Mary Tresa Gabriel

The Product Manager job is undoubtedly one of the toughest jobs in the Tech world! Product Managers face constant change and ambiguity while they are trying to help the business understand what the Product Management role is and the value it brings. Many companies totally misunderstand the role of Product Management and end up underutilizing the Product Manager's skillset and have them perform tasks that are more akin to a Programme or Project Manager. Or they expect the Product Manager to "fill in" for other teams on top of their Product Management duties, which dilutes the Product Manager's ability to fulfill their actual job. All of these things commonly lead to the role being a struggle and increase the chance of the Product Manager wanting to move on to something better. A lack of autonomy/empowerment, a toxic work environment, poor leadership/frequent leadership turnover, limited career prospects, and limited resources are some of the common reasons why it can be a struggle. With a better understanding of the Product Management role and a supportive leadership team, PMs will add significant value that will 10x and more the company's performance. Product Managers are not Project Managers or any other type of role. And due to the cross-functional nature of the position, they need the space, time, understanding, and support from the exec team to deliver the results the company desires. Without this, it's a continual struggle and a huge missed opportunity for everyone involved! #hiring #recruitment #productmanagement

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The Art of Saying No as a Product Manager 🎯 As a Product Manager, one of the most critical skills isn't learning to say "yes" to every feature request—it's mastering the art of saying "no" gracefully while keeping stakeholders aligned. Why saying no is crucial for PMs: Maintains product focus and prevents feature bloat Protects development velocity and sprint commitments Ensures resources go to highest-impact user problems Builds credibility through data-driven decisions How to say no as a PM: 1. Acknowledge the need 🤝 "I see how this could benefit your team, and I understand the business case..." 2. Share the product context 📊 "Based on our user research and current roadmap priorities..." 3. Present data-driven alternatives 💡 "While we can't build this now, here's what our users are actually asking for..." or "Let's explore a lighter-weight solution for Q2..." 4. Explain the opportunity cost ⚖️ "If we prioritize this, we'd need to delay our core user retention initiative..." 5. Offer a product-friendly path 🛤️ "Let's add this to our backlog and revisit during next quarter's planning with proper user validation..." Remember: Every "no" should come with clear reasoning tied to user value and business impact. Stakeholders respect PMs who protect the product vision while staying collaborative. What's your go-to framework for managing competing feature requests? Share your PM wisdom below! 👇 #ProductManagement #ProductManager #Roadmap #StakeholderManagement #ProductStrategy #PrioritizationFramework

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After working at 3 big companies as a Product Manager in a span of 3 years, here's the harsh truth I have realised: For someone looking from the outside, switching and moving to bigger roles might look like: - Greater salary jumps - Role upgrade But the actual reality when you move as a PM is: - Time spent learning the new product - You have to repeat the process and give 6 months to build the knowledge - The struggle to figure out and gel in with the new processes - You can't convince others if you don't understand the systems fully - It's like restarting again So, for anyone looking for a switch, don't do it because: - You are Bored - 10-15% salary jump Do it because you feel like your learning and growth is hampered in the current organisation. Just don't do it because everybody around you is doing it. #corporate #learnings #productmanagement

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How to become a Product Manager? Everyone says “be curious, be a problem solver” but let’s be practical. Here’s what actually helps: 1. Learn the basics • Understand product lifecycle (idea → build → launch → measure → iterate) • Pick up tools like Jira, Figma, SQL, GA, Postman — you don’t need to be an expert, but you must be comfortable. 2. Build something • Side projects beat certificates. Launch a website, automate a task, build a small app on no-code. • Even a simple case study (e.g., “How I would improve Zomato’s cart flow”) shows more initiative than just theory. 3. Get close to users • Do customer interviews, usability tests, or even just talk to your friends about their pain points. • A PM who understands users deeply > a PM who knows all frameworks. 4. Think in outcomes, not tasks • Instead of “add a button,” reframe to “reduce checkout drop-offs by 10%.” • Train yourself to always ask “what’s the impact?” 5. Communicate like a bridge • PMs don’t “boss” developers, they align devs, designers, QA, and business. • Learn to write clear problem statements, acceptance criteria, and keep everyone on the same page. 6. Network & learn publicly • Share your learnings on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Medium. • Join communities, attend hackathons, ask questions. Visibility often leads to opportunities. 7. Start where you are • If you’re in QA, think about “how can this feature improve?” • If you’re in Marketing, think “which user journey is breaking?” • PM is not always a direct switch - you can grow into it by showing PM-like thinking in your current role.

