How to break into Product Management (Real Product Manager Stories)

[@kristinchen9540]

Love this Chloe!!! Thank you for interviewing me and sharing so much helpful advice with aspiring product managers!

[@chloeshih]

Kristin!! You are so bombbbb! Can't believe I got to listen to your story. Thank you so, so much for sharing your experiences and insights. I know it's going to be helpful for others as they discover this!! :D :D

[@coltroth3]

I love soundcloud, can't wait to listen to the podcast!

[@adrielb]

thank you for sharing your story!!

[@subucus8]

"Doesn't mean that we were slow to the game, we just learned different things along the way" - love that

[@chloeshih]

Aww I'm glad you enjoyed that little tidbit ~ ^_^ I used to kick myself for not starting this process sooner, but I didn't have a hard time transitioning into the role since I had all that previous experience. :D

[@wamyy5]

"It makes me want to create things that are a net positive on the internet." I'd say you're definitely achieving this, Chloe! Thanks for your helpful videos. More creators need to think the way you do! :)

[@yxl6997]

I love this PM series!!!!! Could you talk more about how does PMs figure out users' needs and what features they should offer? Do they talk to users directly? Do they just come up with ideas? Or is there a department in the company that collects & analyze user data and report it to PMs?

[@chloeshih]

Hi Yingxiu! Oh this is a very long process and something I can definitely help tackle. But there are generally a ton of different sources of signal for ideas to come up. Generally PMs don't look for solutions - they look for pain points. There's also always a mission/goal that we're building towards. So the question is usually "what pain points do our users face right now that keep them from getting to the goal that we want them to reach?" Data insights, user research, feedback from partners, customer support tickets, feedback from social channels (like Twitter, Reddit, etc,), and our internal cross-functional partners always give us a lot to work with already. Yes, there are also teams that collect and analyze user data to share with product teams and make recommendations!

[@crenshaw007]

You’re spot about the experience required to get a job but in order to get the job you need experience is so true it hurts.

[@shaadd538]

Great Production Quality, Personality, Content, and Great Looks. You have all the ingredients to blow UP!!

[@chloeshih]

Omgg ahhh such kind words! Thank you so much for posting such a positive comment. Really amping me up to be creative here on KZbin! :D

[@shreyacee]

Hey, can you make a video on exactly what are the technical skills someone from a non tech background would need to break in ?

[@912lakshya]

You are really impressive. I am a grad student and doing an internship as PM but had some doubts bcz of XYZ reasons. But your videos helped me build my confidence for a PM career. Thanks a lot. Please keep posting new content. Cheers

[@chloeshih]

Hi Lakshya!! Thanks so much for the kind and thoughtful comment! I'm so glad this has been helpful. :D Let me know if there are other topics you'd like me to tackle that'd be helpful. :)

[@suza4085]

I just got transferred into my Product team and I was looking forward to career paths. This seems so exciting and fulfilling! Thank you for making this video.

[@chloeshih]

Hi Suzanne! I'm so glad you enjoy the video. Let me know if there are topics you'd like me to cover! :D

[@suza4085]

@@chloeshih I currently working for an SaaS company in the digital healthcare space.. I'd love to work in the gaming industry however. I have a -few- connects, so maybe you could do industry-specific videos for different kinds of PMs? Just a thought. Also, followed your twitch and joining your discord. Love to see more gamer girls in this working space!

[@allthehui]

Always love hearing everyone's PM journeys! Each one is so unique.

[@shelbysir3421]

amen!

[@aidou97]

I'm gonna be transitioning into PM from Marketing! Wish me luck. I'm excited but also extremely nervous if I'll be successful 😬

[@chloeshih]

Omgg that's huge!! Best of luck on the transition!! I wish you all the success in the process ~

[@Krasherdude]

I love Chloe. Because of her videos, I see possibilites for myself in Product Management and how I can try to turn those into reality. Thanks, Chloe!

[@shengyanghwang4594]

Brilliant content! I started out in partnerships/biz dev and made it all the way up to management, but along the way I grew so much interest in PM, and now I'm giving it my best shot for an internal transfer. Future content food for thought -What's not to like in PM? -The PM personality: are you the right one for the job? -Common myths of being a PM -How to piss off PMs in one sentence (and don't do it!) From a fellow Taiwanese :) Keep up the good work!

