Add "Product Manager" title to my LinkedIn/Resume?

Meta
N0000

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N0000
Jan 3 32 Comments

I started my own app idea so that I can learn and get experience as a PM and get the title. It's been 2 weeks so far & I expect to work on it over several months.

I work full time at FB/Meta and have my colleagues added on LinkedIn. Should I add my side hustle title to my LinkedIn? What about my resume?

#pm #product #productmanager

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TOP 32 Comments
  • Meta
    __init__:

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    __init__:
    You're only a PM on your own side hustle?
    Jan 3 4
    • Meta
      __init__:

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      __init__:
      In all seriousness, working on a side hustle doesn't give you credibility of title. Nobody will care, in fact, it will only hurt you. You can put the project on your resume and/or LinkedIn. But you should put founder (or something else to denote it's a side project). If you put PM and they realize it's a side project you started, you're gonna lose all credibility. They're gonna wonder what else is fake on your resume.

      This is like putting Stanford in the education area of your resume when you've only taken some online course offered by them.
      Jan 3
    • Meta
      N0000

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      N0000
      OP
      Ahh okay thanks for clarifying!! I really appreciate it
      Jan 4
  • Amgen
    random50

    Go to company page Amgen

    random50
    Do the job for longer than 2 weeks…. Add it when you apply and want to be considered for PM roles
    Jan 3 3
    • Amgen
      random50

      Go to company page Amgen

      random50
      You aren’t a pm. You are starting a side project and developing pm like skills and it’s worth calling out the app and skills being learned. But I wouldn’t title it as PM.
      Jan 3
    • Meta
      N0000

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      N0000
      OP
      Yea but a PM is supposed to be someone that does exactly this.
      Jan 3
  • PayPal
    pymnts

    Go to company page PayPal

    pymnts
    If u are working alone on a pet project your PM experience is going to be very limited. A lot of complexity in product comes from working in complex organizations with competing priorities and strategies.
    Jan 3 1
    • Meta
      N0000

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      N0000
      OP
      I am hoping the XFN stakeholder management skills/experience is just something I can speak to in my role at fb
      Jan 3
  • JAGGAER / Other
    mbvhhhpt

    JAGGAER Other

    PRE
    Epic
    mbvhhhpt
    On my resume I listed something similar under “product development experience” and as a project on LinkedIn — if you launch it and get customers, list it as a job and yourself as “founder”. Add the keywords the job descriptions/PM resume scanners look for in the bullet points.
    Jan 7 3
    • JAGGAER / Other
      mbvhhhpt

      JAGGAER Other

      PRE
      Epic
      mbvhhhpt
      On my resume, definitely. I’m not sure about LinkedIn since they list projects at the bottom of your page and also toggle/hide them.

      Make sure what you build is actually usable and built in the way you would build it if you were actually PM for a company and assigned to this product — features and functionality built in priority order, use metrics/research to back up features and priorities, talk to potential users for research and to get feedback, etc. It will definitely help on LinkedIn if you do get actual users and list yourself as founder of X product and can list that as a job.

      Try to get users to pay for it. This will tell you what features users are willing to pay for (for example it could happen where they are willing to pay if feature A is present, even though when using the product you learn they only actually use feature C) which will provide a lot of insight and things to talk about during interviews.
      Jan 8
    • Meta
      N0000

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      N0000
      OP
      This is by far the most helpful comment!! I really appreciate it - and will follow these exact steps
      Jan 8
  • New / Other
    somkindapm

    New Other

    BIO
    not like a regular manager
    somkindapm
    It's too soon. "Expect to work on it over several months" isn't the same as "worked on for several months, ready for test".

    Better: ask your manager if there are other PM-adjacent opportunities you can participate in (or own, if they trust you) so you can get some real-world experience under your belt. As a PM, it's not just product challenges that you need to navigate -- working with people, driving decisions, defending what you build...you don't get that from working on your own idea.
    Jan 3 1