# Cracking the PM Career  ## Metadata - Author: [[Jackie Bavaro and Gayle McDowell]] - Full Title: Cracking the PM Career - Category: #books ## Highlights - As I had instructed my mentees so many times, a PM can't just issue orders. They have to develop the frameworks, gather the data, consider the risks, and motivate people to align along some vision, goal or task. ([Location 136](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08TQ89LKB&location=136)) - Tags: [[favorite]] ##### PM Skills - All companies want you to efficiently deliver high-quality products that create customer and business impact without causing problems. ([Location 192](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08TQ89LKB&location=192)) - we've grouped the skills it takes to be a great product leader into five categories: Product skills help you design a high-quality product that delights customers and solves their needs. Execution skills enable you to run and deliver your projects quickly, smoothly, and effectively. Strategic skills improve your ability to set direction and optimize for long-term impact. Leadership skills allow you to work well with others and improve your team. People management skills come into play when you have an official responsibility to hire and develop people. ([Location 193](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08TQ89LKB&location=193)) ##### Career Skills ##### I'm new to product management ##### I'm having trouble getting promoted ##### I'm a senior product leader ##### I want to develop my skills as a PM ##### I want to land a product manager job ### 2 - A PM is the person on a product team who is responsible for choosing the right problems to go after, defining what success looks like, and guiding their team to achieve successful outcomes. ([Location 319](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08TQ89LKB&location=319)) - Tags: [[favorite]] - This role is all about outcomes, not output. To be a great PM, you can't just follow the steps; you need to reliably build and ship successful products. ([Location 322](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08TQ89LKB&location=322)) - You are responsible for making sure everyone's vision is aligned, all the parts fit together, and that nothing slips through the cracks. If there is a problem, it's your responsibility to—diplomatically—ensure it gets fixed. You must lead without authority, influencing people by using your vision, research, and analysis. ([Location 326](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08TQ89LKB&location=326)) - Product managers are responsible for selecting and defining which problems the team is going to solve, then ensuring the team solves them. They'll define what success looks like, and plan how to get there. ([Location 334](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08TQ89LKB&location=334)) - Tags: [[favorite]] - There are many ways to divide work within the triad. The split can vary depending on each person's level of experience, time at the company, skills, interests, and how heavy their workload is. ([Location 336](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08TQ89LKB&location=336)) - Tags: [[favorite]] - Note: The traid are: Engineering, Design and PM. #### The Product Life Cycle - Every company has its own version, but this is the general pattern:1 PMs often have two streams of work going at a time: one closer to discovery, and one closer to ([Location 347](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08TQ89LKB&location=347)) - Please note: determining key assumptions, creating hypotheses, and validating hypotheses occur during all stages. ([Location 353](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08TQ89LKB&location=353)) - Tags: [[favorite]] - Early on, the key hypotheses focus on the problem, customer needs, business needs, and market sizing. Later, the hypotheses center on the solution, usability, feasibility, and launch plans. ([Location 355](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08TQ89LKB&location=355))