What accomplishment in your product management career has brought you the highest level of satisfaction and joy? Can you narrate why?

Well, to be honest, I've never felt 'the highest level of satisfaction and joy' at any point in my career so far :) I always believe that the best I can do is yet to come. In a way, being in a constant state of discomfort and dissatisfaction is beneficial for product people, because it pushes us to be continuously curious, persistent, and energetic.That said, I think I've had the most fun at Rupeek, where my team built really cool credit products for the underbanked people in India. It was truly a fulfilling experience, especially when reading our customers' stories about how we made a lasting impact on their lives.

What aspect of  product management did you struggle the most with? How did you overcome  it?

For me, it is the people aspect of product management. The product manager role is inherently political: wrangling with opposing incentives and managing raging egos (including one's own), while pulling everyone towards a common goal. You have to be a master storyteller to succeed, as managing your relationship with an engineer is diametrically different than that with a designer. Or a salesperson. Or a CEO.  Here's a trick that I learnt early in my career that has served me well over the years (at least during 1-on-1 discussions): A product manager is never an expert in any conversation. They just know more about everything that the other person is not an expert at.

What's one common  myth about product management that you find common among aspiring PMs.

One thing that has always irked me is that most of the stuff I find about product management online is focused on product job interviews and how to 'ace' them. While this is helpful content for people who wants to break into the PM career, they miss out on a lot of nuances.  Here are some examples:  > Here’s a commonly misconstrued statement: Focus on the 'why' question first, decide on the 'what' next, and leave the 'how' questions to engineers/designers. Here is the thing: while this statement is technically true, I see a lot of young product folks misunderstand this and completely neglect to understand even the basics of how things are done, especially on the engineering side. A core part of the product job is estimating, and you could never be good at estimations if you don't understand engineering decisions.  > Another common thing: overuse of the word 'empathy'. As a community, we should update our product vocabulary and use the word 'kindness' instead. Why? Empathy is just a feeling, but kindness is an act. A great product manager cares enough about the product and the users to go beyond just the business goals. That’s the reason we ‘align’ with business goals, not ‘target’ them. It is good to have ideals.  > And finally, there is no one correct answer in product management. The answer constantly evolves depending on things like the stage of the company/product, the strategy, the industry, and the company culture, just to name a few. So, feel free to be creative and opinionated.

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What are some common  pitfalls that product managers must be aware of?

1) Ego. Always remember that a PM is a servant leader. A product manager has great responsibility, but none of the great power that usually comes in the bundle. So, just be a nice person.
2) Perfectionism. Theoretically, you should always strive to build the perfect product, with great attention to tiny details. But practically, you should accept that it is not possible and just ship things.
3) Delegation. This is something that the ‘builder’-type PMs like me struggle with. At a certain point in your career, you should start thinking seriously about mentoring and training the people around you. The ‘builder’ part of your brain will struggle with relinquishing total control. Taking ownership is the fun part of being a PM, so share the joy with your team. And it is okay if they make mistakes because that’s how they learn.

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If not product  management, what career would you have picked? Are there any complimentary skillsets that you see between being a PM and your alternate choice?

I want to say I'd be a writer, but that's unrealistic since my parents are not rich. So, I'd probably be an engineer. Being a builder always helps with the PM job.

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What is something  about product management that you wish you knew when you started out?

I wish I knew it's okay to fail. I would have made bolder choices. In fact, failure is probably the best way to learn any craft, let alone product management. Like everything in life, things compound over time and you just become better.