A product series with Reneida Leon

On today's episode, I spoke with a seasoned product manager with over 10 years of experience in product management. She is an avid business writer and speaker, with current knowledge of D2C customer experience, online retail, EdTech and SaaS B2B offerings, including government tech and life sciences solutions.

She has worked with Qualio , Economic Impact Catalyst , Kroger , Western Governors University and Kaplan .

She's currently the Product Accelerant and Founder of Vereda Product Lab

Let's meet her, shall we?

NB: In this newsletter, you will come across acronyms like PM, PMing, and other terminologies that would be used interchangeably in this article.

Get out of the comfort zone of your job and ask others what they are learning.- Reneida Leon

• Can we meet you??

???????My name is Reneida Leon and I am originally from San Juan, Puerto Rico but now live in South Florida.?

• How long have you been a? PM and where do you work at the moment as a PM??

I have been formally in product management for the past 12 years, but have been building products from different angles since 2007. I started my career in product marketing, first at a software startup (where we all did a lot of different work regardless of our titles) and later at an agency. Gradually, after an MBA and working on independent app projects, I acquired the skills to dive into product ownership and later, product management.?

• On a scale of 1-5, how much do you love your job?? And why do you love it so much?

I love solving problems and building products that people find useful in improving their lives. That part is a 5. However, product management varies greatly depending on the company and culture where you practice, so it is possible to be very miserable doing a job that you love if you are in the wrong place or one that doesn’t empower you to do your best work. That is why I founded Vereda Product Lab as a product operations enabler and partner. I am helping companies measure their product performance and operationalize their prioritization systems to empower teams with more positive work cultures: based on data, curiosity, experimentation, order, and transparency. Those are the values I bring to the table because I know by experience, that they make all the difference between loving your product job (5) versus feeling trapped (1).?

• Some people say there’s money in Tech. Is it true? Does that translate to Product management?

Product management is essentially business, so nothing is guaranteed. If the tech product you are working on is profitable, so will be your gain as a PM. Otherwise, if your products are not self-sustainable you may benefit from a handsome salary in the short term, but only while investment funds last. Although the PM profession has grown in popularity over the past decade and paid very well during the COVID-era tech boom, the more recent rounds of industry layoffs are a sobering reminder that this is a volatile career path with lower job security and we have to assess the risk/reward equation in this career more than in others.?

• What is one thing you don’t like about being a PM?

It can be a highly political role, as it sits in between stakeholders, development teams, and often very contested leadership decisions about what must be built next. I am not a very political person. Although I’ve had managers that often praised my “diplomatic abilities” and I can get the job done, at the end of the day, it’s out of necessity and not something that I enjoy.

• ?Will you pick being a PM to other professions?

Definitely. I probably would end up building products or businesses in one capacity or another regardless of my profession.??

• As a PM? how do you manage time? I block time in my calendar for individual work that needs to get done. Also, family time is the top priority in my life right now, so making sure that everything needed on that front gets fulfilled first, makes every other time-management decision more efficient, clear, and obvious.?

• ?What can someone who wants to pivot into PMing do with no experience?

I always recommend that people transition into PM within their industry of expertise. If you are an expert in a given field, chances are that a company that operates within that field will give you a chance to dive into PM work with just basic product ownership training. They are willing to take the risk because even if you are not familiar with all the decision frameworks, business artifacts, and development assets, you will bring tons of clarity and value into what is important for the customer by simply being an SME.??

What’s your advice for new PMs starting?

Get out of the comfort zone of your job and ask others what they are learning. Keep up with the latest tools and trends. Attend events in person and get yourself immersed in the tech ecosystem in your area. Tech is a hive of people with new ideas and better ways to execute them. You need to be part of it to grow and stay valuable.?

• What do you do outside of work? Hobbies or activities?

Aside from my product work, I am also a wife, mom, and painter. We often use our vacations for hiking and camping adventures. I am a regular tech conference speaker through a program called WITVoices and volunteer as an advisor for various entrepreneurship organizations.?

I am so grateful for your time Reneida Leon it means a lot to me and my audience. I hope someone reading this will be prepared for what is to come. Thank you!

So if you are pivoting to tech and want to make a difference then join our community. If you are new to product management and looking to accelerate your career in tech? Join our growing community on Telegram, "All Things Product" (https://lnkd.in/eQjtJjEJ), to connect with experienced professionals, gain valuable insights, and access top-notch resources!

Stay tuned till next time as we feature more existing personalities who are building amazing products and doing their best work changing lives one product at a time.