\u201cIt seems that Product Management doesn\u2019t usually follow a straight career path. It\u2019s a relatively new profession, and only recently have schools started offering programs to train people to become Product Managers right after graduation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Olga Bikeeva<\/strong><\/a>, Growth Product Manager, Tinkoff<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Before this, people came into Product Management from loads of different backgrounds, both in terms of their education and previous career paths. The variety is staggering! As you can see, there are definitely some roles that appear to be more common stepping stones into Product Management than others, with Marketing roles, Software Engineering, Business Analysis, and Project Management<\/a> being some of the most common. As alluded to, things are a little different today than they were 10 or 20 years ago. You\u2019ve got excellent Product Management qualifications to give you a kickstart – like the King\u2019s College Product Management Career Accelerator<\/a> course that I had a hand in creating – and loads more information to learn from. \u201cI\u2019d advise a young professional interested in becoming a Product Manager to first play an IC role on an effective Product Team. That might be as an Engineer, Designer, Analyst, Copywriter, etc. Basically, any role that your skills, interests, and training have prepared you for. Participating directly in the making (and the negotiating, testing, learning, prioritizing, rethinking, and evolving) is essential prep for a Product Manager career. Jason Scherschligt<\/strong><\/a>, Head of Product, Solution Design Group<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Jason\u2019s advice is spot on: if you\u2019re eyeing a Product Manager role, jumping into an Individual Contributor (IC) position on a solid product team can be a great place to start. Whether you\u2019re an Engineer, Designer, Analyst, or Copywriter, these roles give you hands-on experience with the nuts and bolts of product development, building, testing, prioritizing, and rethinking. It\u2019s the perfect way to develop transferable skills while learning how to collaborate and tackle the messy, real-world challenges of creating great products. \u201cI think the easiest way to become a Product Manager is to make a lateral move inside the company you\u2019re in, into a PM position. From what I heard in the past months from aspiring PMs, coming from the outside is a very difficult and frustrating process. Paula B\u00e2lea-Z\u0103t<\/strong><\/a>, Product Manager, Trackunit<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s tough to get noticed without direct experience. By transitioning internally, you leverage existing relationships and company knowledge to make your case. Sometimes, building genuine connections with people in the industry can open doors that resumes alone can\u2019t. \u201cI would say every samurai has their own path, and there is no single correct one. I\u2019m convinced that you can\u2019t truly learn how to be a Product Manager without gaining real experience in leading product strategy and collaborating within a team. Olga Bikeeva<\/strong><\/a>, Growth Product Manager, Tinkoff<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n One interesting avenue of discussion is that many current PMs think a background in Business Analysis is going to support them. Heck, many don\u2019t even think there\u2019s much that distinguishes between the two roles, with Product Management simply being an evolution of Business Analysis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI was a Business Analyst and my role changed. Nowadays we call it Product Management. Back then the term wasn\u2019t used.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ian Harvey<\/strong><\/a>, Strategy and OKR Consultant<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m not going to go into whether I fully agree with that assessment or not, you can draw your own conclusions, but it\u2019s clear that there is a strong connection between the role and Product Management. In fact, for many aiming to be a Product Manager, it was suggested to them that they seek out experience in Business Analysis first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEarly in my career, I asked a PM what the path to becoming a Product Manager was, and he told me that being a Business Analyst was the place to start. I’m unsure if it was a typical path, but having followed it, I can attest that it was right for me. My time as a Business Analyst gave me time in the weeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jennifer Dundon<\/strong><\/a>, Product Manager, Agent IQ<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n So why am I bringing this up? Well, because it highlights an important truth about Product Management: the skills you bring into the role matter just as much as the title you\u2019ve held. So you don\u2019t need a specific degree or background to break into Product Management, but you can\u2019t waltz into the role without the right skills. So you\u2019ve broken into Product Management. The Product Manager career path doesn\u2019t just end there. There\u2019s so much more room for you to grow. Things don’t tend to sit still for long in tech and SaaS, so don\u2019t expect the Product Manager career path to settle into a fixed rhythm anytime soon. There are so many new roles being introduced and different ways of doing Product Management – I think this is going to change how the Product Manager career path looks going forward. Here are some key areas where the Product Manager career path may change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n See, not even a decade ago, Product Managers were seen as a jack-of-all-trades, dipping into different specializations and offering insight where they can. But recently, we\u2019ve seen a major shift in this. Today, companies are focused on getting specialized PMs to perform specific tasks and focus on a certain area surrounding the product.
I asked my social network – which you should join by the way<\/a> – about their pathway into Product Management and got so many varied replies. Although this isn\u2019t a scientific study and is biased towards my connections, the results were still illuminating, so much so that I decided to put all the previous roles mentioned into a table:<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Roles](\"https:\/\/www.prodpad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Roles-before-Product-Manager-1024x658.png\")
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But still, there\u2019s an even spread between these roles, which says to me that there\u2019s really no defined way into Product Management. Multiple roles can give you some crucial, transferable skills that can make Product Management a perfect career.
This graph doesn\u2019t even include some of the more \u2018out there\u2019 roles that people had on their way to Product Management. Among the replies, we\u2019ve had a Computer Scientist, a Theatre Production Manager, and even a Lifeguard.
All this is to say that if you don\u2019t think you\u2019re on the right path, don\u2019t worry, because it turns out, neither were any of us. <\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat to do today to get onto the Product Manager career path<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019ve asked some leading product pros what they recommend to someone who\u2019s keen to get into Product Management today. Here\u2019s their advice: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If I were forced to pick a specific role that I think is great preparation for a Product Manager, it would probably be something like UX researcher. There\u2019s just no substitute for understanding the user or customer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He also singles out UX research as a standout prep role, and for good reason. Understanding the user or customer is central to effective Product Management, and a background in UX and UI<\/a> equips you with the tools to gather, analyze, and apply insights that directly shape product decisions.