[@yamaitte]

I'm a newborn PM and I'm loving these PM videos! Treasure! Could you please share with us your best practices? It would be really helpful! Thank you so much!

[@teaetatv]

Thank you! because i'm trying to go from being an M365 Cloud Engineer to a Product Manager. I have some of the necessary skills, but i'm working on sharpening my terminology knowledge and Agile tools.

[@chloeshih]

Oh wow that's super neat! Cloud Engineer to PM is such an interesting transition. I'm sure you have plenty of skills that other PMs don't have in the space. Lmk if there are other topics for me to tackle that would be beneficial for you!

[@comfortbee]

Hi Elizabeth, I’m a fashion designer who is looking to transition into product management and I’m completely clueless as to where and how to begin. Would you be kind to help with leads. Thank you

[@ShervinShares]

I'm a newbie in PM, would love some tips on how to be a good/successful PM once you've landed the role!

[@tonythetig5693]

Glad that I found your channel. I am currently in an APM position and I have no clue what the next steps were.

[@chloeshih]

Congrats on getting the APM position! That's huge!! Glad you found this video helpful. Lmk if there are other topics you'd find useful that I can cover for you!

[@laurenbydanielle6085]

tHANK YOU FOR THIS VIDEO. IM IN A PIVOTING POINT IN MY CAREER AND THIS HELPED ME STAY ENCOURAGED!!

[@chloeshih]

KEEP IT UP!!

[@iyinolajubilee8929]

OMG, Chloe I came across your channel today and I've been so inspired. I transitioned from a Finance background (experience with the big 4) into product management. I've learned coding and taken a few courses on product management. Getting jobs has been a bit challenging because I don't have experience in a product role (but how can I have experience if I don't work first🙃). I've been able to take a few tips from this video, and I'm optimistic that it'll help me bag a job in PM.

[@imakuro9066]

Helloo!! What Product management courses did you take and where did you learn coding? Keep us updated on your journey! 😊😊

[@iyinolajubilee8929]

@@imakuro9066 I took some free courses from Product School™️, and I enrolled for a paid coding Bootcamp (physical)in my country. You can also learn to code virtually from online platforms like Coursera, Udacity, Codeacademy, Pluralsight, KZbin.

[@aryanbisht7752]

I don’t comment much, but her video quality was so good that I immediately decided to subscribe but found that i was already her subscriber.

[@chloeshih]

Omg this comment hahah you are too sweet!

[@maniktkb786]

man can totally relate with HR/ clueless Managers blocking internal roles

[@chloeshih]

The worst 😩😩😩

[@jiyagupta8454]

This is amazing. Just found your channel. As a uni student about to graduate at the end of the year, you’ve really got me interested for this career path!! Good on you xx

[@TheLingChang]

Another super engaging and informative video! The diversity of journeys to becoming a PM from you and your PM friends was v interesting. Also I LOVE your graphics!

[@chloeshih]

aww thanks ling!! yeah, it's really neat to hear everyone else's stories too! and also, thank u so much on the note of the graphics T_T i wish i took any art or design classes growing up. stuff is so cool x_x learning as much as i can from the internet to design cool stuff in the digital space!

[@henryli85]

Hi Chloe! (Ex?)-Taipei expat here. Just want to thank you for making the video. I have a consulting background and I tried to break into product but it was such a painful process from the consulting side I basically gave up. Seeing your video gave me both trauma 😪 but also hope! I’m pivoting to software engineering now but will probably revisit product again in the future. Looking forward to the rest of your videos!

[@chloeshih]

Hi Henry! Omg another Taipei expat! :D Yes consulting to PM is very common. The transition into PM is always really challenging :( Pivoting to SWE is also great! You can also work with your future manager to give you opportunities to PM some of your features on the team. That way you have experience for product and it'll be useful for you if/when you want to switch over!

[@lyonmccandless6161]

yes more please - tactical advice and resume advice!

[@ghostdesignstv]

I’m a PO and eventually want to make the leap to consumer tech PM but struggling because I do not have a prestigious background. However this was very cool and insightful - thanks!

