3 answers
1
Question
Asked
784 views
product manager
I’m about to start my first full-time job in a product role, and I’m currently interning on software and hardware for electronic consumer products (like white noise machines). I have a background in industrial design/UX design. My medium-term goal (after 2 years) is to work in a developed country like Europe, Australia, or New Zealand, for better work-life balance (WLB) and to have time for side projects. However, I’m unsure which direction to take in my career. Most product manager roles seem to rely heavily on passion, but I haven’t found a field that excites me yet. Should I continue in product management or return to design? Also, it seems that hardware-focused product roles are rare in these regions, with most opportunities in software. If I decide to stay in product management, which industry should I focus on (e.g., consumer electronics, fintech, healthtech)? Any advice for someone in my situation?
Login to comment
3 answers
Updated
Angel’s Answer
Stay in product management if you enjoy strategy and collaboration; return to design if creativity drives you. Focus on fintech or healthtech for global opportunities and work-life balance. Build software skills to align with demand in developed countries. Explore industries via side projects to discover passion while networking globally.
James Constantine Frangos
Consultant Dietitian-Nutritionist & Software Developer since 1972 => Optimization Of Human Performance: jim.frangos@gmail
6627
Answers
Updated
James Constantine’s Answer
Good Day Bon!
Career Direction for a Product Manager with a Design Background
1. Assessing Your Current Situation
As you embark on your first full-time role in product management, it’s essential to evaluate your current position and experiences. You have a background in industrial design and UX design, which provides you with a unique perspective that can be beneficial in product management. Your internship experience with electronic consumer products, like white noise machines, suggests you have hands-on experience that can translate well into understanding user needs and product functionality.
2. Understanding the Product Management Landscape
Product management is a multifaceted role that often requires balancing technical knowledge, market understanding, and user-centered design principles. While passion is indeed an important aspect of succeeding in this field, it is equally crucial to align your career path with industries that not only excite you but also leverage your existing skills.
In terms of industry focus, software roles are more prevalent than hardware roles in many developed countries. This trend may limit opportunities if you wish to remain within hardware-focused product management. However, the skills you’ve gained from your design background can still be valuable in software-centric industries.
3. Evaluating Your Options: Product Management vs. Design
You face a critical decision: whether to continue pursuing product management or return to a more traditional design role. Here are some considerations for each option:
Continuing in Product Management:
Pros:
Broader career opportunities across various industries.
Potential for higher leadership roles as you gain experience.
Ability to influence product direction and strategy.
Cons:
May require additional learning about software development processes if transitioning from hardware.
Risk of burnout if passion does not develop over time.
Returning to Design:
Pros:
Direct application of your existing skills and knowledge.
Opportunities to work on creative projects that may align closely with your interests.
Cons:
Potentially narrower career trajectory compared to product management.
May limit exposure to strategic decision-making processes.
Given these factors, consider where you see yourself thriving long-term. If the strategic aspects of product management resonate with you, it may be worth continuing down this path while seeking out projects or roles that allow for creative input.
4. Choosing an Industry Focus
If you decide to stay in product management, selecting an industry will be crucial:
Consumer Electronics: Given your background, this could be a natural fit as it combines both hardware and software elements. The demand for innovative consumer products continues to grow globally.
Fintech: This sector is booming and often values UX design heavily due to the need for intuitive interfaces. It offers numerous opportunities for growth and innovation.
Healthtech: An increasingly important field post-pandemic, health technology focuses on improving patient outcomes through innovative solutions. It often requires strong UX principles due to its impact on user experience.
When choosing an industry, consider where your interests lie and what aligns best with your skill set. Research trends within these sectors and identify companies whose missions resonate with you.
5. Building Skills and Networking
Regardless of the path you choose:
Invest time in building relevant skills through online courses or certifications (e.g., Agile methodologies for PMs).
Network within the industry by attending conferences or joining professional organizations related to product management or design.
Seek mentorship from experienced professionals who can provide insights into navigating your career effectively.
6. Conclusion: Making Your Decision
Ultimately, the decision between continuing in product management or returning to design should hinge on where you believe you’ll find fulfillment and success over the next few years. Reflect on what aspects of each role excite you most—whether it’s strategic planning or creative problem-solving—and let those insights guide your choice.
Bold Answer Summary: Continue exploring product management while focusing on industries like consumer electronics or fintech that align with both your skills and interests; consider enhancing your expertise through networking and skill-building activities.
