Repetition builds habits, but practicing the wrong skill builds bad habits.
How easy it is for new product managers starting out their careers to learn bad habits.
Ten thousand hours to become a master — a number made famous by Malcom Gladwell.
Unlike Gladwell's tidy saying, the reality is more nuanced. We don’t know if mastery literally takes 10,000 hours. The research that Gladwell summarizes only concludes that “the differences between expert performers and normal adults reflect a life-long period of deliberate effort to improve performance in a specific domain.” How long does this period take? We don’t know. It likely depends on the activity, which is not as memorable a statement as 10,000 hours. What you should remember is mastery requires sustained and deliberate effort. But what if you’re practicing the wrong things repeatedly? Are you building bad habits without knowing it?
The other day, I was talking with a PM with about 2 years of work experience. During our discussion, I was surprised by several statements this person made. To summarize, this person generally believed that:
Product Owner and Product Manager terms are used interchangeably (i.e., it’s just semantics)
Only the PM can and should act as a Product Owner
There is always a need to separate a PM responsible for discovery/strategy from PM responsible for delivery/development because the job is too time-consuming for one person
Further on in the conversation, I tried to understand how this PM developed these “beliefs.” Since product management is something we learn, it’s unnatural to be “born with these ideas.” The PM said several things, but it came down to: “we learn from our surroundings.” For example, the PM said:
The previous PM did this/said this.
Other people more experienced said this.
I saw another PM doing this on another team.
But nowhere was there a fundamental understanding of why PO term was created, what PO role entails, and what factors cause a PM’s job to be too time-consuming. And I’m the first to admit, early in my careers, I also didn’t ask many “why” questions. When you’re still trying to figure out how to succeed at the job, you are less likely to question the job itself.
Finding a good “coach” so you don’t build bad beliefs.
It was after my first job as a PM that I started seriously spending time to learn product management. Yes, there’s a small, but subtle difference between being a product manager and learning about product management. It’s like learning the law versus being a lawyer or learning about car mechanics versus being a car mechanic. They are related, but there’s a difference.
During my time learning, I was taught becoming a product manager is like an apprenticeship. In this analogy, finding and choosing who to apprentice from is equally as important as your own sustained and deliberate effort. How do you find your Picard?
Finding a good master to apprentice under is a road full of pitfalls, especially when we’re young. We tend to over index on certain parameters that are easy signals: fame, titles, and wealth or the promises of fame, title, and wealth. These, while sometimes correlated with being a good master/teacher, aren’t necessarily the best parameters. Instead, they are the easy parameters to identify and they are the parameters that a majority of others also choose. It’s less fearful when you’re part of the crowd.
Yet, when I think back to my times as a student, especially when was younger, the best teachers or coaches I had weren’t famous or wealthy. They didn’t hold titles. So, what should you look for instead?
A person who communicates in a manner that you can understand and respond. We all have different communication styles (aggressive, assertive, passive). You can’t learn from someone else if you can’t communicate, honestly and candidly. This goes both ways, between the master and apprentice. It’s not about finding a perfect match, but developing a level of confidence in the communication. For the teacher, it involves empathy and encouragement. For the apprentice, it requires a learning mindset and openness to being vulnerable.
A person who is knowledgeable and knows the limits of their knowledge. Learning never stops. The more I’ve learned about product management, the more I know what I don’t know and the limits of my own knowledge. Good teachers also have teachers of their own. Anakin had Obi-wan just as Obi-wan had Qui-Gon Jinn. If you find a coach/mentor, ask them who they consider their masters, who they go for help.
A person who has time for teaching over a passion for product management. This statement may sound odd, but teaching is a profession in itself and learning how to teach is just as difficult (maybe even more difficult) than mastering product management. A good teacher not only needs to be an expert in the subject, but also transfer that expertise. Sometimes, PMs early on in their careers seek PM coaches or mentors who are still focused on product management itself. This would be equivalent of joining Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in 1998 when chef Ramsay first started his own restaurant. You’ll still learn, but learning through observation and osmosis is different than learning at the Institute of Culinary Arts. As the product management profession matures, this may change in our education system, but be aware of the difference.
If you can find a person with the above three traits, someone you communicate well, who has more product management knowledge than you and knows their limits, and who has a passion for teaching, sign up. Do it now, reach out to this person you know. This person is much more valuable than someone who has a famous name or title.
Periodically, I’ve reached out to new and old subscribers by email. Thanks to all those who have taken the time to say hello. I’m now trying out something different. If you’re a product manager, you can grab 15 minutes on Saturdays just to chat with me. I’d love to hear what product management problems you’re facing, learn about things PM related you’re reading, or debate on a new topic.
Additional Reading