I left a previous job after one of the other execs said to me, “the product team is a resource for sales.” In hindsight, I should have seen this coming.

Here are 6 things I wish I knew to look for when interviewing for the job as the 1st product manager:

1. The company displays some sort of strategic thinking - not just “me too” features on the roadmap

If they’re not at least trying to think strategically, it’s unlikely they will be willing to start. They might say they are willing, but actions speak louder than words.

Their existing strategy doesn’t have to be perfect, and it doesn’t have to make total sense to you right now. It’s possible you can help them craft that perfect strategy. But there needs to be SOME sort of tendency in that direction.

2. The product team has goals they themselves are responsible for.

They’re not just there to build features that sales tells them to build so they can sell more. They’re not just there to fix bugs.

They have goals that they, and only they, can execute on - and those goals have fundamental importance to the business (number of merged PRs or similar does NOT count as a valid goal).

3. Engineers are drowning in too many options and need help deciding what features to build

Those goals? No one is telling them how to fulfill them. Sure - ideas can and should come from anywhere. But it’s up to the product team to decide what to build to satisfy those goals.

But the problem is that they're having a hard time deciding what to build, and also building it. They need a dedicated team member to help them with that.

4. Data informs some part of the product process

Some example of “we saw our customers doing X in the product, so we tried Y to change it and saw Z.”

If the CEO is telling you s/he really wants to start using metrics to inform decisions, it’s already too late. This is something that needs to already be happening before you jump in.

5. Ideas for the last 5 features shipped came from a variety of places

Did they all come from the CEO? Sales? CS? If so, you know who really holds the cards in the company. We want diversity and balance. It might tilt toward one dept, but it shouldn't be a landslide.

6. The CEO seems to fully understand the difference between a project manager and a product manager

Ask the question directly. If s/he can’t answer in some sort of thought-provoking way then you’ve got yourself a red flag and are heading into PjM territory.

Final note:

PMs are powerful for an org because they offer leverage. They can introduce new frameworks, improve a company’s strategic understanding, and make the team more efficient.

But they are not magicians. They can’t build a stable house on shaky ground.

If you are thinking, “this company has so much potential, I just need to show them the way” then you might likely regret your decision to join.

If instead you are thinking, this “this company is on the right path, and I can help them accelerate to get where they are going faster” then it’s definitely worth considering.

6 things I wish I knew when interviewing for a job as the company's first Product Manager

I left a previous job after one of the other execs said to me, “the product team is a reso

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