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You may like it or not, but politics are a part of the Product Management world. How can data-driven PMs drive their vision despite that? Let me tell you, initially in my career, I was almost allergic to politics. All I wanted to do was do my job to the best of my abilities and not care for other people's ambitions and egos. It took a little time until I fully understood that in most companies, there is simply no escaping this. If you want to be kept on the payroll and improve your product, you will have to be politically engaged on some level. So, how can we ensure our data-driven vision and discovery efforts are not trumped by someone else's personal goals? 𝟭) 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀 Start with any PM should do, politics or otherwise. Be a charming, transparent, reliable, inspiring, and empathic leader and colleague. When people know and trust you, they're more likely to support your ideas and defend you from others' egoism. 𝟮) 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 Present your data and insights in a way that resonates with different audiences. Also, aim to say the right stuff, supported by data, to the right crowd at the right time via the right medium. In that case, lots of "rights" make an even greater right! Sidenote: Less is more in terms of clear comms :) Also, always focus on demonstrating tangible value for the clients. That can help overcome political obstacles. 𝟯) 𝗔𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗚𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀 You may be sick and tired of politics, but at the same time have some pet projects you'd like to push despite weak data backing or poor alignment with current goals. Police yourself in this regard, and you will have fewer angles of potential political attack open for your "opposition". 𝟰) 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝘁 𝗴𝗼 Sometimes, the best investment would be to simply do what you are asked. As long as it is sporadic and can win you allies long-term, it's a strategic move. Just keep the paper trail in case the request you took upon yourself backfires. 𝟱) 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗔𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀 Once you build a set of allies and authority, use it to have a stronger voice in the room. In other words: Use politics to build the best product possible. Career growth and recognition will follow organically, and you don't need to change your career into a Product. 𝟲) 𝗗𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 You may execute the previous 5 points flawlessly and still feel like everything is playing to office politics. Just stay strong, don't let it get to you, and be a beacon of reason and sound decisions. Hopefully, you will lead by example! So, do you have to struggle with politics at work? Sound off in the comments! #productmanagement #productmanager #officepolitics P.S. To become a Product Manager who can navigate politics while staying data-driven, be sure to check out my courses on www.drbartpm.com :)

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When I started Product Management back in 2020, I used to believe it was all about launching new features, defining roadmaps and keeping stakeholders aligned. But over time, I have realised it is much more than that. A PM has to influence without authority, as no one directly reports to you but you need to align them constantly around a shared vision. Next, you never have 100% data available. In best cases you would need to make confident decisions with 60-70% information. Every "yes" comes with a silent "no". Learning to prioritise is survival not just a skill. Empathy at the centre of everything - for users, yes - but also for your team. If you relate to any of this or in case any other myths were busted for you, let me know in the comments!

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80% of product managers spend 90% of their time looking productive and not being effective..... Ever seen a PM who’s everywhere? →Always in meetings →Always updating the board → Always writing release notes →Always “looping in” stakeholders It looks impressive. But, → Is the product actually getting better? → Are users more delighted? → Is the vision clearer than it was last quarter? Being on top of the process ≠ driving the product. The real work of product management is often invisible: →Sitting with ambiguous data until patterns emerge →Asking the uncomfortable questions nobody else is asking →Digging into friction points in a user journey →Saying “no” when it’s easier to ship something safe These things don’t fit neatly into Jira. They don’t always show up in status updates. But there’s a difference between a team that builds features and one that builds impact. Because a calendar full of check-ins might feel like control. But the real magic of the product? It often starts in the quiet hours with a messy doc, a new idea, and a PM who dares to ask “why?” The busiest person in the room isn’t always the one moving things forward. In fact, in product teams, the illusion of productivity can be one of the most dangerous traps. Let's grow and learn together, Jaya Manocha☘️ #ProductManagement #BeyoundTheObvious #TogtherWithJaya

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Aspiring and early career PMs out there, this post is for you! Seeing the product management hype train getting bigger & faster, I feel compelled to share some things I didn't know before I became a PM. These lessons have come from many conversations with fellow PMs. 1. In the days before I broke into product management, I had a conversation with a recruiter who warned me that less than 10% Indian PMs were from non-tech backgrounds. He said that the risks associated with India's 𝘯𝘢𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵 & 𝘫𝘶𝘨𝘢𝘢𝘥𝘶 product culture are more adverse for non-tech PMs. Over the last few years, I've noticed (as I'm sure many of you have too) that non-Indian PMs are far more often from non-technical backgrounds than Indians.  As we are once again dealing with a paradigm shift in the world of tech, us unconventional product managers have to fight hard to prove ourselves (even when more technical ones may not be any better). The roadmaps and role models are fewer for us. 2. Breaking in is hard (you know that). Making your first or second switch doesn't get any easier without big brands in your resume. So learn well and learn a lot! 95% of new products and businesses fail within the 1st 2 years, & while even that teaches a lot, recruiters aren't kind. 3. Many PM roles turn out to be something else in real life. Do keep in touch with peers so you'll know what to do if you're in such a position. 4. The best way to find out where you stand is to reach out to PMs who seem to be where you want to reach, and ask what will it take to get hired by their team. Or try to get shortlisted and analyze how you're bombing interviews. Ask for feedback in the last 2 minutes. Expectations are rapidly evolving, and frankly, many JDs are poorly written by individuals who do not have a clear understanding of the role. 5. The hype outstrips the reality. Be sure that product management is better than your current career path. Know that there are always far fewer PM openings in any company. Hope this helps! #IndianPM #NonTechPM #ProductManagement #TechIndustry #CareerAdviceIndia 