[@dreisdestined]

Hey Chloe!! Thanks for the insight! I’m an Account Manager at Twitter looking to transition into PM and I can relate your background in Biz Dev! This video gave me confidence to know that I can make the transition. Thanks again! 🙏🏾

[@chloeshih]

Omg I’m so glad this video is helpful! Lmk if there are other topics that you would find useful to you during your transition! Wishing you all the best in your career journey ~

[@audylikethecar8322]

Hi Chloe, Idk how the youtube algorithm works but this video was an automatic click. And I'm kind of contemplating on recent decisions I've made haha. My situation is so incredibly similar to yours! I work at a ride-hailing tech company in SEA - in partnerships! - I love it, it's so fun and challenging, but I definitely agree, the bottlenecks are always with product teams. But that sparked my interest! There was an internal transfer for a role that works hand in hand with new features. I tried scratching the surface by reaching out to someone I knew on the team and he told me, try it! So I did, because I thought it was a great opportunity. It turns out the PM was interested in me and sought out to hire me, but I definitely chickened out and believed I was not fit for the role. I some how regret backing out (tbh I didn't want to be one of those people you mentioned, freaked out and resigned) but I don't regret not taking the offer and staying in my current role. For now, I think I'll seek more knowledge and grow in partnerships but who knows, maybe in the future I'll be a better fit to be a PM. Thank you so much for sharing. Looking forward to watching more of these!

[@chloeshih]

Hi audy! Wow, this is such a journey! Thank you so much for sharing what you went through. No worries about that job. If you didn't feel good about it, then it was the right decision to say no. New opportunities will come very, very soon especially now that you have your intentions set. It was definitely a difficult transition for me, but I'm wishing you all the best! Hope you're able to find a PM sponsor to take you up sooner rather than later. Lmk if you have any questions or topics that you'd like me to cover here to help out!! :D

[@michellela7521]

Thank you Chloe! Found your videos after seeking for an options to career change!

[@Zehra-mp1mk]

This is such a good video 🥺 thank uu can’t wait see more and listen to the podcast

[@chloeshih]

Zehra - thank you so much!! Yess, I highly recommend the podcast episode. It was really enlightening for me to even hear about from Kristin directly!

[@amy2089]

Just want to say this was extremely useful in terms of some reflection. This isn't easy but not impossible - your grind is impressive!

[@Random_ZZ]

You deserve more subscribers and viewers!!!! Chloe I love how much you breakdown everything and give us a super clear insider view!!

[@noniirukwu7105]

This is so helpful! Going to listen to the podcast now and can’t wait for the video on interview tips! It would also be great to discuss how to best present/talk about your skills to suit product roles

[@taggerung890]

Awesome video! I really enjoyed the snippets that you pulled in from your conversations with your friends!

[@desiindianfightshere]

Please create more such videos in the product manager series

[@Amanda-bg7ib]

That. Was. So. Good. So much insight/ resources in 1 video

[@lilystyles5455]

OMG chloe you are so determine!! Thank you for all the useful advice!

[@pmdan]

This is great! I love the level of detail from different companies. Subscribed. I think internal transfers from other roles sometimes have a super power, if they are willing to put in the extra effort and take action. They can pitch ideas within their teams, engineers can build prototypes, BI engineers can go deep into the data to create a persuasive arguments. They know everyone and can rally stakeholders even before they get the PM title. This in turn will help them gain experience and pass the internal interview (where it's needed).

[@chloeshih]

I agree! They've got lots of context of how other crossfunctional roles need to rely on product. :)

[@clarenceonyekwere5428]

Thanks Chloe, been a Project Management and Business Analyst in consulting and have been considering a switch, your videos on the topic are very helpful

[@chloeshih]

So glad you found it helpful! Lmk if there are other topics you'd find helpful for me to cover! :)

[@johnnyventura7044]

Awesome video. I currently work in FP&A and meeting with our VP of product tommorow to start learning what exactly she does. We are a Microsoft partner so this should be fun :)

[@coltroth3]

So great to hear your stories and advice Chloe! I work in entry level product now, but this advice is helpful for me too!

[@sophiarestrepo6775]

Your videos and Tiktoks are so helpful Chloe... Thank you!