Top 3 Authoritative Sources Used in Answering this Question:
1. Harvard Business Review A leading resource providing insights into business strategy, leadership practices, and trends affecting various industries including product management.
2. Mind the Product A community-driven platform offering articles, resources, and events focused specifically on product management best practices and career development strategies.
3. Nielsen Norman Group Renowned for their research on user experience (UX) design principles; they provide valuable information about integrating UX into product development processes effectively.
God Bless You, Richly!
James Constantine,
The Little Old Aussie Battler.
Career Direction for a Product Manager with a Design Background
1. Assessing Your Current Situation
As you embark on your first full-time role in product management, it’s essential to evaluate your current position and experiences. You have a background in industrial design and UX design, which provides you with a unique perspective that can be beneficial in product management. Your internship experience with electronic consumer products, like white noise machines, suggests you have hands-on experience that can translate well into understanding user needs and product functionality.
2. Understanding the Product Management Landscape
Product management is a multifaceted role that often requires balancing technical knowledge, market understanding, and user-centered design principles. While passion is indeed an important aspect of succeeding in this field, it is equally crucial to align your career path with industries that not only excite you but also leverage your existing skills.
In terms of industry focus, software roles are more prevalent than hardware roles in many developed countries. This trend may limit opportunities if you wish to remain within hardware-focused product management. However, the skills you’ve gained from your design background can still be valuable in software-centric industries.
3. Evaluating Your Options: Product Management vs. Design
You face a critical decision: whether to continue pursuing product management or return to a more traditional design role. Here are some considerations for each option:
Continuing in Product Management:
Pros:
Broader career opportunities across various industries.
Potential for higher leadership roles as you gain experience.
Ability to influence product direction and strategy.
Cons:
May require additional learning about software development processes if transitioning from hardware.
Risk of burnout if passion does not develop over time.
Returning to Design:
Pros:
Direct application of your existing skills and knowledge.
Opportunities to work on creative projects that may align closely with your interests.
Cons:
Potentially narrower career trajectory compared to product management.
May limit exposure to strategic decision-making processes.
Given these factors, consider where you see yourself thriving long-term. If the strategic aspects of product management resonate with you, it may be worth continuing down this path while seeking out projects or roles that allow for creative input.
4. Choosing an Industry Focus
If you decide to stay in product management, selecting an industry will be crucial:
Consumer Electronics: Given your background, this could be a natural fit as it combines both hardware and software elements. The demand for innovative consumer products continues to grow globally.
Fintech: This sector is booming and often values UX design heavily due to the need for intuitive interfaces. It offers numerous opportunities for growth and innovation.
Healthtech: An increasingly important field post-pandemic, health technology focuses on improving patient outcomes through innovative solutions. It often requires strong UX principles due to its impact on user experience.
When choosing an industry, consider where your interests lie and what aligns best with your skill set. Research trends within these sectors and identify companies whose missions resonate with you.
5. Building Skills and Networking
Regardless of the path you choose:
Invest time in building relevant skills through online courses or certifications (e.g., Agile methodologies for PMs).
Network within the industry by attending conferences or joining professional organizations related to product management or design.
Seek mentorship from experienced professionals who can provide insights into navigating your career effectively.
6. Conclusion: Making Your Decision
Ultimately, the decision between continuing in product management or returning to design should hinge on where you believe you’ll find fulfillment and success over the next few years. Reflect on what aspects of each role excite you most—whether it’s strategic planning or creative problem-solving—and let those insights guide your choice.
Bold Answer Summary: Continue exploring product management while focusing on industries like consumer electronics or fintech that align with both your skills and interests; consider enhancing your expertise through networking and skill-building activities.
Top 3 Authoritative Sources Used in Answering this Question:
1. Harvard Business Review A leading resource providing insights into business strategy, leadership practices, and trends affecting various industries including product management.
2. Mind the Product A community-driven platform offering articles, resources, and events focused specifically on product management best practices and career development strategies.
3. Nielsen Norman Group Renowned for their research on user experience (UX) design principles; they provide valuable information about integrating UX into product development processes effectively.
God Bless You, Richly!
James Constantine,
The Little Old Aussie Battler.
