Max Antonov - product management & leadership

Feb 4, 2020

Product Management Career Path

Are you interested in pursuing a career in product management? Product management is a dynamic and exciting field that offers a range of opportunities for professionals with the right skills, knowledge, and experience.

To help you get started, I've created the ultimate product management career roadmap. This roadmap provides an overview of the key steps, skills, and experiences that you need to succeed in product management, and offers practical tips and advice to help you navigate your way to success.

Step 1: Develop a strong foundation in business, technology, and design

Product management is a cross-functional role that requires a blend of business, technology, and design skills. To succeed in product management, you need to have a solid understanding of these disciplines and how they work together. You can develop these skills through a combination of education, work experience, and self-study.

Step 2: Learn about the product management process.

Product management is a disciplined, iterative process that involves defining and prioritising product features and requirements, collaborating with cross-functional teams, and delivering high-quality products that meet customer needs. To succeed in product management, you need to understand this process and how to apply it effectively. You can learn about the product management process through courses, workshops, and online resources.

Step 3: Build your product management toolkit

Product managers use a range of tools and techniques to plan, develop, and launch products. These tools include product roadmaps, customer journey maps, user personas, market research, and agile development frameworks. To succeed in product management, you need to be familiar with these tools and how to use them effectively. You can learn about these tools through courses, workshops, and online resources.

Step 4: Gain experience in the field

Product management is a hands-on field that requires practical experience to master. To succeed in product management, you need to gain experience working on real products, with real teams, and facing real challenges. You can gain this experience through internships, part-time jobs, and entry-level positions in product management.

Step 5: Continue to learn and grow

Product management is a constantly evolving field, with new technologies, approaches, and challenges emerging all the time. To succeed in product management, you need to be a lifelong learner who is willing and able to adapt to new situations and develop new skills. You can continue to learn and grow by attending conferences, workshops, and seminars, and by participating in online communities and forums.

By following this career roadmap, you can lay the groundwork for a successful career in product management. By developing the right skills, knowledge, and experience, you can position yourself to take on challenging and rewarding product management roles, and make a positive impact on the products and customers you serve.

About Max Antonov
Head of Product @ Backpocket and a Product Coach. I write about product management and random topics that are on my mind. You can find me on Twitter, Substack, LinkedIn or Goodreads