What do you do if you want to learn from experienced Product Managers?

Firstly, seek out networking opportunities. Attend industry conferences, meetups, and workshops where you can interact with experienced Product Managers. Engage in conversations, ask insightful questions, and express your eagerness to learn from their experiences. Secondly, join professional associations or online communities dedicated to Product Management. These platforms often host webinars, panel discussions, and mentorship programs that connect you with experienced professionals in the field.

Collaborating, shadowing, and taking up some of the responsibilities from senior product managers in your organization can provide valuable insights and deepen your understanding of product management. Additionally, networking with other product managers externally through local events, LinkedIn groups, and other forums can offer opportunities to learn about their best practices, prioritization frameworks, approaches, and methods for collecting user feedback and identifying pain points. When reaching out externally, finding right type of product managers (such as B2B PMs, B2C PMs, etc.) and aligning with them will help you focus on what do you want to learn from senior product managers.

Best places to learn from experienced product managers is either at your job in the current company or some community/cohort. Get them to mentor you on your work, & collect the pertinent actionable feedback, which'll help you grow. Network on LinkedIn, see for the PMs who write posts on product thinking, gain insights from them, start conversing & exchanging thoughts, use some of their pieces of advice on your work, this may help you get a flavor to add from ample of experienced people.

Nowadays like they say, the world is a small village. You can always easily find great minds and follow them on their social media channels. Subscribe to events and webinars, engage in discussions and ask questions. Attend workshops, conferences, and meetups, these are really good in networking and engaging in discussions. LinkedIn is one great platform to learn and read about same industry people's experience and challenges which definitely you can get a lot of lessons learned from them.

Product management as a domain has a vast information asymmetry. Thus, having a mentor is crucial to sum up the important concepts and join the dots for you. Learning from a mentor will help you gain access to a better way of thinking on which you can act quickly to build your own insights. Having the right mentor will give you an entry into their network and that will benefit exponentially in the long run.

Getting mentorship from experienced product managers can really boost your career. Many organizations offer programs where they match you with a seasoned product manager. You'll have regular meetings with them to discuss your goals and challenges and they'll give you personalized advice. A good mentor can also introduce you to other helpful contacts. These mentorship programs are fantastic for learning and advancing in your job.

Exploring mentorship programs can significantly impact your career trajectory. Numerous organizations and professional groups provide formal mentorship opportunities pairing mentees with experienced product managers. These relationships typically involve regular one-on-one meetings, personalized guidance, and discussions about challenges and goals. A skilled mentor offers not only direction but also introduces you to their network, broadening your learning horizons. Leveraging mentorship facilitates personal and professional growth, equipping you with insights, skills, and connections crucial for advancement in your career as a product manager.

Before your first meeting, identify what you hope to gain from the mentorship. Do you want to learn specific skills, get career advice, or gain insights into a particular industry? Come prepared with thoughtful questions for your mentor. This demonstrates your initiative and helps guide the conversation. Pay close attention to your mentor's advice and insights. Take notes and ask clarifying questions if needed. Work with your mentor to set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals for your development. Maintain regular communication with your mentor. This could be through weekly meetings, emails, or calls. Update them on your progress and ask for feedback.

Mentorship program is a good way to build long relationships, gain experience and receive feedback. So of you participate in any of this program, it will a good opportunity to you, don't lose it.

Additionally, leverage social media and professional networking platforms like LinkedIn. Follow influential Product Managers, participate in discussions, and reach out for informational interviews or coffee chats to gain insights into their career journeys and best practices. Furthermore, consider pursuing formal mentorship. Seek out senior Product Managers within your organization or industry who are willing to mentor you. Establish clear goals and expectations for the mentorship relationship, and actively seek feedback and guidance on your career development.

Online communities are invaluable resources for learning, covering not just product management but any topic of interest. There are numerous platforms like Slack, Discord, and WhatsApp where you can connect with experienced product managers to ask questions and seek advice. You can also assist others by answering their questions and sharing your work for feedback. Engaging in competitions facilitates learning through collaboration and teamwork, enhancing your skills and knowledge.

Online communities serve as invaluable resources for global learning among product managers. Forums and social media groups provide platforms for engaging in discussions, seeking advice, and sharing experiences with peers and experts worldwide. Active participation—posing insightful questions, contributing to discussions, and tapping into collective wisdom—enriches your understanding and fosters connections within the community. Experienced product managers often willingly share insights online, fostering a culture of collaboration and mutual support. Leveraging these online communities enhances your knowledge base and facilitates continuous learning and professional development in the dynamic field of product management.

I prefer online communication, socially on social media, it's an easy way to communicate, learn, share thoughts and give others the chance to know you more. So if you on platform like linkedin, you must follow and engage with product management leaders, and get insights from them.

Engage with online communities to learn from experienced Product Managers. Platforms like LinkedIn groups, Slack channels, and forums such as Reddit's r/ProductManagement provide forums for discussion, sharing insights, and seeking advice. Participate actively, ask questions, and contribute to discussions to tap into the collective knowledge of the community. Additionally, consider joining specialized communities like Product School's Slack or Mind the Product's membership for targeted learning opportunities and networking with industry experts.

