How can a PM crack into new domain area (say for example, AR/VR) when they work for a non-AR/VR company ?

It can be difficult to change companies AND domains in one step. I would advise you to consider the possibility that this may be a two step process, where you focus on changing one variable at a time:

1. Change companies while keeping domain constant.

2. Change domains once you are internal and you’ve built up enough credibility.

Ultimately, it is up to you what you are comfortable with. Personally, I have found gradual transitions have allowed me to achieve greater success at each stage.

Let me assume you are staying within your software (or hardware) realm, as switching from software to hardware product management (or vice versa) could be way steeper hill than entering a new domain like AR/VR.

Here is something that would made me seriously consider a candidate without a specialized AR/VR experience - for an AR/VR position:

• Stellar track record in non AR/VR product management. You rock as a product manager - many will consider this more valuable than hands-on with the domain. This is table stakes. You are already at disadvantage, so first of all demonstrate you are a rock star PM.

• Story telling - if at all possible, find and demonstrate how aspects of your prior work can be applicable to AR/VR. Was there a project where you came up and succeeded with an unconventional UX solution? Tell a story how AR/VR is evolving quickly to find new UX patterns - and how you can apply your past experiences to that.

• Domain knowledge: yes, you didn’t work as an AR/VR PM. But you surely invested a lot of time in understanding this domain. You know the market, the players, the product, the technologies. You’ve been to industry events and meet ups to hear inside stories first-hand. You talked to AR/VR customers about their experiences, yays and nays. You can speak the same language with your hiring team.

• Passion - lack of hands-on experience is your disadvantage. Make your genuine passion offset that one. Show it’s not “just a job” for you. With all other things equal, this will tip the scale in your favor.

Managing products in a new space provides the perfect balance of applying existing expertise you have about your craft (product management, in this case) and acquiring a new set of skills by overcoming challenges that test the limits of what you thought you knew about the product and business. Personally, I love breaking out into new domain areas and think every PM should find an opportunity to do this (preferably at their existing company) every 2-3 years. It also helps build your portfolio to advance your career and gives you more conviction around the type of products you want to PM v/s not.

At LaunchDarkly, I've been focused on launching our new AI product offering which is a new muscle for me and the company, so here are some positive learnings from that experience:

1. Customers on speed dial: This can be part of your process to discover product-market fit (PMF), but in the early stages I'd lean heavily on existing or potential customers for discovery and to help you deepen your knowledge about the space. Try to understand the need for the technology, how it fits into their daily workflows, what the rest of the ecosystem is, and what's needed to improve it. Talking to customers will increase your knowledge about the space over time before you even know it.

2. Become user 0: Reading and talking about the domain will only get you so far, so if possible, become a power user of the product. This will strengthen your domain expertise by applying all the knowledge you're gaining and over time user empathy will become a superpower that bolsters your roadmap.

3. Tap into the community: The PM community is amazingly helpful, so I'd reach out to other PMs in the domain. Is it mobile? Reach out to PMs at a mobile-first product company. Is it AR/VR? Reach out to PMs at Google and Meta. Lean into this and expand your network to supplement the knowledge you can get with online resources.

4. Be flexible: While we all have our "frameworks" and "KPI processes", they may need adaptation when it comes to products in different domains. So, be flexible and open-minded about evolving your existing processes where needed.

Most importantly, I'd say - be curious. While entering a new domain might seem scary at first, it's a growth opportunity which is harder to come by as you get later in your career. So, be excited to learn, be humble, ask questions when you don't know, and be genuinely curious to learn.