What a Product Manager at Bukuwarung Wishes They Had Known Before Entering the Tech Industry
Garima, a Product Manager at Bukuwarung, advises aspiring product managers that a technical background is not a prerequisite for success; "This role is not limited to... someone with a single background," and skills can be acquired on the job through proactive learning and collaboration with colleagues. Humility and curiosity are key to navigating this, and stakeholders are generally willing to help.
Product Management, Communication Skills, Problem-Solving, Adaptability, Learning Agility
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Garima Yadav
Product Manager
Bukuwarung
Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, India (graduated in 2017)
UCLA Anderson School of Management (Full Time MBA, current student)
Engineering - Electrical
Finance (Banking, Fintech, Investing)
Product / Service / Software Development and Management
International Student
Video Highlights
1. Product management is accessible to people from diverse backgrounds; a technical background isn't strictly required.
2. On-the-job learning is crucial, and a curious and humble attitude helps in acquiring necessary technical knowledge.
3. Communication and collaboration with engineers are essential for success as a product manager. Actively seeking to understand technical concepts from colleagues is encouraged.
Transcript
Have you learned anything about this role that you wish someone had told you before you entered the industry?
What I've learned through experience is that this role isn't limited to someone with a single background. This role can be performed, and probably performed really well, by someone who comes from a different background.
Normally, you'd think a product manager must be from the technical field and have some kind of technical background to build technical products in the tech industry. It automatically feels like you should know that language.
I found that not to be true. I had a technical background in electrical engineering, but the products I was building were software products, and you needed computer science knowledge to work with them. I didn't have that background, but on the job, I learned some of the most relevant ideas that made it easier to communicate with my engineering team.
That was the knowledge I needed. I was able to build it by talking to my peers, my manager, and my engineering team. I would openly ask them, "This is a concept I don't understand. Can you please go slow? Can you tell me how I can learn more about this so that in the future, we don't run into this roadblock?"
More people are very willing to help you out if you approach it with humility and curiosity. Your stakeholders will be more than happy to help you out.
I think it's important to know that you don't need to know these concepts in depth to work as a product manager. It's something you can pick up on the job. You should prepare in advance to learn these concepts, and that mindset should definitely be there.