[@chloeshih]

aww i'm so glad to hear, sophia!! thanks for stopping by my youtube!

[@angiembrew1]

Thank you for this! I am a teacher trying to break into this!! I realized I have a lot of skills that I use already that PM's use!

[@chloeshih]

WOO! Let's go Angeline!!

[@sophial.4488]

Yes, look forward to seeing more videos that offer tactical advice on how to prepare for transitioning to PM from another line such as technology consulting

[@ezrafermanis420]

You are giving away such awesome insight for aspiring PM's. Thanks for the videos!

[@mysasuke55]

Thank you for sharing this, Chloe! All of your videos are so well spoken and easy to pick up. I hope to see more videos!

[@chloeshih]

Aww thank you so much for the kind message! Definitely motivates me to keep up the work on the channel. Hope to see you again!

[@eddiemao3527]

Ugh I wish that I had found your channel sooner! Love it!

[@chloeshih]

haha, well i'm glad you're here now!

[@lnwl7004]

Love your voice! Thanks for sharing your journey with us. Keep the good content coming!

[@transitpix]

Thank, Chloe. You're sunshine!

[@chloeshih]

☀️☀️☀️☀️

[@techproductgirl]

The point where you mentioned to get into product you need to have product experience! You did not mention joining an early early startup. I feel working with someone on their seed or series A startup will give you the exposure that you need.

[@katarzynasantana1074]

I feel inspired by you Chloe! Have similar experience (biz dev) and now I am moving into PM. Thanks for sharing!

[@shwetapardeshi4695]

Thank you so much for this Chloe!! It is really ain't easy but having listen to stories surely gives hope and urge to try harder and do better

[@lisaqi8369]

Chloe, thank you for making this video. This is super helpful. Kudos to you!

[@HarpreetKaur-od3pz]

Thank you for another great video. Loved the stories. As someone who only recently had a breakthrough getting a Product manager role, I was really able to relate to everything. Absolutely love how you go about your videos.. you definitely have a great product at your hand!

[@cheryleldara]

i subscribed halfway through the video, learning so much already and excited to binge watch your videos! ❤️

[@BoydsterM]

Love your style! And definitely super helpful since I'm wanting to break into product management as well. You've earned a new sub! :)

[@chloeshih]

Aww thank you so much!! And welcome to the channel! Let me know if there are particular topics that would be helpful for ya :D

[@annietruong94]

I really loved this video! So helpful and insightful. Thank you so much for sharing your journey. It sounds super tough but it's good to know that it is possible to transition to PM eventually with the right network/connection/practice and patience. I would love to see more PM related videos :) You are such an inspiration!

[@chloeshih]

Hi Annie! Thank you so much for sharing this kind comment! I'm glad this video was helpful. I definitely have a lot more stories to share. Lmk if there are specific topics that you think would be helpful for me to cover!

[@konkecele1770]

Loved your enegy! Informative as usual😇

[@chloeshih]

Thank you!! So glad you enjoyed this!! Lmk if there are other topics that may be helpful. :)

[@dmalik2009]

Editing is 🔥 and entertaining/ informative

[@chloeshih]

Haha thank you very much ~ Appreciate this comment a lot haha

[@adrielb]

thanks for sharing all these videos about your career! i enjoy watching them! 😁

[@chloeshih]

Glad you like them!

[@cativabonita3110]

Don’t mind me, just going through and enjoying your content 🌱

[@chloeshih]

Haha omg thank you

[@CanishaTutsirai]

Such an informative video, Chloe! Thank you for taking the time to interview different people because it gave such varied answers. Looking forward to your next video :)

[@chloeshih]

Canisha - so glad you enjoyed the video! It took quite a while to curate everyone's stories properly haha. People's paths are always so different and we don't always need to fit into the same shoes as everyone else. Looking forward to creating more stuff too!!

[@sbdru]

Thanks for sharing Chloe. Very useful information!

[@strategy_gal]

I'm sure this is super helpful to those who want to break into PM. Very insightful! Enjoyed the video, Chloe!

[@citrinehills7131]

I have related experience, over 12 years of customer service so I talk to alot of clients. That's about it.

