AMA: BILL Director, Product Management - Payments, Ruchi Aggarwal on Product Management Career Path

Skills Across Product Management Levels 1. Early PM: Focus on mastering execution. You'll likely be given problems and potential solutions, so use this time to understand the why behind the work—why it helps customers or the business. Build foundational skills in working with cross-functional teams, especially engineering and support. Treat these as opportunities to learn and refine your craft. 2. Mid-Level PM (Senior / Experienced PM): At this stage, you should own problem-solving. You’ll be handed customer or business problems, and it’s your job to devise solutions. Strong critical thinking is essential—break down problems into smaller components, prioritize effectively, and create actionable plans. 3. Director Level: Now, you’re expected to identify problems proactively. You should be able to spot opportunities, evangelize why they matter, and influence others on why now is the time to solve them. This requires strategic thinking, storytelling, and cross-functional alignment. 4. VP or Above: At leadership levels, the focus shifts to coaching teams and shaping the organizational structure. Your role is to enable others, ensure the team’s work aligns with business objectives, and optimize the product organization for long-term success. The journey involves scaling your focus from execution to strategy, while continuously honing your influence and leadership skills.

As part of my self-evaluation, I focus on understanding what the next level demands and identifying the skills or behaviors I need to learn and demonstrate to get there. I actively seek feedback from my manager and trusted peers to gain clarity on expectations and uncover blind spots. Regular self-reflection helps me track progress, align my work with company goals, and recognize opportunities to stretch myself. To support colleagues, I encourage open conversations about career goals, provide constructive feedback, and advocate for their work in relevant forums. Collaboration and mutual support play a key role in everyone’s growth.

I stay organized by setting half-yearly goals aligned with my manager. I like to break them down into monthly goals prioritized by impact, and track weekly progress, plans, and problems. This ensures alignment and helps me spot early signs of deviation from the original plan. You can use a simple spreadsheet or leverage tools your company provides, but the core idea is to maintain visibility into progress and continuously tie short-term actions to long-term objectives. This practice keeps me focused and enables timely course corrections

One can build critical thinking on the job by analyzing data, balancing customer and business needs, and seeking feedback on your work. You should also complement this with external learning through product communities, case studies, and product critiques to expose yourself to diverse perspectives. On-the-Job Learning 1. Analyze data critically: You should regularly review product and business data. Ask yourself questions like "What does this data actually tell me?" and "What could explain these trends?" to build a habit of deeper analysis. 2. Understand user & business needs holistically: Balance customer feedback, business goals, and market context. One should practice asking "why" multiple times to uncover the root cause of needs or issues. 3. Seek feedback: Request 360-degree feedback on your work. Focus on understanding perspectives from engineering, design, marketing, and leadership to refine your critical thinking. External Learning 1. Engage with communities: You could participate in product forums and communities. Discuss product decisions or case studies with peers to expose yourself to diverse viewpoints. 2. Review case studies: You could also dive into publicly available case studies or teardown analyses of successful (or failed) products. Reflect on what decisions were made, why, and their impact. 3. Product critiques: You could also regularly evaluate products around you by yourself or with your work peers or friends. Consider product's value propositions, user experience, and market positioning. Practice thinking about "what works," "what doesn't," and "what could be improved." Suggested Resources * Podcasts or blogs from thought leaders like Lenny Rachitsky or Marty Cagan. * Online courses or workshops on product strategy and critical thinking (e.g., Reforge).

When hiring a PM or Senior PM, I focus on product sense, execution skills, and a hunger to learn. Key Evaluation Criteria: 1. Soft Skills: * Do they clearly understand the problem they were solving and why it mattered? * Can they articulate key decisions, their rationale, and how they approached them? * How do they reflect on challenges and share how they navigated them? * Do they evaluate the impact of their work and demonstrate self-awareness about what could have been done differently? 2. Hard Skills: * Can they break down complex problems and structure solutions effectively? * Are they data-informed and able to use metrics to drive decisions? * Do they demonstrate strong prioritization and execution capabilities? Ultimately, I look for PMs who exhibit a balance of critical thinking, adaptability, and self-reflection, paired with a clear drive to grow and make an impact.