Series C startup in Bay Area. Sr PM in current job for 19 months. Plan is for me to be promoted in a few weeks. Last time I talked about it with manager, a couple months ago, he had said I can’t be a ‘director’ because I won’t be managing people (we’re a PM team of 2: me and him). Instead he said the options were either ‘principal’ or ‘lead’ title - tbd. Today he told me they’ve decided to create three levels above me: Lead -> Principal -> Sr Principal. So I’ll be promoted to Lead. He has the same number of years of experience as me but he joined the startup 1.5 years before me as the first PM and is now a Sr. Director. Quite disappointed that not only do I not get to be director, but now I don’t get principal either, and there are two other levels after this upcoming promo before I get to his level. I just don’t think he’s that much more experienced than me and don’t understand why there needs to be so many levels in such a small team. Any advice beside looking for a new job?
That said, tbh I don’t know if a director role makes sense for a two person team with no direct reports
Maybe not now. But in few months they close another series and do a hiring spree? OP cannot go back and ask them to move him up again. It’s better to get it when things are changing/fluid and not set in everyone’s mind.
Why can't he go back? If there is a hiring spree and he has direct reports, that is a role change which should be recognized and rewarded as such.
TC is around 1 for 8-10 years of experience.
If you're called a director you should be expected to have the skills to e.g. manage the direction and execution of a ~20 person team. Title inflation at very small startups that are expecting to grow quickly can come back to bite the org later. If you're happy with the work and recognition, that should be sufficient.
The issue is that my manager will be managing a team of e.g 3 and is a Sr. Dir. my point is that the expectation is different for different companies.
Title doesn’t matter if you plan to join a larger company in the future. Most likely you would be down-leveled
Completely agree! Isn’t that another reason why people would expect a startup like mine to give better titles than what they would otherwise get at a large company?
I think g1ad0s means you don’t need to care about the title very much.....
Mmm why do you want title? If you make impact title will come. If no opportunity for impact move on to where you can make impact. This is especially important in a PM role.
Join a series-A and you can be VP
You should ask to be Principal or Sr. Principal. You were his direct report, you gotta move up too as you have nearly 2 years of experience.
A "director" should typically be managing 3-5 first level managers who should themselves be managing 3-5 people each. So being a director in a 2 person team is not a reasonable expectation. With that said, how is your performance and overall experience relative to the other person? If you're roughly equal (or ahead) and this is what's happening then your ceiling will always be just below that other person's current level. Changing teams or leaving the company is really the only way to break through.
I’m actually driving a strategic and important product, but he’s giving a lot of credit to our founder and his involvement in it. Founder is VP of product and design. I think you’re second paragraph is right - I’m just frustrated that the delta between he and I is not one but now two levels (after this promo).
If there are only two people in the PM organization, I’m surprised at the lack of transparency and your lack of awareness. Your manager doesn’t seem trustworthy, and that should be a deal breaker.
Don't trust people who play games. If you have been a strong worker (ie., there should be no doubt across the company about your contributions), then they should reward you. Else they are just playing games.
Agreed. Don’t stick around in a company that doesn’t value you. Life isn’t long.