Product design to product management 101

Sharing my personal experience and some resources that have been helping me in this transition.

Hello to all subscribers of Step-by-step product design. Long time no see. Today is a special post that marks a little pivot in my career. And with this pivot, I’m changing the name of the newsletter. It’s not a drastic change, just one word: ‘Step-by-step Product.’ Read further, and it will all make sense. But I assure you that I won’t stop writing about the design. I’ll continue sharing my knowledge with just a new added perspective…

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The world is always in a state of flux, but lately, it seems to be moving at an ever-increasing pace. People are looking to make changes in their lives - where they live, work, and why they work. From speaking with individuals from various backgrounds for work, I've been observing these trends more and more. Likely, you're currently contemplating making a change in your career.

Alright, enough empty talk. As the title suggests, this post focuses on the transition from product design to product management. I'll be sharing my personal experience and some resources that have been helping me in this transition (Yeah, I’m still in the middle of a transition, 4 months in).

designer transitioning into manager black and white hand-drawn

Why I decided to switch

This is the part where I self-reflect a bit. I love creating new things that work, which is likely what first led me to design. But as I progressed in my career and became more involved in the business and product side of things, I realized that what truly excites me is the ‘why’ behind the solution rather than the ‘how’. I enjoy connecting the dots and seeing the bigger picture. The other aspect is the routine part of the design process, where you go into detailed specs, flows, and states, which is super tedious.

Though I had these feelings, the guidance and support from my colleagues helped me make a decision quickly. Otherwise, I might have delayed it for months or even years.

Making such a change is always a leap of faith.

How to get into product management?

There is no set path to follow for becoming a product manager. And ‘It’s really really hard to get into product’ — as Jules Walter said in Lenny's podcast episode about mentorship. But, from my research and a couple of articles like this from Lenny and this from Hotjar, I've found four common routes people take:

1. Join a startup.
   Starting out in a product role in an early-stage startup can give you valuable experience and knowledge, as well as a title to put on your resume.

2. Make a transition within a company.
   By working in design, engineering, or product marketing, and taking on some product management responsibilities, you can gain the skills needed to become a product manager when a new role opens up.

3. Create your own product.
   Going through the entire product development process, from idea to launch, gives you hands-on experience that many companies highly value and look for in product managers.

4. Apply to a product management program.
   Many companies offer product management internships, which can help you land your first job straight out of college. Examples include the Google Associate Product Manager Program and others.

I believe my journey has been a combination of the first two options.

Product design vs. management 

In a startup, every product role involves wearing many hats. It can be challenging to define clear responsibilities. As I was transitioning from design, I needed to outline a product manager's key responsibilities and how they differ from those of a product designer with some of a product manager's responsibilities.

First of all, I view product managers and product designers as equal contributors to product success. However, their respective responsibilities do vary slightly. Marty Cagan does a fantastic job of outlining their respective duties in his book "Inspired".

Product manager responsibilities

• Deep knowledge of the user or customer. 
  Know your users, their issues, pains, desires, how they think. If it’s a b2b product, know how they work and decide to buy.

• Deep knowledge of data.
  Base daily decisions on both qualitative (why users and customers behave as they do) and quantitative (what they do) insights.

“Successful products are not only loved by your customers, but they work for your business.”

• Deep knowledge of the business.
  Have a deep understanding of how your business works and the role of the product in it. Know your key stakeholders and cultivate strong relationships with them: CEO and other general managers, sales, marketing, finance, legal, business development, and customer service.

• Deep Knowledge of Your Market and Industry

  Know your competitors, key trends in the technology, customer behavior and expectations. Follow the relevant industry SMEs.

• If you are a technical product manager, a deep understanding of the technology you're working with is crucial. While TPMs don't write code themselves, they often manage complex products used primarily by software developers. The Product Book: How to Become a Great Product Manager provides a more detailed examination of TPM responsibilities.

Product designer responsibilities

• Product discovery.
  Product designers work closely with product managers and engineers—from discovery to delivery. They sit alongside product managers as full partners in the product discovery phase.

• Holistic User Experience Design.
  Product designers are responsible for all the touchpoints and interactions users have with the company or product over time. Great UX enhances the value your product provides.

• Prototyping.
  Effective product designers utilize prototypes as their primary tool for communicating and testing ideas, both internally and externally.

• User Testing.
  Good product designers continuously test their ideas with real users and customers. They incorporate testing into their weekly routine to constantly validate and improve ideas and uncover new insights they may not have considered.

• Interaction and Visual Design.
  Modern product designers generally have sufficient skill level in both interaction and visual design. Because of that, they are comfortable with different levels of fidelity, and this efficiency helps them deliver results faster.

