All related (7)
Director of Product Management at Asana
At Asana, we don't use leveled job titles to indicate seniority (e.g. Product
Manager III or Senior Director of Marketing), but that doesn't mean that we
don't have management structures in place. Instead, we use Success Guides for
every team that help employees understand what success looks like for each role
level at Asana. Another way we demonstrate ownership and growth in role is Areas
of Responsibility, key areas of the business that have one designated owner who
is responsible. AoRs act as a directory so employees easily can understand who
does what, and they offer employees additiona...more
Related Ask Me Anything Sessions
Director of Product Management at Salesforce
There are different paths that each product manager takes, but the common ones
I've seen are:
1. Joining a tech company as an Associate PM or an intern straight from college.
For college grads, I suggest starting by connecting with other product managers
(e.g. via LinkedIn) to better understand what we do. There are great books
available on this topic as well -- "Cracking PM Interview" is among my
favorites. I also created a series of videos explaining tech jobs and what do I
do in more detail - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsAz_arwNkiPobhi09VrMFg
2. Transition from other roles e.g. ...more
Head Of Product Management, Confluence Experience at Atlassian
First thing I'd recommend is asking your team if there is a formal description
of levels and skills associated with each level. More and more companies,
whether large orgs or startups, actually have written descriptions of product
manager levels and what those entail; the earlier you get to learn about them,
the better. If there is no formal description available, I would recommend to:
1) Interview your manager of what the next level may look like, and draft a
document outlining that
2) Review this document with 1-2 people in the product org who are on that level
and see what they would a...more
Head of Product for Mid-Market Businesses at Gusto
If you’re looking to grow from a Senior PM to a Group PM or Director, begin to
look more broadly across the business vs focusing solely on your specific
product area. It’s important to deeply understand the business levers that
outcomes that the company is aiming to achieve. Once you start to understand the
business at the level, you’ll be able to connect dots and identify opportunities
to drive impact at a larger scale.
If you don’t have the opportunity to shift the type of product you’re working
on, look at other ways to drive a larger impact at the team or organizational
level. Find o...more
Product Lead, Flow Area at Asana
* One common misconception about b2b product teams is that they should spend
most of their time thinking about the buyer (e.g. an executive, IT decision
maker) rather than the individuals using the product every day. This
misconception arises because in business settings, everyday users sometimes
don’t have much choice in the tools they use. However, product teams who
focus too much attention on the buyer and not enough on everyday users often
end up building products that may get some initial traction, but ultimately
become the products teams love to complain about, a...more
Product Lead, Align Area at Asana
When looking for a new opportunity, I ask myself four questions:
* Am I excited to work on this mission? If I’m going to dedicate 40+ hours a
week on solving a specific problem, I need to be sure that the solutions I’m
working on are ultimately helping people and making the world a better place.
* Will I be happy working with these people? I operate best in an environment
that values transparency and high standards, has a low-ego culture, and
encourages people to bring their whole selves to work. I need to be part of a
culture that has values that align with my own, and fr...more
Director of Product Management at Asana
We often say that growth at Asana is more like a climbing wall than a ladder—you
can choose different paths, get stronger with each foothold, and truly enjoy
your journey along the way. That is doubly true for product roles. You get
exposure to so many parts of the business that you may realize you want to go
explore next.
It is also great training for anyone who aspires to be an entrepreneur or CEO of
a large company. Andew Anagnost, CEO of Autodesk, advises all aspiring
executives at his company to become a product manager at some point in their
career. That's because it's the only rol...more