But what to do once you\u2019ve gained this experience? Jump into a fresh PM role at a new company, or change position in your current organization? Well, most believe that the latter approach is the easiest:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s not impossible, and networking and \u201cselling\u201d yourself takes you a long way, but it\u2019s definitely not a pleasant experience. So, network, network, network until you know at least one person in every crowd\/company\/event.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
All in all, the best route into Product Management today depends entirely on where you are in your career. A person fresh out of school has different opportunities available to them than someone who\u2019s been around the block in different roles. But whatever you do, gaining experience is crucial, no matter who you ask.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That said, the best path depends on where someone is in their career. For recent graduates, there\u2019s often an opportunity to land an internship. These roles typically don\u2019t require prior experience and are designed as entry-level positions, making them an excellent starting point.
For those who graduated some time ago, I\u2019d recommend you become an entrepreneur and gain hands-on expertise as you mirror the core responsibilities of a PM. Or you can build expertise in a role with overlapping responsibilities like Business Analyst, Project Manager Tech Lead, or Developer. By building domain expertise and demonstrating measurable impact, you can transition smoothly into a PM role while gaining credibility along the way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A background in Business Analysis equips you with some of the foundational tools you\u2019ll need to succeed as a Product Manager – digging into data, understanding user needs, mapping processes, and collaborating with product teams<\/a>. These are all core parts of the PM toolkit. For many, it\u2019s a natural stepping stone.
But here\u2019s the kicker: while Business Analysis is one path in, it\u2019s far from the only one. The key is to focus on the transferable skills that align with Product Management.
So, whether you’re coming from a Business Analyst role or some other field entirely, don\u2019t get hung up on the \u201cright\u201d path. The industry is wide open to those who can roll up their sleeves, ask the right questions, and create value for customers. <\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat skills do you need to progress along the Product Manager career path?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
If you want to land a spot on the Product Manager career path, it\u2019s crucial to develop attributes that align with the role\u2019s demands. Many roles and courses can help you build these skills, but to give you a sense of where to focus, here\u2019s a quick rundown of the core skills every aspiring Product Manager needs:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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Breaking down a \u2018typical\u2019 Product Manager career path<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
There\u2019s a notion that once you\u2019re in Product Management, you have a straight, defined route to the top. Clear stepping stones you need to tread to reach the dizzying heights of Chief Product Officer<\/a>. I don\u2019t think it\u2019s that simple.
Many people have come into Product sideways, through the back door. Who\u2019s to say there are no more sideways and diagonal movements product professionals can make?
When looking into the Product Manager career path, you may be confronted with a simplistic structure that looks something like this:
You get your start as a Product Owner<\/strong> \ud83d\udc49
You graduate into a Product Manager<\/strong> \ud83d\udc49
You then step into a Senior Product Manager<\/strong> role \ud83d\udc49
Soon enough you become a Director of Product<\/strong> \ud83d\udc49
You then make the leap to Vice President of Product<\/strong> \ud83d\udc49
Finally, you\u2019re the top dog as a Chief Product Officer<\/strong> \ud83c\udfc6
There\u2019s soooooo much more nuance to this. There are loads more exciting and interesting roles that you can grow into. If you\u2019re a new Product Manager, this route can make it feel like your future is already carved out for you. But what if you don\u2019t want to step into a senior role that trades managing products for managing people? What if you want to specialize in a certain area of Product Management? Well, the good news is, you can.
Susana Lopes<\/a> discussed the dual-track career path in one of her past talks at Mind The Product 2023<\/a> and it really left a mark on me. This is a great explanation in that there is a separate pathway for those wanting to stick around the product and stay in the weeds of product development, getting their hands dirty in improving the product. You don\u2019t have to sacrifice your growth by pursuing this path.
It\u2019s a fascinating discussion of how the Product Manager career path can branch off into different directions. But I think it can go even deeper.
See, I\u2019d propose that the Product Manager career path isn\u2019t a path at all, but a tree sprouting different branches. You\u2019ve got your core Product Management role at the base, the truck, with everything else growing out from it.
Landing a role in Product Management doesn\u2019t have to be the apex of your career. It can be the start. Imagine yourself a seedling – you can bloom into anything you want.
And what about the roles that came before you? The roles that led to you getting your first Product Management position? Well, those are the roots that have given you a strong foundation and the skills needed to excel in Product Management.
Here\u2019s a visual of what this Product Manager career tree may look like. Of course, we couldn\u2019t fit EVERY product adjacent role into this, and it doesn\u2019t include every possible route through Product Management, but based on our previous research, it appears to be some<\/strong> of the typical ways people move through the PM career journey.
I know not everyone will match this, but it should help paint the picture that the route up is not linear, it\u2019s not a straight line – it\u2019s a mess of different disciplines and skills and viewpoints and that\u2019s what makes the industry so interesting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Product](\"https:\/\/www.prodpad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/The-Product-Manager-Career-Tree-2-1004x1024.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nHow is the Product Manager career path set to change?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
A slowdown on specialized roles<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
One of the biggest growing specializations is, somewhat fittingly, Growth PM<\/a> roles. This position has risen 117% since 2022<\/a>, demonstrating the appetite businesses have to scale. Here, core PMs are being usurped by ones specifically focused on driving business growth.
But here\u2019s the thing, I think after an initial boom, these specialized roles are going to die off and become absorbed into the Product Management role, becoming core responsibilities instead of specified job role focuses.
If you\u2019re in a position where you need to show you\u2019re influencing growth as a PM, check out our webinar on how to \u2018do\u2019 Growth Product Management \ud83d\udc47: <\/p>\n\n\n