[@MichasQGP]

Hi, glad i found this channel. Its very interesting to see how you approach challenges. This is something completelty foreign in europe I think, at least in Poland. Nice eyeopener.

[@chloeshih]

Oh really!? I have no idea how the approach is in Europe, but I imagine it would be quite similar through product management. I'm glad this was insightful to you!

[@daigih]

Great insight! I would love to know more about your expectations vs reality being a PM. Congrats on the 1k subscribers! Also where is the coffee? XD

[@chloeshih]

Oh man expectations vs reality... That's a good topic. Thanks for the suggestion. Also, yay!! I did hit 1K~ So proud!! annnnd i knew someone would call me out for the coffee vs tea xD it's just that tea time with chloe doesn't feel the same haha

[@herjigyasa]

Just the motivation I needed ❤️

[@venice94]

Thanks Chloe for sharing your day, it’s really exciting to understand how the workday goes from your eyes. I’m also very similar in the sense that I tend to do things as they come along, disrupting the original work that I was supposed to focus on hahaha XD always a struggle but we’ll get through and it has its benefits too!

[@chloeshih]

i swear i'm so bad at context switching, yet i do it all the time T_T

[@venice94]

@@chloeshih Me too hahaha. I often forget what I initially wanted to do too 😅 (just realised my comment is on the wrong video 🤦🏼‍♀️)

[@allthehui]

+1 to decode and conquer! it's my go-to resource for pm interviews

[@sandychai9096]

Great sharing! I guess this is the trade off for getting a product manager title? Btw, I worked in Chinese and American tech, so totally understand what you are saying. I feel like it is very hard for Chinese international tech companies to operate like American big tech, one reason is the broader culture difference, the other is the pressure from the tension between US and China. There is def much room for improvement but I don’t know when and how. I don’t think it is related to the home country’s development stage cuz if you look at companies from more developed Asian countries like Japan and Korea, the working environment has similar toxic elements. Not saying American working environment is perfect. Different system has different playbook and people problems, so my suggestion would be set reasonable expectations and do due diligence before getting in, get what you need, and go for the next.

[@preethiramachandran109]

Hi Chole. All love to you from INDIA 🇮🇳 Your videos are all super positive . Kind of motivated and energized after seeing your video. I have 6 years exp post MBA making a transition into PM role now.. Wish me luck 🥰

[@CM-qo2ns]

Thank you so much for all the useful tips, Chloe!!!

[@chloeshih]

Glad it was helpful!

[@JacobPernell]

Love the quality of the content and the video editing! Thank you for sharing all this info! :D ✨

[@chloeshih]

aww thank you jacob!! i'm glad you enjoyed the editing heh :)

[@weiyangshi4729]

Thank you for the great content, Chloe!

[@chloeshih]

Thanks for watching!

[@ranvierion]

Keep up the good work and nice to hear such refreshing stories from your industry!

[@chloeshih]

Yeah!! So many stories out here that we don't take the time to share out. I hope to continue sharing more!

[@PC-vh1mx]

This is ao helpful. Thank you, Chloe!

[@chloeshih]

Glad it was helpful!

[@pablodelao4746]

So awesome, thanks so much for sharing your story Chloe!

[@chloeshih]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@TheKimNguyen]

Such a great video, thanks for posting! Love your energy 😄

[@chloeshih]

Thank you so much for the support! Glad you enjoyed the video ~ I will def keep up the energy! :D

[@CanadianCraft]

This video is so aesthetic

[@chloeshih]

omg thank you ~ I tried to make the intros a little more fun to watch haha. really proud how it turned out :) glad you enjoyed the vibes!

[@Mijonju]

I Just left TT too haha, moving towards a new path now, found this amazing channel

[@chloeshih]

Omg! That's crazy - well congrats on a new path!! Cheers to the both of us. :)

[@vz8443]

thank you for sharing these stories! appreciate this!

[@chloeshih]

Thank you for watching!