Updated
Dr’s Answer
Hey Bon! 😊
Congrats on landing your first full-time role in product management! That’s such an exciting step. You’ve got a solid background in industrial and UX design, so you’re already in a great spot to navigate the product world.
It’s normal to feel uncertain about the direction of your career, especially with such a wide range of options ahead of you. Let’s break down your situation and consider some ways to approach your decisions!
Should You Continue in Product Management or Return to Design?
Here’s the thing: both product management and design have their perks, and there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. It depends on what excites you, but it’s worth exploring both to see where your true interest lies. Let’s look at both options:
Product Management:
Why it’s great: As a product manager, you’re in the driver’s seat, shaping the vision and strategy for products. You get to work with cross-functional teams, solving complex problems, and making things happen from start to finish.
Challenges: It can be a bit of a juggling act, especially when balancing competing priorities and ensuring all departments align. If you’re not passionate about the product or industry, that might feel draining after a while.
Should you stick with it? If you enjoy strategy, leadership, and making decisions that impact a product’s direction, staying in product management could be the right call. The key here is to find the industry that excites you (more on that below!).
Design (Industrial/UX):
Why it’s great: You get to focus on the creative side of things, crafting experiences and products that users love. Your background in design gives you a unique perspective on how things should look, feel, and function.
Challenges: In some organizations, design roles might be more siloed or have less influence on the big-picture strategy. But in others, the role can be really impactful and rewarding.
Should you go back to design? If you love creating products and experiences that make a real difference, and you want more hands-on work, design might bring you more satisfaction. However, you can also blend your design background with product management, so you’re not completely choosing one or the other.
Hardware vs. Software Product Roles: Focus on What’s Right for You
You mentioned that hardware roles are rare in places like Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, with more opportunities in software. That’s true to some extent, especially in consumer electronics. However, it’s not impossible to pursue hardware in these regions—it just might be a bit more niche. You’ll need to look at industries that still heavily rely on hardware (e.g., consumer electronics, IoT, automotive, and even healthtech).
If you’re more drawn to hardware and have the chance to continue working in that field, there are still opportunities in these regions. If you’re thinking about pivoting to software, it’s all about the type of product you want to work on. Since you’re interested in balancing work-life (WLB), health tech could be an excellent option to look into. You can work on products that make a meaningful difference in people’s lives, often with more flexible environments.
Which Industry to Focus On?
The key here is to find an industry that excites you. Here’s a breakdown of the industries you’re considering:
Consumer Electronics (Hardware-focused):
If you’re into creating physical products that people use daily (like white noise machines), this is a great area to stay in. However, you’ll need to look for companies that focus on hardware, especially in tech-heavy markets. Some regions may still have opportunities for hardware-focused roles, though it’s true that software is dominant.
Fintech:
If you’re drawn to software and the idea of improving financial services, fintech is booming globally. The work-life balance can vary, but there are a lot of companies that focus on employee well-being. You may not get to work on hardware, but you’ll have a lot of impact in shaping financial products for users.
Healthtech:
This is where you can blend your hardware background with product management. Healthtech companies often work on physical products (e.g., medical devices, wearables) as well as software platforms. Healthtech tends to have more mission-driven companies, and the field is growing rapidly in regions like Europe and Australia. The work is meaningful, and you may find better WLB here than in other tech fields.
Advice for Your Situation:
Experiment & Explore: If you're unsure about where your passion lies, try to experiment within your role. You can always shadow colleagues, work on side projects, or even try projects that mix your design skills with product management tasks. This exploration can help you pinpoint where you feel the most excitement.
Balance Passion & Practicality: It’s super important to find something that excites you, but also balance that with practical concerns like job stability, WLB, and career growth. You don’t need to go all-in on one or the other—balance is key.
Focus on Transferable Skills: No matter which path you choose, the skills you develop as a product manager (e.g., leadership, cross-functional collaboration, problem-solving) will be useful whether you stay in design or move into a more traditional PM role. Keep learning and growing!
Network & Reach Out: Connect with people in industries you’re curious about. Reach out to product managers and designers in fields like fintech or health tech to hear about their experiences. A few coffee chats or virtual meetings can provide a lot of insight!
You’re in an awesome position to shape your future, Bon. Remember, no decision is permanent, and your interests might evolve. As long as you stay true to what excites you (and what offers that WLB you crave), you’ll be on the right track!
