AMA: Volley Head of Product/VP, Roshni Jain on Product Management Career Path

That's a great question, and I'm glad you're thinking about it from a Product Manager's perspective. A team's velocity is influenced by many factors and is largely within the team's control. When I've seen teams dramatically increase their velocity, they usually follow a pattern like this: Recognizing the Need for Change: A catalyst emerges that prompts the team to focus on velocity. This could be frustration over a project that lacked impact or dragged on too long, or organizational pressure to ...Read More

The great news is that you don't typically need to make this decision early in your career; you can gradually explore both paths to determine which suits you best. The split between an Individual Contributor (IC) Product Manager and a People Leader PM usually occurs at the Product Lead or Group PM level. As a high-performing Senior PM, you might have the opportunity to take on a slightly larger scope related to your area, which could include managing one or two direct reports. Many companies fac ...Read More

While Product Manager (PM) roles vary based on team dynamics and business context, certain fundamental skills are essential for any successful PM: Excellent communication skills Analytical thinking Leadership and collaboration abilities Beyond these core competencies, the environment in which a PM operates significantly shapes their experience and skill development. In an entrepreneurial setting, a PM often: Owns a larger product scope: Taking responsibility for multiple facets of the product wi ...Read More