[@martinhassani7266]

Thank you, Chloe! :)

[@waferpie123]

Can you make a video highlighting how you jumped from Staffing Operations to Senior Manager and then to Product Dev Lead? Kinda confused how the experience built on, you seemed to get a lead role incredibly fast :)

[@chloeshih]

It wasn't a super quick jump. When I first moved from The Staffing Ops Analytics team, I actually interviewed for a lot of mid-level data/product analyst positions. I almost joined the analytics team behind Pokemon Go, but go recruited to the startup. There, I started off on the BizDev team (no title or anything) and did everything under the sun - like QA, Marketing, Data, Program Management. Then I pitched my own team called Creator Partnerships and built that up as the founding member. If I stayed, I would have been the Head of CP, but it wanted to focus in on Product. When I moved over, I was already quite senior in the industry and I had relevant experiences without exact title fit. It takes time to tell the career story for sure. My resume didn't get picked up by every company, but for the ones that did, it wasn't too big of a issue. Hope that makes sense! I should probably do a deeper video on this!

[@amylovescoffee4759]

Another super helpful video. Thank you for sharing Chloe

[@chloeshih]

Glad you enjoyed!! ^_^

[@HansKim225]

Thanks so much for sharing all of these amazing stories! I hope to be able to join y'all & share my story in breaking into Product Management too 🤩 I have a product management interview coming up at a FAANG company and i am NERVOUS, but also super excited to be one step closer! 🙌🏼 been lovin' all of your videos!!!

[@sunilsingh-ux5xq]

fascinated by your style... I really wanted to make my career in product management... Please help me out what qualifications a PM have to... And how I can start my career in PM as a fresher/entry level

[@jeremystewart6552]

Great video! Cant wait till the video about the tactical stuff you mentioned

[@chloeshih]

Yes! Let me know if there's anything in particular that you'd like to hear!

[@iLeigha31]

This is such a helpful video! Love your positive vibe!

[@chloeshih]

I'm glad it was helpful~ Yay for positive vibes ^_^

[@carlaferreira8078]

Hi Chloe! I have been working as a project manager but recently I start thinking of transition to a Product role and your video helped me a lot. Keep posting, you doing a great job. Cheers!

[@Whereverwithjen]

thanks so much for such a helpful video! i was wondering what would be some product adjacent roles and also could you make a video on tips for people starting out on their first job/how to get managers to advocate for you?

[@chloeshih]

Hi Jen! That's a really good question! Some product adjacent are: Product Marketing Manager (PMM) Product Analyst (like a data analyst but specifically on a product and not like marketing) Product Specialist / Product Operations Product Consultant Product Owner In any adjacent role, you really should try to work directly with engineering, design, and product managers to make the transition easier! Also your suggestion on tips for starting first jobs and getting managers to advocate are great topics. Will definitely add those to my videos in the near future. Stay tuned!! :)

[@snigdhagangisetty5631]

Besides Decode and Conquer, could you list out the other books you read and recommend? Thank you!!

[@chloeshih]

It depends on what you're looking for. If you're quite new to product thinking, here are a few other books: Inspired: How to create products customers love by Marty Cagan Cracking the PM Interview - Gayle Laakmann McDowell (pretty basic PM interview prep) The Lean Startup - Eric Ries The Design of Everyday Things - Don Norman

[@gabekarkanis3697]

Great video - thanks for sharing your input and experience!

[@chloeshih]

Thanks for watching, Gabe!

[@thanhhuyentram3414]

Thank you very much for sharing!!! I'm working in product also, but in my first year only, and I have so many questions. Watching your channel really motivated me!! Can you also share what's the hard skills or tools specifically that we should keep learning to be the best product manager? Thanks again Chloe!!!

[@TechGuap]

I'd say it depends on what kind of products/markets you work with. E.g. if you are building developer products, you might want to think about making developer friends and taking CS courses online.

[@nishantmalik7990]

Loved the video. Will wait for the tactical advice. Just started my journey.

[@akarshan9356]

thank you dear ..god bless you

[@mbillard]

Thanks for the video Chloe, once again lots of notes. I tried transferring internally myself, but, as you said, it's really difficult. Maybe I was too good as a web developer and they didn't want to lose my skills there :)

[@dollaya8893]

This is very helpful. Thanks!

[@ghbloom2502]

Hi Chloe great video! I was wondering is it possible to switch into product management after working as a product designer for a while?

[@miachen1076]

Love your videos!!!