Almost every PM I've met has an odd/alternative background but the consistent traits I see are:
1. Curiosity
2. The ability to think in a structured/organized way
3. A clear understanding of users, their problems, and how to solve those problems
4. Ability to understand coworkers and motivate or influence without authority
I would argue that the above aspects can come from any discipline. I've recruited Pm's (via internal transfer) who worked in accounting/finance as well as one who worked a supply chain position.
Regarding my path, i also didn't follow a standard trajectory. I had been building websites (sometimes programing, sometimes writing content) with friends for a few years in college as a hobby. I stopped attending college and began a 4yr career as a professional gamer. During this time, I continued to work on side projects with friends, usually in an 'editor in chief' capacity for a small blog or website.
When my pro gaming stint ended (short answer: it was not a consistent enough income stream as most revenue came from tournaments), I was offered a job as community manager of one of the tournaments I competed in. They hired me because of my regular posts about the rules and games and felt I would be good at representing the community's needs. I went back to school (studying creative writing) and worked this remotely.
From here, a friend who i met via working as community manager recommended me from an open editor in chief position at a small (unfunded) startup. In my first meeting, they showed me the redesign they were working on and I asked a lot of questions about their thought process and why they did certain things that didn't make sense to me. The designers loved this feedback (they had never received anything actionable before) and we ended up meeting regularly. This company was acquired (small talent acquisition) and the CEO of the new company was excellent at mentoring people and quickly told me (based on what I was already doing) that I should be a PM.
In summary.. The best way to become a PM is to start doing it. Find side projects and contribute however you can (writing, coding, design, customer support, etc) and while you're there, ask lots of questions to try to deeply understand the product, the users, and the decisions that the organizers take.
Fundamentally you want to answer (or help them answer if they can't) three questions:
1. Why does this product exist in the world?
2. What does success look like?
3. How do we get there?
Happy to do a 20m call if you have further questions, my email is in my profile.
> In summary.. The best way to become a PM is to start doing it.
This is great practical advice. If you're trying to cross over within a company, put yourself in the line of opportunities. Tell your boss to look out for new initiatives where you can contribute from the beginning. Try to get yourself invited to new meetings. Offer actionable advice on making current products better. And never neglect your day job when working on your side projects. Otherwise you'll be perceived as someone who dreams big but can't get things done.
Forgot to add - many larger companies offer a junior pm program to help people transition into a PM role. I work at oculus and we participate in Facebook's 'rotational pm (rpm)' program.
Applicants have little to no product experience and are sometimes right out of college or other times come from different fields or backgrounds. Once hired, rpm's rotate between a few teams and are assigned a full time PM mentor who works alongside their manager to set them up for success.
I would argue that the above aspects can come from any discipline. I've recruited Pm's (via internal transfer) who worked in accounting/finance as well as one who worked a supply chain position.
Regarding my path, i also didn't follow a standard trajectory. I had been building websites (sometimes programing, sometimes writing content) with friends for a few years in college as a hobby. I stopped attending college and began a 4yr career as a professional gamer. During this time, I continued to work on side projects with friends, usually in an 'editor in chief' capacity for a small blog or website.
When my pro gaming stint ended (short answer: it was not a consistent enough income stream as most revenue came from tournaments), I was offered a job as community manager of one of the tournaments I competed in. They hired me because of my regular posts about the rules and games and felt I would be good at representing the community's needs. I went back to school (studying creative writing) and worked this remotely.
From here, a friend who i met via working as community manager recommended me from an open editor in chief position at a small (unfunded) startup. In my first meeting, they showed me the redesign they were working on and I asked a lot of questions about their thought process and why they did certain things that didn't make sense to me. The designers loved this feedback (they had never received anything actionable before) and we ended up meeting regularly. This company was acquired (small talent acquisition) and the CEO of the new company was excellent at mentoring people and quickly told me (based on what I was already doing) that I should be a PM.
In summary.. The best way to become a PM is to start doing it. Find side projects and contribute however you can (writing, coding, design, customer support, etc) and while you're there, ask lots of questions to try to deeply understand the product, the users, and the decisions that the organizers take.
Fundamentally you want to answer (or help them answer if they can't) three questions: 1. Why does this product exist in the world? 2. What does success look like? 3. How do we get there?
Happy to do a 20m call if you have further questions, my email is in my profile.