Path into Product

Logan Cottle has changed his mind about product management being a “cush” job. He was headed down the road of dentistry when a simple question began a journey into technology companies. First, starting as a Customer Success Manager, he gained a love for data and analytics and slowly made his way into product management. Logan’s story is a perfect example of making deliberate and iterative steps toward a career in product. 

Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia recognized a gap. Trained in computer science, he was told he'd be an engineer. Later, in business school, he realized that the program was very high level. Could there be something in the middle, that bridged technology and business? Bridging that gap became the genesis of Product School, a community and training program that Carlos founded and runs to train the next generation of product managers.

Carlos discusses a wide-range of product management topics, including:

• Product is a mindset, not just a title
• What's changed for aspiring product managers trying to get in
• The future of product management
• Product manager portfolios
• How to invest your time to land the first product role
• Curiosity and always learning
• Strong opinions, loosely held
• Eating your own dog food (or as Carlos would say: drink your own champagne)
• And more

Gretchen Rodriguez, originally from Cuba, started doing product-management-like work in Spain before joining eBay's marketing team. While at eBay, she discovered product management, and made deliberate decisions to "network with intention" in order to land her first product role. 

You will love Gretchen's positive and generous spirit; and the tips she provides aspiring managers are practical and impactful.

A self-described “maker,” inspired by digital encyclopedias and science fiction novels, Lance was awed by the potential that digital technologies could unleash for humans. When mentors finally convinced him that he was a product manager, he learned all he could through conferences, books, and thought leaders.

Lance describes various paths into product, specializations or related role to product managers, flavors of product leadership, how to transition into product, and more!

Matthew Lace has a passion for solving the world’s problems. But in the early days of his career at the UN and other global non-profits, he realized he needed a discipline and skillset in order to bring his passion into reality. While in a job interview for a project manager position, the interviewer suggested that Matt look into product management. Since then, he has found the skillset he needs to build solutions and solve problems.

Path into Product goes international! Robert Drury started in professional sports, tried his hand at managing a cinema, and eventually landed in sales and business development. While there, he developed a knack for listening to customers needs and figuring out how to solve them while delivering value for the business.

Justin Knutson, senior product manager at O.C. Tanner, is no stranger to failure. After dropping out of high school (and never completing a GED), Justin started and failed eight small businesses. Yet he credits those failures with teaching him to approach business, product management, and life with an insatiable curiosity, humility, and willingness to learn.

Justin shares his insights on questions like:

• What is at the core of being a good product manager?
• Do you need a formal education to be a successful product manager?
• What non-traditional learning experiences prepared Justin to be a product manager?
• Why should someone not choose to be a product manager?
• And so much more!

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Jeff Compton is fresh off his path into product--with only three months of experience. He tells his story from mechanical engineering sprinkler parts to landing his first product role at a growth-stage company.

Jeff shares his insights on questions like:

• Is an MBA a good path into product?
• What do companies care about when hiring a product manager?
• How can someone gain product experience before landing their first product role?
• How to find an internship—even during government-mandated COVID lock downs?
• Is an internship enough experience to be hired as a product manager?
• Why choose a smaller company rather than a larger one to start your product management career
• Why you wouldn't want to choose product management as a career?

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After experiencing the tactical nature of project management and being a Scrum master, Sara wanted to push herself outside of her comfort zone and attempt the strategic role of product manager. She provides great insights into the difference between project and product management; and shares a day in the life of a product professional.

Ethan, a self-described introvert, worked in customer success, where he dove deep in understanding the problems and pain points of his product’s customers. After a friend was hired into the product organization, he was introduced to a group of decision makers who worked with engineers to help them build the product. Overtime, he was able to join as a product manager—which started a crash course in learning an entirely new skillset.

Ethan’s pragmatic communication style will give you a good idea of a product manager’s daily life, and how you could join the product field by networking and transitioning within the same company.