Lots of places offer courses taught by experts in the industry. These courses help you understand what's happening in the field and make things clearer for you. They use real examples, interactive sessions, and projects to teach you. By taking these courses, you can learn practical skills that you can use in the real world. It's a great way to stay up-to-date with what's happening and improve your abilities in product management.

Enroll in online courses and certification programs focused on Product Management. Platforms like Coursera, Udemy, and Product School offer courses taught by experienced professionals that cover various aspects of Product Management.

I have taken courses from Udemy, Udacity, LinkedIn Learning, and Coursera but never found as much depth and training as in Reforge courses for product management material. Reforge has a foundations course great for junior PMs, a Mastering PM course great for all Senior PMs and then there are a ton of courses for you to choose your direction from like Core PM, Marketing or Growth PM, and PM Leadership.

You don't need to pay more to get professional courses, you can enroll in free platform like Edx.org and study what you need with a lot of global universities, and if you need certificate for the course you can pay, and the good news the you can get scholarships in just 3 steps and in 2 days, for 90% discount form the course price.. but keep in mind that you have just 5 scholarships per year, so be specific on what you need.

Do you know anyone who works as a product manager? Connect with them on LinkedIn or reach out directly to see if they'd be open to you shadowing them. If you don't have any personal connections, consider reaching out to product managers at companies you admire. Many companies are open to informational interviews or job shadowing opportunities for aspiring professionals. Explain to the product manager what you hope to learn from the experience. Are you interested in their day-to-day tasks, their approach to user research, or how they prioritize projects? Product managers can have busy schedules. Be flexible with the timing of your shadowing experience and offer to work around their availability.

One of the best advices I ever got while I was searching for a PM opportunity within my org was to talk to senior product managers within my own team or the wider organization and ask them if I can help them on any of the projects they are working on. This helped to showcase my cutosity and drive to get into a new role. And eventually after talking to few PMs, I ended up getting an offer. This might work for you as well as after working with a mentor within ur org for few months, they might eventually end up offering you a role in their team or recommend you within their network. And even if they don't, the hands on experience you gain in this process gives you confidence in ur PM skills.

If possible, seek opportunities to shadow experienced Product Managers in their day-to-day work. Observing their workflows, decision-making processes, and interactions with stakeholders can provide invaluable insights and learning experiences.

I remember this quote: When I hear, maybe I forgot, when I see, I can remember, but when I do, I can understand.. So practice, practice and practice.

Trabalhar próximo ou entre product managers, de maneira assistida é um caminho. Você pode atuar em outros papéis que se relacionam com o PM, como um analista de produtos, um especialista, ou até uma área correlata como Customer Success, inclusive é uma ótima maneira de come?ar a trabalhar com produto, associando às áreas periféricas ao produto: CS, Suporte, Marketing, Vendas, etc. Procure por mentores ou encontros que promovam também momentos para conhecer mais product managers no mercado. E, por fim, leia bastante sobre cases e como product managers trabalham.

Personal projects are crucial for reinforcing your learning because they allow you to apply what you've learned in real-life situations. It's especially beneficial to tackle actual problems through these projects and seek feedback from experienced individuals. By incorporating their insights and suggestions, you can refine your work and continuously improve. This iterative process not only solidifies your understanding but also hones your skills effectively.

I've found that learning from experienced professionals requires proactive networking, continuous learning, and a genuine eagerness to absorb knowledge and insights. By leveraging networking opportunities, joining relevant communities, and seeking mentorship, you can accelerate your learning and growth as a Product Manager.

Venturing into a new role can be both exciting and scary experience at the same time. One of the easiest way to prep for transitioning into a new role is to find a mentor within your own org. You can volunteer to help them with their existing work, shadow them and get some hands on experience on the required skill sets. This also helps to showcase your eagerness and willingness to learn and grow. Based on your work, they might end up offering you a role in their team or refer you in their network. This trick worked for me while I was looking for a PM role within my org.

New knowledge can be acquired through guidance from mentors and experts. However, sharing knowledge is also a powerful learning tool. Mentoring juniors and others has helped me learn new tools, deepen my understanding of various industries, and gain fresh perspectives for building solutions.

Attending networking events and proactively reaching out to seasoned PMs on platforms like LinkedIn can be incredibly beneficial. Before reaching out, make sure to prepare thoroughly by either showcasing your projects or crafting thoughtful questions to ask. First impressions last, so putting in the work to demonstrate my dedication and passion is essential. Experienced PMs will undoubtedly notice the effort, and who knows, it could even lead to potential career opportunities down the line, whether through mentorship or joining their team.

If you want to learn from experienced Product Managers, you first need to master these four words: “Can you help me?” Even the most seasoned Product Manager needed help at one point in their professional career, so they should be more than willing to make a difference in another’s journey. Keep asking experienced Product Managers for help and I guarantee you’ll find a good mentor. Now what can you do if you want to learn from an experienced PM? Be ready to adapt yourself to learning new concepts and ways to tackle a problem. Show commitment to improving yourself as a product manager. Be empathetic and always consider other perspectives without bias. And ALWAYS be open to feedback, constructive criticism, and have a willingness to improve.