Need advice/help/suggestions breaking in to Prod Mgt
About me: S/W Engg >10 years, recently moved to a senior program manager role at Microsoft, Weekend MBA from a top B school. PM exp @ microsoft helped me get some valuable skills, which I would have never obtained being in engg. But as i'm researching, I increasingly realize that tech companies like FAANG & other unicorns(Uber, AirBnb, etc.) expect a different skill set to be considered for a PM role (end-end ownership including customer research, product strategy/roadmap, product design, shipping customer facing end product, go-to-market, etc.), which i currently lack I appreciate any advice and if possible mentoring from folks who've gone this path, specifically: 1. Is that gap a dealbreaker ? if so how i can close that gap 2. Any tips on how I approach on LinkedIn or otherwise wrt open PM positions i come across 3. Tips on preparation, online or otherwise
Do whatever it takes to get out of Redmond. Microsoft is awful for product career development because the Program Manager role (only comparable role) isn’t a true product role and as you mentioned, will leave you lacking critical skills/experience. You also have to calibrate with a slew of other non-product PMs in a top-heavy and political company. Hands down Microsoft is the worst big tech company for product managers. Go to the center of the action in a product area you’re interested in, and start growing. Prioritize growth potential/learning.
Thank you for reinforcing my thoughts....have you been in similar situation? I would really appreciate if you can throw some light on how to break in to a good product centric company