
It is purely up to you to shape your team’s work environment and you have to step up in order to make it work.
Final Thoughts
Being a new product lead is really hard. It is okay to not know everything.
Even till now, I am still constantly trying my best to learn more about the firm and how to be a good product lead. I am hoping to use Medium as my career journal to document my journey and share my experiences navigating through this new role. I also hope to hear from some of you in the comments and learn from you too if you have experienced something similar as well.
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