What are you going to do about an idea that is brewing in your mind? 

Of course, you know it is a brilliant one, but what are the steps you are willing to take to turn it into reality? 

The answer is obvious: you might put the product out there in the market.

But what if there is a major roadblock? The product that you thought was “brilliant” and “exclusive” seems to be not as loved as you thought would be by customers. Technically, it might be a flawless product but the product being unlikable could lag its success rate.

So, it is important to bring out products that are loved by customers. That’s the key to being a successful product manager. How to become a product manager could be a tricky question since the concept of product management is highly disregarded in the professional realm.

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How to become a product manager?

There is no rigid path to follow to becoming a product manager. Product managers hail from plenty of different backgrounds including marketing, communication, etc. Regardless of plenty of underlying factors, it is commendable to try aiming to become a product manager. 

Here are the 5 primary steps to head on the journey to becoming a product manager:

1. Get To Know Product Management Basics:

Product managers work immensely hard to put their business and user experience on the table. As a PM, there are tons of responsibilities that hover around. 

The ideal way to learn the fundamentals of product management is through a product manager course. It helps understand the technical skills and practice the other outlined structured role of a PM. For recruiters, finding the ideal candidate for the position of the product manager is a challenge. Therefore, anyone who has deep knowledge of the customer base and marketplace is most welcome for the position.

2. Understand The Processes:

The road to how to become a product manager isn’t easy. It is important to identify issues and eradicate them to increase the longevity of the product. This is only possible if there is a clear understanding of the target customers who will buy the products.

Moreover, the time and skills of various members of the team including important prospects such as running a meeting are some of the primary qualities to learn thoroughly about as a PM.

3. Know The Line Between “Business” And “Industry”:

If you thought creating a product is all it takes for a product manager, you are wrong. Product management has many more layers to it. Every product should align with the needs of the marketplace, and it is possible only when you know the market in and out.

This is usually why a product manager who is experienced is preferred. Acquiring the taste of the digital landscape is one way to tap into it. Although as a product manager, knowing other areas could also prove to be an accomplishment. 

4. Build Projects & Master The Skills:

Building your projects could be an interesting way to learn. Once the basic skills are mastered, you can navigate your way through the product development cycle right from start to end.

To gain more experience, you can build your project and keep on expanding your skills. Product development altogether is a collaborative process that helps you tone the way you build your projects.

5. Flaunt It Through A Portfolio:

There is no definite roadmap to excel as a product manager. However, a portfolio could help you to showcase everything you have done so far. Be it a product manager course or a product that you have worked on; putting it all in one place. The portfolio should highlight your strength and every aspect of your portfolio should be displayed coherently.

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How To Become A Product Manager Without Experience?

Many PMs start their career in a different field and then transition after a few years of experience in other domains.

Simply put, what is the answer to the question, how to become a product manager without experience? 

This is where we are reaching out at. 

Someone can wear the product manager hat even if they don’t have the experience. The key is to grow your practical and soft skills while you are working in a different domain. Furthermore, you must also gain the relevant technical skills that it takes to become a PM. The soft skills could include collaboration, team leadership, and communication. Their list is extensive, and all you need to do is slowly inculcate the skills to work your way through becoming a successful product manager. 

Successful Product Managers Qualities:

There are 3 primary qualities that every PM should have:

1. Emotional Intelligence

A Product Manager is well-versed with the rules he should play by. They may or may not know what to do during a customer interview but they most certainly know how to empathize with customers. Any product manager who has explicable EQ is believed to have strong and healthy relationships with everyone within the organization.

2. Core Competency:

Core competency is a must-have for every PM. Core competencies usually develop over time. Here are some of the core competency examples:

• Performing assessments on market figures
• Defining the metrics-driven statistics
• Analyzing design sprints
• Formulating pricing and revenue

It takes years for a PM to master these skills and to refine themselves in such a way that they can put their skills as and when required. 

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3. Relationship Management:

Relationship management skills for a PM is one of the most significant quality to endure. Once a PM builds enough relations with their internal and external stakeholders, it is expected of them to maintain them in the long run. This is only possible when the relationship is trustworthy.

There are several other qualities such as self-awareness, social skills, interpersonal skills, communication skills, etc., that a PM should master. While you are on the way to becoming a PM, you will gain expertise in all of these learnings.

upGrad’s Exclusive Product Management Webinar for you –

How to craft GTM Strategy for a Product?

Conclusion

For a role, many factors are being considered. Be it the B2B industry or B2C, there are many factors topped on how a company culture will orient around it.

How to get into product management is the question that comes next. Well, you can opt for the Product Management courses from upGrad which will amplify the way you will work in the future and will ultimately help to determine your success in the coming time.
These courses are curated for professionals who are planning to kickstart their careers as a PM. The way products are being built today calls for the need for more PMs around.

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