Good luck on your journey! Let me know if you have more questions! 🌟
Congrats on landing your first full-time role in product management! That’s such an exciting step. You’ve got a solid background in industrial and UX design, so you’re already in a great spot to navigate the product world.
It’s normal to feel uncertain about the direction of your career, especially with such a wide range of options ahead of you. Let’s break down your situation and consider some ways to approach your decisions!
Should You Continue in Product Management or Return to Design?
Here’s the thing: both product management and design have their perks, and there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. It depends on what excites you, but it’s worth exploring both to see where your true interest lies. Let’s look at both options:
Product Management:
Why it’s great: As a product manager, you’re in the driver’s seat, shaping the vision and strategy for products. You get to work with cross-functional teams, solving complex problems, and making things happen from start to finish.
Challenges: It can be a bit of a juggling act, especially when balancing competing priorities and ensuring all departments align. If you’re not passionate about the product or industry, that might feel draining after a while.
Should you stick with it? If you enjoy strategy, leadership, and making decisions that impact a product’s direction, staying in product management could be the right call. The key here is to find the industry that excites you (more on that below!).
Design (Industrial/UX):
Why it’s great: You get to focus on the creative side of things, crafting experiences and products that users love. Your background in design gives you a unique perspective on how things should look, feel, and function.
Challenges: In some organizations, design roles might be more siloed or have less influence on the big-picture strategy. But in others, the role can be really impactful and rewarding.
Should you go back to design? If you love creating products and experiences that make a real difference, and you want more hands-on work, design might bring you more satisfaction. However, you can also blend your design background with product management, so you’re not completely choosing one or the other.
Hardware vs. Software Product Roles: Focus on What’s Right for You
You mentioned that hardware roles are rare in places like Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, with more opportunities in software. That’s true to some extent, especially in consumer electronics. However, it’s not impossible to pursue hardware in these regions—it just might be a bit more niche. You’ll need to look at industries that still heavily rely on hardware (e.g., consumer electronics, IoT, automotive, and even healthtech).
If you’re more drawn to hardware and have the chance to continue working in that field, there are still opportunities in these regions. If you’re thinking about pivoting to software, it’s all about the type of product you want to work on. Since you’re interested in balancing work-life (WLB), health tech could be an excellent option to look into. You can work on products that make a meaningful difference in people’s lives, often with more flexible environments.
Which Industry to Focus On?
The key here is to find an industry that excites you. Here’s a breakdown of the industries you’re considering:
Consumer Electronics (Hardware-focused):
If you’re into creating physical products that people use daily (like white noise machines), this is a great area to stay in. However, you’ll need to look for companies that focus on hardware, especially in tech-heavy markets. Some regions may still have opportunities for hardware-focused roles, though it’s true that software is dominant.
Fintech:
If you’re drawn to software and the idea of improving financial services, fintech is booming globally. The work-life balance can vary, but there are a lot of companies that focus on employee well-being. You may not get to work on hardware, but you’ll have a lot of impact in shaping financial products for users.
Healthtech:
This is where you can blend your hardware background with product management. Healthtech companies often work on physical products (e.g., medical devices, wearables) as well as software platforms. Healthtech tends to have more mission-driven companies, and the field is growing rapidly in regions like Europe and Australia. The work is meaningful, and you may find better WLB here than in other tech fields.
Advice for Your Situation:
Experiment & Explore: If you're unsure about where your passion lies, try to experiment within your role. You can always shadow colleagues, work on side projects, or even try projects that mix your design skills with product management tasks. This exploration can help you pinpoint where you feel the most excitement.
Balance Passion & Practicality: It’s super important to find something that excites you, but also balance that with practical concerns like job stability, WLB, and career growth. You don’t need to go all-in on one or the other—balance is key.
Focus on Transferable Skills: No matter which path you choose, the skills you develop as a product manager (e.g., leadership, cross-functional collaboration, problem-solving) will be useful whether you stay in design or move into a more traditional PM role. Keep learning and growing!
Network & Reach Out: Connect with people in industries you’re curious about. Reach out to product managers and designers in fields like fintech or health tech to hear about their experiences. A few coffee chats or virtual meetings can provide a lot of insight!
You’re in an awesome position to shape your future, Bon. Remember, no decision is permanent, and your interests might evolve. As long as you stay true to what excites you (and what offers that WLB you crave), you’ll be on the right track!
Good luck on your journey! Let me know if you have more questions! 🌟