How to Bring Your A Game to the Product Manager Table

Photo by Anne Nygård on Unsplash

If you’re seriously thinking about transitioning to be a Product Manager, but don’t have the formal training the job requires, you can still make the shift if you’re willing to put in the work it takes to invest in yourself.

Whether you’re coming from a data scientist background or a retail store manager background like me, putting in the work often goes beyond formal training. And while having an understanding of basic business competencies, knowledge of development principles, and proficiency in research and analysis are important, it’s just as important (if not more) to be able to put in the work it takes to successfully lead a team with C.L.A.S.S.

What do I mean by C.L.A.S.S. you ask? Great question! In a nutshell, C.L.A.S.S. is an acronym that stands for the key traits that make up a great Product Manager: link “key traits that make a great Product Manager” to:

Curiosity

Leadership with Authority

Accountability

Self-starter-ness

Self-awareness

And what I can tell you from personal experience is that while I went to an outstanding college and even got a Master’s, the success I achieved in my career thus far as a Product Manager was paved by bringing C.L.A.S.S. to my…