Transitioning from Software Engineer to Product Manager

How To Transition from Software Engineer to Product Manager

Software engineering is one of the most common starting points when transitioning into a product management role. Because product management lies at the intersection of business strategy, product design, and technology, software engineers with an understanding of how modern software is designed and built can have a tangible advantage as product managers.

In fact, I transitioned into product halfway through an undergraduate software engineering internship. However, transferring internally isn’t the only way to transition into product management from software engineering. This article will disambiguate multiple avenues to transition into a career in product management when starting with an engineering background.

Note for folks in other roles: Because my background is in software, this article will focus heavily on software engineering, although these general guidelines should also apply to other roles. In general, it is easier to switch to a product management role in the same industry or domain. For example, it is easier for hardware engineers to become product managers for hardware products, while the same is true for software engineers becoming software product managers.

Method 1: Transfer Internally (with the help of an internal advocate)

Transferring internally entails transitioning from your current role as a software engineer to a new role within the same company as a product manager. This is often the path of least resistance, both from the company’s perspective and from your own, since the company presumably values you as a high performer and is invested in your growth, and you already know enough about the products, people, and company to make an impact as a PM.

This approach is likely more useful at larger companies because you’re more likely to have a wide variety of other PMs to reach out to, some of whom will be willing to mentor you and give you “PM-y” tasks to take on. In addition, there is usually a well-defined hiring process for internal transfers at larger companies, which means your transition is neither unprecedented nor unsupported. Try out these steps if this sounds like your company:

1.  Initiate a casual meeting with your team's PM or any PM you're comfortable speaking with to express your interest in transitioning to product management. Use this opportunity to inquire about their daily tasks and gain insights into the role of a PM at your company
2. Discuss your aspiration to explore product management during your next one-on-one with your manager. Share the steps you've taken to understand the role and inquire about additional resources or opportunities within the organization to support your transition.
3. If your coffee chat with a PM goes well, inquire about the possibility of assisting them with lower-priority tasks to gain practical experience as a PM while lightening their workload.
4. Seek feedback from the PM on the tasks you've taken on and repeat this process with other PMs to further develop your skills and understanding of the role.
5. Review your company's job listings for any open product manager positions that align with your interests. Take note of the teams and their specific requirements.
6. Apply for internal PM positions by reaching out to the hiring contact informally or seek support from internal advocates, such as colleagues or your manager, to endorse your application.
7. Although you may still need to interview, internal opportunities typically involve less pressure. Leverage your existing reputation within the company and consider reapplying if necessary.
8. Prepare thoroughly for your interview by utilizing resources like Exponent's online product management interview prep course to enhance your readiness.

Method 2: Transfer internally (by becoming a de-facto PM)

If you work at a smaller company, where there may not be as many internal advocates to help mentor you, nor a well-defined hiring process, I recommend becoming a de-facto PM. As smaller companies grow, there may be more opportunity for you to take on product management tasks on your own, doing what needs to be done to get your team’s product out on time. Here’s what that looks like:

1. You work at a rapidly growing company. The list of open jobs is growing faster than you can hire, and your team (or another team) is in need of someone to define product strategy, look after the roadmap, and interface with customers.
2. Try to understand what the highest priority blockers are for the team. The best way to do this is to evaluate the product development process from an objective perspective. How are features prioritized? How is the roadmap maintained? What would the team find most useful for you to do, in addition to your current role?
3. Let your manager know you want to take on these additional tasks so that she can clear any potential blockers for you. Be explicit (if possible), that you would like to eventually transition to a product management role, and you want to try out a PM’s responsibilities to help your team. This is a win-win: you will seem like a high-performer, and your team will benefit from your efforts.
4. Do the tasks you set out to do. Get help from your manager or from your team in figuring out the relative prioritization of those tasks. Remember, you are taking on extra work in addition to your current responsibilities, which means people will likely be willing to help you for going the extra mile. It’s important to ensure that you’re prioritizing your current engineering role, first, of course. 
5. Once you’ve encountered product strategy, road-mapping, feature scoping, and other tasks that would commonly fall to a product manager, it’s likely time to have a conversation with your manager about how and when it’s best to switch.

Method 3: Get an MBA

Depending on your goals and circumstances at work, an MBA might be a good option for transitioning into product management. It is not necessary to get an MBA to be a product manager, but there are numerous other benefits that come out of the degree that can be incredibly valuable, including exposure to other career options, network growth, and friendships.

Depending on what you’re looking for, an MBA can be a good way to transition out of your current career and into a tech PM role, but it is not a surefire way, nor is it a required prerequisite.

A few key caveats to remember:

1. The ranking of your school matters when it comes to on-campus recruiting. Product management is an extremely attractive career path right now, which means that the majority of on-campus recruiting budgets typically go to higher ranked schools. In other words, don’t get an MBA just to get an MBA. Be mindful of the schools you’re accepted to, the investment in applying, and the career placement rates for those schools in your desired role.
2. There is a tradeoff in cost vs. forgone earnings. You will have to decide if the opportunity cost makes sense for you.
3. There is no substitute for experience. In other words, it’s unlikely that a product management class could teach you how to become a product manager more effectively than being a product manager. Instead, I would leverage the student community on campus to building a side project or gaining deeper immersion in product strategy

Method 4: Transfer to a different company

Unfortunately, business school or internal transfers aren’t always preferable or possible. Transferring to a different company can be a bit harder, since there isn’t an internal advocate for you any longer. In some ways, though, the steps to accomplishing internal and external transfers are quite similar.

In both cases, speak with PMs at your current company to learn more about the role and their day-to-day. Ask if they can introduce you to friends who are PMs at other companies, to compare and contrast the roles and responsibilities of a product manager across various companies.

Depending on how much extra bandwidth you have, I would recommend the following:

1. Take on extra tasks that are related to a PM’s responsibilities.
2. Build a personal brand outside of work (blog about product management, write product case studies, publish your thoughts on the industry) Note: The goal is not to amass a following, although that’s certainly not a negative. The main objective is to hone your written communication skills and formulate coherent arguments about technology and business.
3. Start a collaborative side project. This doesn’t have to be a startup or technology business. It could be a podcast, a meetup group, or a book to name a few examples. The key objective is to lead a team of people to accomplish a goal.

As an engineer, it is expected that you have a solid quantitative background. Therefore, the skills most hiring managers will be evaluating are softer: communication, writing, public speaking, and empathy. The above activities were all ways that I acquired those skills, and I would strongly recommend that you hone your softer skills when recruiting for a PM role.

Once you’ve started to immerse yourself into the world of product management, make a list of companies you’re interested in working for. Reconnect with the PMs you’ve met or friends that work at those companies and get referrals. The most successful way to get an interview is through a referral.

Conclusion

There are multiple different, equally valid ways to transition into product management from software engineering. As a software engineer, you’ve acquired a keen understanding of how modern software is built and shipped. To become a product manager, it’s key to supplement that understanding of technology with rich communication skills, an eye for good design, and a perspective on product strategy / industry trends. Good luck with your transition!

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