What a Head of Product at Postal Wishes They Had Known Before Entering the Product Management Industry
Shadi, Head of Product at Postal, emphasizes the crucial role of resilience for product professionals, noting that they often become "scapegoats," bearing responsibility for both successes and failures. The best product leaders, Shadi explains, "put those things on their shoulder and kind of insulating the team from it," highlighting the need for thick skin and the ability to separate work from personal identity.
Resilience, Leadership, Responsibility, Product Management, General Management
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Shadi Majzoub
Head of Product
Postal
Cal Poly
N/A
Business Management & Admin
Technology
Product / Service / Software Development and Management
First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. The role involves significant responsibility, akin to being a general manager of a business unit.
2. Success in the role requires resilience, as product managers can sometimes be held accountable for both positive and negative outcomes.
3. It's crucial to develop thick skin and the ability to separate your identity from your work, to handle the pressure and responsibility effectively and avoid taking things personally
Transcript
What have you learned about this role that you wish someone had told you before you entered the industry?
Going along with my last point about resilience, it's important to remember that product folks can sometimes be scapegoats. We have a lot of responsibility, and I don't mean that in a negative way.
The responsibility placed on us is to essentially be the general manager of a business unit. Some product managers focus on small sections, while others, depending on the organization, might oversee more areas or even other product people who are overseeing their areas.
Ultimately, you're the general manager of those business units. Anything that happens, good or bad, reflects on you. When things are good, the best product people credit the team.
When things are bad, the best product people take responsibility themselves and shield the team. This is where resilience comes in. You need to be ready to accept responsibility and develop thick skin.
This allows you to manage the situation without taking things personally. It's also important to be able to disconnect when you need rest and not let it become your identity.