Kevin, Product Manager at ChargePoint: Advize Career Interview

A career pivot from urban planning, spurred by a post-graduation setback, led to a successful startup and a Product Manager role at ChargePoint. This individual's journey highlights the value of adaptability and entrepreneurial spirit.

The daily work involves designing product requirements, collaborating with diverse teams, and conducting market research.

Effective communication and prioritization skills are paramount, alongside a willingness to navigate competing demands and make tough decisions.

The most rewarding aspect is the high-stakes environment and the ability to shape a company's future. However, challenges include juggling priorities and overcoming cultural norms to confidently advocate for ideas.

Aspiring product managers should build relevant experience through personal projects and consider entry-level roles in sales or consulting.

A liberal arts education and diverse social experiences are recommended to cultivate essential skills and broaden perspectives. The interviewee's personal experience launching a company provides invaluable lessons applicable to the field.

Advizer Information

Name

Job Title

Company

Undergrad

Grad Programs

Kevin Chung

Product Manager

ChargePoint

Cornell University 2011

UCLA MBA

Majors

Industries

Job Functions

Traits

Political Science, American Studies

Energy and Utilities

Product / Service / Software Development and Management

Honors Student, Scholarship Recipient, Took Out Loans, Greek Life Member, LGBTQ, Student Athlete

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Career Path Of A Product Manager At ChargePoint

Kevin's career path began with an urban planning degree and public sector internships, but a post-graduation setback—"he had mentioned that you will be successful, but not in this current role"—led to a pivot. This unexpected event spurred the creation of their own startup and subsequent entry into the tech sector, ultimately leading to a product management role.

Career Path Of A Product Manager At ChargePoint

Main Responsibilities Of A Product Manager At ChargePoint

Kevin's main responsibilities as a Product Manager at ChargePoint involve designing requirements, including specifying "what types of engineering resources" and user research needed. This informs the creation of "a list of tasks and timelines and a roadmap for new products."

Main Responsibilities Of A Product Manager At ChargePoint

A Day In The Life Of A Product Manager At ChargePoint

A Product Manager's day-to-day activities vary depending on the company and role, but Kevin's experience at ChargePoint includes many meetings with "engineering, design, and strategic partners." A successful Product Manager also balances these meetings with customer interactions and independent market research to understand "company requirements from a strategic level."

A Day In The Life Of A Product Manager At ChargePoint

Most Important Skills for a Product Manager at ChargePoint

Kevin, a Product Manager at ChargePoint, highlights effective communication as a crucial skill, emphasizing the ability to "translate" information between different teams and business contexts. This requires strong technical knowledge, business fluency, and ideally, industry familiarity, although Kevin notes that "quickly get[ting] into a new industry" is possible with a strong work ethic.

Most Important Skills for a Product Manager at ChargePoint

Favorite Parts of Being a Product Manager at ChargePoint

Kevin, a Product Manager at ChargePoint, finds the "cycle of risk and reward" most rewarding, as the role allows him to "define the future experience of a company," shouldering significant responsibility for both successes and failures. This high-stakes environment, coupled with the opportunity to influence the company's direction through bold ideas, keeps Kevin engaged.

Favorite Parts of Being a Product Manager at ChargePoint

Biggest Challenges Faced by a Product Manager at ChargePoint

Kevin's biggest challenge as a Product Manager at ChargePoint is juggling competing priorities and "saying no," a skill crucial for navigating conflicting demands from executives, customers, and internal departments to effectively prioritize projects. The ability to balance these competing interests and make difficult prioritization decisions is key to success in this role.

Biggest Challenges Faced by a Product Manager at ChargePoint

What Type Of Person Thrives In The Product Management Industry, According To A Product Manager At ChargePoint

The product management industry values diverse skill sets, with some companies prioritizing technical backgrounds while others favor business acumen and execution. Ultimately, success hinges on "the ability to get things done in a very difficult environment," prioritizing tasks, and possessing the ability to "say no" to less important endeavors.

What Type Of Person Thrives In The Product Management Industry, According To A Product Manager At ChargePoint

What A Product Manager At ChargePoint Wishes They Had Known Before Entering The Product Management Industry

Kevin, a Product Manager at ChargePoint, admits to initially experiencing "imposter syndrome," questioning if they possessed the necessary skills. The advice given is to proactively gain experience through personal projects employing "product management type approaches and thinking," emphasizing that securing a role isn't a prerequisite for building relevant experience.

What A Product Manager At ChargePoint Wishes They Had Known Before Entering The Product Management Industry

Entry-level Positions for Aspiring Product Managers at ChargePoint

Kevin, a Product Manager at ChargePoint, notes that a direct path into product management after undergraduate study is not always necessary, reassuring that "plenty of other ways to get in" exist. Entry-level roles like sales development or consulting positions, which build relevant business and strategy skills, can serve as effective stepping stones to a product management career.

Entry-level Positions for Aspiring Product Managers at ChargePoint

Significant Career Lesson from a Product Manager at ChargePoint

Kevin's most significant career lesson stemmed from launching their own company, navigating "the highs and the lows," including difficult decisions like firing employees and managing disagreements. This experience provided invaluable skills directly applicable to Kevin's current product management role at ChargePoint, where they translate "a very nebulous idea" into defined products.

Significant Career Lesson from a Product Manager at ChargePoint

College Experiences That Helped a Product Manager at ChargePoint Succeed

To prepare for a product management career, Kevin recommends a liberal arts approach, "taking all sorts of courses outside your core major," even if it means initially struggling with subjects like finance, as this broadens skills and allows for future pivots. Further, Kevin emphasizes the value of diverse social experiences, such as joining a fraternity, to build networking skills and gain exposure to different perspectives, exceeding the limitations of one's academic major or usual social circles.

College Experiences That Helped a Product Manager at ChargePoint Succeed

How Identity Has Influenced a Product Manager's Career at ChargePoint

Kevin's Asian American heritage presented a significant career challenge, stemming from cultural norms around speaking up and saying no, which directly conflicted with the demands of product management. Overcoming this required conscious effort to "detach from that label" and recognize how cultural background impacts workplace behavior, ultimately leading to a deeper understanding of global cultural differences and enhancing career success.

How Identity Has Influenced a Product Manager's Career at ChargePoint

Advizer Personal Links

https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamkevinchung/, www.kevinchung.org