Why is it a bad idea to work for a couple of years as a Data Scientist for an e-commerce company and then get a full time MBA and transition into product management at a tech company ?
I think it’s a good idea if you have the desire and ability to take calculated risks with incomplete info under time constraints.
My thinking is that there are two routes viz. either you keep growing in SDE side of things (for ex: senior SDE, team lead/manager for the SE team) or you shift to product management. And, my understanding says that it is more likely to become an executive if you shift to product side of things. Please correct me if I’m wrong. Thanks
It's doable, especially if you target Amazon (very background-agnostic for MBAs relative to other companies). Why wouldn't you just try to start in PM somewhere instead, though? (Rotational programs at G/FB, plus MS hires out of school)
My MS degree is heavy on CS and Statistics courses, how will I show them my relevance to a PM role?
CS is great because it shows you have an understanding of how the product is built Stats is good because you can sift through data and understand what's useful/not in terms of helping steer the product (whether it's finance data, usage data, etc) For entry-level PM positions you really just need to be able to kill the interview, that's how you'll demonstrate your fit. Try reading up on it-- I'd recommend "Cracking the PM Interview". You could also try to chat with people who are currently entry-level PMs (or in rotational/APM programs) to see what they recommend
MBA sounds unnecessary
But, why ?
Fuck the haters here. MBA can be good investment IF these following things ALL apply. 1. you go to a top 5 school with scholarship. 2. you have curiosity and interest in understanding business 3. you really actually DO want to get into PM
You don’t need an MBA, especially at the price they are going for now. Great article on them. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2018/05/29/do-i-need-an-mba-to-be-a-product-manager-in-tech/#7d71137d7a4f
Who said it’s a bad idea?
In terms of pay and growth 😥😓