Navigating the First 90 Days Without (Too Many) Hiccups
Tips and strategies for building a strong foundation in your new product management role and setting up for success
Greetings and salutations, fellow product people! 👋
Welcome to the first edition of the ✨ Pragmatism ✨ newsletter in 2023.
It's been a minute (almost an year 🙈) since we last caught up, but fear not, I come bearing gifts, in the form of witty and pragmatic product management advice, of course.
If you're a new product manager (I am taking the liberty to assume that most of you here are!), you might be feeling a bit overwhelmed by the task at hand. You may find yourself naturally wondering about a few things, such as whether people will trust you, if you'll be able to prioritize effectively, and whether you'll be able to work collaboratively with the engineering team. These are all valid concerns, but don't worry, with time and effort, you'll find your footing and become a pro in no time! The first 90 days are critical and are like a wild rollercoaster ride - just hold on tight and try not to scream too much 🎢
In this post, we'll be diving into what a product manager should do in their first 90 days after joining a company. And because I'm feeling particularly generous (or caffeinated), I've even sprinkled in a few witty quips to keep things interesting.
So grab a cup of coffee (or your beverage of choice), and prepare to become a product management superstar (or at least, pretend like you know what you're doing). Let's do this thing!
In the first 30 days - The honeymoon period
Your main goal should be to make friends. You know, those people who will vouch for you when you inevitably screw up (it's okay, we all do). Plus, you'll need someone to sit with at lunch, because nobody wants to eat alone (unless you're really into that whole "lonely eating" thing) 😂
Build relationships: Take the time to meet people in the company, both within and outside of your team. Build rapport, trust, and a good working relationship by being friendly, approachable, and interested in others. Remember, building a relationship before getting to transactional work is essential.
Understand your peers: Meet with your peers and understand what they work on and how they contribute to things. This will help you understand how you'll collaborate with them and how your work impacts theirs.
Understand customer pain points: Meet with customer-facing leaders, such as sales or customer support, and understand the key customer pain points. This will help you start forming your opinion on things and prioritize what needs to be done.
Meet with other product leaders: Meet with other product leaders in the company and understand their product portfolio. This will help you gain a better understanding of the company's overall product strategy.
Meet with engineering counterparts: Meet with your engineering counterparts and understand the technical lay of the land. This will help you understand the technical feasibility of your ideas and collaborate better with your engineering team.
Understand the market and competition: If you're new to the industry, take the time to understand the market and product landscape. Read about the product competitors and understand how your product compares to them.
Learn about your own product: Spend time setting up the product and going through different customer flows. This will help you get a better understanding of the product and how it's used by customers.
Know your key customers: Develop a point of view on your key/strategic customers. Understand their aspirations, needs, pain points, and how it relates to the product roadmap. This will help you prioritize what needs to be done and ensure that your product is meeting their needs.
Focus on understanding the company, product, and market without worrying too much about execution or contribution. Take the time to learn and absorb as much as you can. Ask as many questions as you can!
In 30 to 60 days - Getting into the Groove
This is where the real fun begins. Get ready to dive headfirst into the product building process, and try not to panic when you realize that you have no idea what you're doing. Prioritize like a pro, work on a few quick wins, and remember to breathe. You got this (or at least that's what you should tell yourself) 💪
Work with product and engineering counterparts: Collaborate with your product and engineering counterparts to understand the current and future roadmap. This will help you get a better understanding of the product's direction and what needs to be done to achieve its goals.
Participate in sprint planning: Become an active participant in the sprint planning process and drive prioritization at a sprint level. This will help you ensure that the most important work is being done first and that the team is making progress toward its goals.
Prioritize a low-hanging fruit: Prioritize low-hanging fruit and start with your first PRD. This will help you gain momentum and show progress early on.
Bring thought leadership and advocacy: Bring your thought leadership and product advocacy to the product-building process. This will help you drive innovation, rise above the status quo and ensure that the team is building the right things.
Focus on quick wins: Focus on getting 2-3 quick wins that make the lives of the team better, such as unblocking a blocker, resolving a lingering decision, or improving an annoying process. This will help you build momentum and establish credibility.
In 60 to 90 days - Ready to Shake Things Up and Leave Your Mark
Become a key stakeholder in the planning process: It's essential that you have a seat at the table during the planning sessions. Use this opportunity to share your insights, advocate for your initiatives, and get your first project prioritized on the roadmap for the next execution cycle.
Ship your first feature/enhancement: Remember that feature or enhancement you started working on in your first 60 days? It's time to ship that bad boy out to the world! Make sure it's well-tested, well-designed, and well-received by your customers. And if it's not, just blame it on the intern (just kidding... please don't do that).
Start defining and refining the roadmap: A product manager's job is never truly done, especially when it comes to the roadmap. Start thinking about where your product suite is headed, and how you can stay one step ahead of the competition. Work with your team to refine and define the roadmap accordingly.
End-to-end ownership of your product suite: From ideation to launch, you'll need to ensure that your products align with your company's vision and goals. So, take ownership of your product suite and make sure that it delivers value to your customers. And if you're feeling adventurous, why not try charging people a ridiculous amount of money for your product?
By day 90, you should be feeling pretty comfortable in your new role. You'll have your first feature shipped, you'll be a pro at sprint planning, and you'll have a roadmap so detailed it could put Google Maps to shame. You'll know more about your product than your Head of Product does (no, seriously!)
So go ahead, pat yourself on the back, and get ready long journey ahead of you. Good luck! 🍀
Questions? Just reply to this email and ask!
See you all in the next one 👋