Product Manager: Year Three

I almost missed a point of reaching a three-year tier in my product manager career, which nearly matches with ten years in IT. I wrote essays about my previous years (year one, year two, combined article on Medium) as a retrospective of my thoughts and feelings.

I had doubts about whether I wanted to write the continuation. I re-read previous pieces, which made me realize I needed to continue. First, the "Sophomore Year" was quite depressing. Second, I need to finish the series, and having that as a trilogy sounds right.

I don't say it will be optimistic than a previous one. A bit brighter, maybe. And most probably, the last. Writing that in a third time felt more like an obligation.

Anyway, it is time for a retrospective of my 3rd year of being in product management.

Platform engineering and product management

Last year, I had an identity crisis because my job seemed to be far away from what is written on product management. It coincides with general terms, but the devil is always in details.

Then, I realized that platform engineering and product managers who are working on Internal Development Platforms (IDP). There is a community, books, webinars, courses, and tools around that. Many people are doing similar things I am trying to do and have similar problems.

Usually, product management materials are focused on B2C and startups. B2B enterprise and internal development platforms are not so sexy topics. So you can easily overlook that layer of what I did.

I started consuming courses, books, and other materials on platform engineering, and suddenly, all that perfectly matched my recent experience. The "Team Topologies" book helped me re-evaluate my team's position and the services we provide to other teams.

I can finally call myself a Platform Product Manager, understanding my place and the peculiarities of my job. Better late than never.

Looking outside for rivalry

I like sports (especially Formula 1) because of the rivalry, even though I wouldn't say I like to practice it much. When you have opponents, you need to prove yourself to beat them. That is a massive boost in motivation to achieve something.

In software development, it is challenging to maintain motivation when you have Sprint #169. Of course, you have a roadmap, backlog, and objectives, but that becomes a routine at some point. You repeat the same cycle repeatedly with a bit of rest. Eventually, you end up lost in the middle of different contexts and repeated mantras.

I started looking at other API platforms and how they are applied and packaged in digital experience offerings from various insurtech organizations. And I like "that guy doing a great job in how they present" or "that is excellent documentation - we need to do like them, no, even better." So, unintentionally, I started benchmarking, which gave me some internal fire to pursue improvements.

You'd better not be obsessed with your competitors and keep focus on your stuff. But sometimes, you don't need a sophisticated system of goals and tracking indicators. You need something primal like "You need to beat that guy and prove you are better." Damn, that works. I don't know how long that lasts, though.

Revisiting old stuff

I started reading again some books about product management in the past when I worked as a business analyst or just started in my current role. Now, I look at some things mentioned in those books from different perspectives. I forgot some good pieces of advice, and it was very helpful in reviving them.

Revisiting old notes is also helpful but might be painful. It is interesting how far you've gone and how different the direction might be compared to your expectations.

Don't be afraid to look back. Sometimes, you need to take one step back to make two steps forward.

Focus on writing

If you follow me for some time, you might notice I started writing more. That is a kind of therapy and the only possibility to keep my mind structured. I wrote about my experience to reflect on the good and bad things. Also, I explore interesting topics where I want to deepen my knowledge. Even those that are not directly associated with my current job.

Sometimes, I feel that writing was becoming my second job. And I would love to. But that does not produce money. I could monetize and gain a little. Or reshuffle and package the content to sell it as a course. But I resist internally.

I am OK to have a small niche. I enjoy writing about some narrow topics I can't find anywhere else. I have a small but steadily growing audience, which makes me happy. That motivates me and gives me fuel to continue.

Also, writing is a great skill in day-to-day work. I see how my emails are precise, structured, and straightforward. Thanks to Grammarly, for sure. But there is a small part of my contribution there as well.

I keep writing down everything because my attention is spread to many things. It is the only way to track and address them all simultaneously. I changed my approach over the years. I have this topic in my writing backlog, which I will discuss in a future article.

Under pressure

Surviving through several ways of layoff in the industry, I realized that a) I survived not because I am the best but because I am lucky; b) there is no guarantee that I won't be "restructured" next time.

That gives an additional pressure. No doubt, it is better to have a job than not. But leaving under a constant fear that you might be the next is draining mental resources.

It is natural to start preparing yourself for the worst and playing your cards wisely. Keep your CV up-to-date, monitor job posts and match yourself with requirements, read helpful materials for interview preparation, read posts from hiring experts, and talk with recruiters. And inevitably, there is a thought, "I am kind of suck." LinkedIn plays a significant role, similar to how Instagram destroys your self-esteem, showing you an unreachable lifestyle.

So, a person is trapped between a fear of being fired and a fear of not fitting over-the-top market requirements. Like Covid and fucking wars are not enough to destabilize my mental health. I haven't started looking for a psychologist yet, but I think I should.

Rising boredom

One Product Manager with whom I worked as a business analyst many years ago said that every 3-4 years, you need to switch to something new. That doesn't mean finding a new job but switching roles and products in the organization. Such switching helps develop your career and grow professionally.

I started growing bored after working four years on the same product. I can expand my domain knowledge, but that will not have any practical applications. A product is mature enough to fulfill what it should do for a business.

Also, Product managers don't have much organizational power. In my situation, at least. Sometimes, that leads to frustration and a hunger for power to push some agenda, make decisions, and lead their execution.

Last year, I considered switching back to a business analyst role. I am experienced enough to take a Lead Business Analyst role with a more managerial focus.

But I realize that even having limited power in strategic business decisions, I don't want to give anyone power in product design decisions. I can't now work as BA in a pair with PO/PM, as I will try to outperform them to regain that power and influence higher-level decisions.

That makes me realize I won't return to elicit and specify requirements only. Only push forward for more power.

Final words

That piece was tough to write. But I feel relieved that I have closed that 3-year-long experience. There will be no year four or five. I literally don't know where I will be in a year. Nowadays, it is ridiculous to rely on a career plan.

Thanks for being with me on that journey. Stay tuned, and take care!