Product core departments diagram

The Product Book includes a helpful diagram showing that a product manager is a more generalist role, and their responsibilities intersect with other key departments. During the product development process, the product manager shifts focus between different parts of the triangle.

Design x PM diagram

Noah Levin, Figma's VP of Product Design, created a useful Venn diagram to showcase the overlapping responsibilities between product design and management. It highlights things that each of the parties share and typically responsible for.

Design x PM diagram by Noah Levin

Similarities between product design and management

“Both are measured not by the output of their work but by the success of the product.”

Outcomes over outputs. Both prioritize the end-users and customers and the value their product delivers. They understand that the product must align with business goals and account for any constraints in design.

Note that both product design and management roles are typically considered individual contributor positions. Product managers don't manage people but instead manage the product itself. Designers, engineers, and marketers are their trusted partners in this effort.

How to approach the transition

Moving forward, I want to share some tips that helped me clarify my career goals and prepare for a switch. These tips can also be helpful for engineers and others in product-related roles.

• Have regular 1-on-1 meetings with your manager.
  Even if you haven't made a decision to switch, it's a good idea to have regular discussions about the challenges in your current role, your goals, likes, and dislikes. Your manager may offer valuable insights and perspectives you may not have considered.

• Discuss the professional growth with your manager and coworkers.
  Don’t be afraid to talk openly about various career paths you're interested in, including advancement as an individual contributor, taking on more management responsibilities in your field, or transitioning to a role where you have overlapping skills.

• Tell that you have a plan.
  If you have a specific career goal in mind, let your manager know. For instance, if you aspire to be a product manager, express your intention directly, saying you plan to pursue that role in 1 or 2 years. Putting it out there can be beneficial. Companies value employee satisfaction and growth, and they may provide relevant opportunities sooner than expected. Start-ups and early-growth companies are always in search of talented product people, especially those with domain expertise.

• Communication is always the key.
  Don’t hesitate to talk about what you truly want and feel.

My advice will be suitable for professionals who wish to make a transition within the ranks of the company. If you want to land a product manager job in another company, it will be very difficult as you don’t have that title on your resume or a track record of experience as a product manager.

How to make a transition

So you’ve decided to make a transition into product management. There is a green flag from your manager and your manager’s manager. There is an open role for a new product or a vacant one in the product you are working on.

• Start with a test period.
  Ask for a 2-3 month trial run, dedicating 20-40% of your time to PM responsibilities. Immerse yourself in the role, and gather feedback, but make it clear you're just testing the waters. Have a plan in case it doesn't work out. Set a milestone meeting where you discuss your progress with everyone involved.

• A transition period.
  Plan a transition period if the test period goes well and everyone is satisfied. Decide on timeframes, how to find a replacement, and prepare for onboarding the new person. Keep in mind that handling two jobs may impact productivity. Make it clear to the management team

• When transitioning, negotiate the scope of your new PM responsibilities, especially in startups where roles may overlap. Ideally define what you will and won't be responsible for, as a baseline for managing expectations.

Cons of being a designer-PM

If you are stuck in a designer-PM state, it’s a hard place to be. It's challenging to excel in both roles simultaneously. At least as I started seeing it right now, product management requires the mental capacity to have a bird’s eye view to understand where the product is heading. Where design requires constant focus and attention to detail. If you find yourself struggling, consider choosing one role: either designer or manager.

How to become a successful product manager

Marty Cagan believes successful PMs should:

• Become an expert in your users and customers. Share openly what they’ve learned with the team and company from qualitative and quantitative data.

• Establish strong relationships with key stakeholders. Understand their constraints and let them know that the product you are making will work within those constraints.

• Become an undisputed expert on your product and industry.

• Build and nurture strong collaborative culture in your product team.

And some additional gems from Lenny Rachitsky:

• Taking any problem and being able to develop a strategy to resolve it.

• Executing, getting shit done.

• Building great products, and having taste.

• Always being prepared.

During our 1-on-1 meeting, hOS (the company I work for) COO, Natalie Hogan, pointed out that great product managers are a company glue that interfaces with engineers, design, marketing, and other key stakeholders. There are functional responsibilities like creating product strategy, building roadmaps, and managing backlog, but also there is a people piece. Product managers are leaders and collaborators who motivate the team to build the product that helps to realize the company vision and disrupt the industry.

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The list of useful resources that help me learn more about product management:

1. INSPIRED: How to Create Tech Products Customers Love

2. The Product Book How to Become a Great Product Manager

3. The Influential Product Manager: How to Lead and Launch Successful Technology Products

4. Lenny's Newsletter and Lenny's Podcast