Mike Flouton

AMA: GitLab VP, Product, Mike Flouton on Product Management Career Path

October 1 @ 10:00AM PST
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We will email you Mike's answers to these questions after the event in case you can't make it.
As a non-it professional how does one start in PM career? What are transferable skill sets required for a middle management PM role?
How do you manage the 1000 questions and tasks that are shot at you when you are a PM in an early stage startup?
I'm the first PM in a startup that used to be sales led. I'm trying to set up the proper discovery processes, prioritization tactics and strategy, but I find that extremely hard to do as I'm getting carried away in the day-to-day tasks around requests, issues reported and project management.
What is your favorite product management interview question and the best answer you've heard?
What do you think is top 3 skills a PM should have acquired to move to director level?
How do you measure your own success in your role and how much have those performance indicators evolved as you grew within your role?
How can I navigate a situation where I am frequently assigned project management tasks rather than product management responsibilities, and where there seems to be a lack of emphasis on product vision and impact-based product building?
What are some of examples of ways you have been able to get promoted or support your colleagues to get promoted at the same company?
Do you think it makes sense to grow PM competence within the organization or hire people from the broader market to succeed faster?
i.e. how much should we focus on and invest in the teammates who could switch/transfer in their roles vs pay for the new PMs coming from other organizations as new hires?
How do the skills you need differ across the different levels of product management?
If I don't want to be a CPO or GM, what future executive role should I be shooting for as a PM?
How do you overcome domain hiring bias while looking for product roles?
What are differences between PM and Sr. PM? What are clear indicators that someone is ready to take on Sr. PM role and responsibilities that come with it? And, when in the Sr. PM role, what are key stages that distinguish different levels of Sr. PMs?
How do you think about staying within a company versus looking for opportunities outside? When do you know it's time to leave?
What metrics do you use to justify a pay raise?
What's the best way to break into the tech industry as a product manager?
What framework do you use when assessing a new opportunity at a different company?
As a hiring manager, what do the best product management candidates have in common?
What are the biggest frustrations you have as a product manager?