Product manager lateral entry: from developer to product manager

What makes the switch to product management so attractive?

As a developer, you are always in the middle of the action when it comes to the how: how are things implemented and designed? This is a predominantly practical part that takes place directly on the product.

However, you may lack the proximity to customers. Or you are more interested in the what, the why and the background to working on the product. As a product manager, you deal more with people and are in frequent contact with UX, development, stakeholders, etc. Product managers are responsible for taking products from the conception phase to market launch and beyond. For extroverted developers, these differences could be a real reason to switch to product management.

How does a change to product management work?

Jumping in at the deep end is certainly an option. But there are other ways. In the video, Sebastian describes how he found more and more points of contact with product management during his ten years as a product developer. Gradually, this became an everyday collaboration, which meant he worked closer and closer to product management than to development, before finally switching completely. A proactive approach and sound knowledge of project management are crucial to successfully taking on the role of product owner.

Get a taste of product management

Depending on the company, developers have more or less contact with product management on a day-to-day basis. If there is a certain proximity, it is not rocket science to put out feelers and, if necessary, contribute a little technical know-how. This can be a rewarding experience and make you a contact person for tech issues through the exchange with colleagues. It is also important to develop ideas during virtual meetings and share them effectively in software such as Jira and Confluence to optimize product development and make strategic decisions.

First job as a product manager

For your actual entry into product management, it is best to choose an area in which you are already good. For Sebastian, this was mobile, an area in which he had already worked as a developer and was therefore familiar with. Thanks to his experience in this area, he was able to write better requirements for the other developers in the new team.

Fallacies and blind spots in lateral entry

As a developer, you are of course familiar with the topic of tech and may have already had contact with the topic of UX. However, product management requires additional skills, primarily in terms of business, product and customer relations. Powerful functions in software solutions can significantly increase the efficiency and productivity of the team.

"What I forgot a bit at the beginning was that one of the biggest tasks of a product manager is to understand the customer, to approach the customer, to understand why certain things work or don't work. But in my case, that was a bit of a blind spot."

Sebastian

Role as product manager:in vs. product owner vs. developer:in

As a product manager, you are first and foremost much more exposed than in your role as a developer. After all, you and your skills only exist once in the team. You are therefore more in the spotlight compared to your role as a software developer. Your performance has an impact on your team. Product managers play a central role in the market launch of products to ensure that they are successfully brought to market.

In addition, you are less able to exchange ideas in your field. Either you don't exchange ideas at all, as you are the only product manager in the entire team, or you seek contact with product managers from other teams. However, they will have a different focus than you.

Short and sweet: The 3 core challenges of product roadmaps

1. technical perspective through tech background

Due to your background as a software developer, you may find it difficult to switch to the new topics in product management. The challenge is to develop a feel for the organization of your team, the stakeholders and the customers. Product roadmaps support product managers in managing data and communicating short and long-term product strategies.

2. exposed location

In your new role, you are often in the spotlight. Your work environment can keep an eye on you and the team is counting on you.

3. relapse into old role as developer:in

In meetings with your development team, you may have a tendency to get involved in development. As a result, you may lose sight of other processes.

Are you interested in switching to product management? Are you already on your way there or have you even arrived? We look forward to hearing about your experiences.

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