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A Day in the Life of a PM — Not What You Think!! When I first joined as a Product Manager, I imagined my day would revolve around structured tasks: ✔ Writing crisp PRDs ✔ Prioritizing features ✔ Attending standups ✔ Talking to stakeholders ✔ Shipping releases But real PM work goes far beyond these checkboxes. t’s not just about “what I do” — it’s about how I think in between it all. Let me walk you through what my day actually looks like, beyond the surface 👇 1. Context switching is the default, not the disruption I start my day reviewing a design mockup, jump to a Jira ticket review, then join a cross-functional call about a feature needed to be delivered on priority basis. The skill isn’t multitasking — it’s quickly re-anchoring yourself to what matters most in the moment. 2. Decision Fatigue Hits Fast— Be Intentional Should we A/B test this or soft-launch it? Is that bug a blocker or can it wait till the next sprint? There’s no roadmap for all of this!! My hack: I block sometime during mid-day just for uninterrupted decision-making. Not for meetings or anything else but just thinking, validating, and simplifying. 3. Your Real Job? Bring Clarity, Not Control PMs aren’t CEOs of the product — we’re clarity-makers. It’s our job to turn ambiguity into aligned action. That means repeating yourself (a lot), simplifying the “why,” and building trust across teams. Lesson learned: Clarity creates speed. Not pressure. 4. Retros Aren’t Just for Sprints Some of my biggest learnings come from spontaneous 2-minute self-retros, what felt off in that stakeholder sync? Could I have asked better questions in that tech call? Did that feature review align with the user problem? Quick reflections = long-term gains. 5. And Then There’s Firefighting An outage. A broken funnel. A last-minute leadership review. No day is safe from surprises — but that’s part of the thrill. You learn to stay calm, stay kind, and move fast. If you’ve got your own hacks that help you survive the day — share them below. I’d love to learn from you!! #ProductManagement #BehindTheScenes #DayInTheLife #PMReality #BuildInPublic #LinkedInPM

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A good read for aspiring product managers who are preparing for their interview - how to approach prioritization between customer complaints and existing deliverables? A product manager facing urgent customer complaints and project deadlines must prioritize effectively to ensure customer satisfaction and project success. By balancing immediate customer needs with strategic project objectives, the product manager can effectively manage both challenges. Here are key points to consider. 1. Assess Impact Determine which complaints affect the largest number of customers or critical business operations first. 2. Evaluate Severity Prioritize complaints based on their urgency and potential risk to customer satisfaction or safety. 3. Align with Deadlines Consider project timelines and identify tasks that can be completed quickly without jeopardizing project goals. 4. Consult Stakeholders Engage with team members and stakeholders to gather insights and ensure alignment on priorities. 5. Communicate Clearly Keep customers informed about their complaints and provide updates on project timelines.

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Is Product management really for you? It's the start of a new year, and I believe many people will want to pick up a new skill. Some have decided to go with product management. It is common to come across people's write-ups about “what you need to know before getting into product management,” “how to be a good product manager,” etc. Most things are harder in practice than they are in theory. I will be sharing 5 points for you to know if product management is really for you or if you just see it as a means of escape from software engineering or product design 😊 ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ ✅ If you don’t like teamwork; product management is not for you. Your role as a product manager revolves around working with teammates. As much as you’re going to be taking the lead, knowing how to manage a team and work well with a team will make you a good product manager. ✅ If you don’t like asking questions or for help; product management is not for you. You can’t know it all and you’re not expected to know it all. Product Management isn't about having all the answers, it's about asking the right questions and it will give you clarity. ✅ If you don’t like communicating; product management is not for you. Most of the time, you will be in meetings with stakeholders, your team members, or with the customers. It’s essential to have strong communication skills to effectively collaborate with your team and, effectively express your ideas. Communication skills enable you to better understand customer needs and deliver successful products. ✅ If you are not open to change; product management is not for you. "Change they say is constant". The way a team works will be very much different from another team. You must be flexible enough to learn new things as you go on your product management journey. ✅ If you can’t take the fall; product management is not for you. Errors tend to occur most times not because you can’t avoid them, but because they are things that are too crazy to cross your mind, and when it happens; as a product manager taking the fall demonstrates your leadership skills and ability to take ownership of actions. It helps you build trust with your team and stakeholders, which is essential for successful product management. ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ Now that you've made it this far, is product management really for you? This to let you know the areas you need to work on yourself before you start as a product manager. I wish you the best in your chosen career. 🥂

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The Art of Saying No as a Product Manager! One of the hardest yet most important skills for a Product Manager is knowing when to say no. Every day, we face requests from stakeholders, customers, and internal teams. Each with valid reasons and urgency. But saying yes to everything means saying no to focus, strategy, and impact. A thoughtful no isn’t about shutting ideas down it’s about: ✅ Prioritising what aligns with the product vision ✅ Protecting the roadmap from scope creep ✅ Ensuring we deliver real value, not just features Great product management is about balancing possibilities with practicality. How do you approach tough decisions in product development? Let’s share strategies! #ProductManagement #Leadership #ProductStrategy #DecisionMaking #Tech #SaaS #Product

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