What can a career journey from mechanical engineering to product leadership look like? In this webinar, Raptive Senior Director of Product Alex Guernon talks about breaking into Product Management from Mechanical Engineering, moving from an individual contributor PM to a manager, and then climbing the ladder to a senior leadership role in PM, and the lessons she’s learned along the way. Alex will share insights on the skills and experiences that facilitated her transition and how she navigated the challenges she faced. Join us to gain valuable advice on transitioning from mechanical engineering to product leadership.
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Show Notes:
- Nisarg Desai is the head of the Boston chapter at Products at Count and a Director of Product Management at Huntress Labs.
- Alex Gernan is a Senior Director of Product Management at Raptiv, and she and Nisarg went to grad school together.
- The key skills for a successful PM include problem-solving, identifying problems, building solutions, working cross-functionally, and the ability to work both tactically and strategically.
- Alex’s journey involved transitioning from mechanical engineering to product management, which was a steep learning curve.
- Networking and leveraging transferable skills were crucial for Alex in breaking into her first PM role.
- Being data-driven and using a value-divided-by-effort approach to prioritization were important skills Alex developed.
- Alex faced challenges in her PM role at TripAdvisor, including navigating ambiguity and managing the “speed wins” mentality.
- Alex developed a framework to get comfortable with ambiguity, including documenting assumptions and trade-offs.
- Transitioning to a leadership role as a PM involved balancing individual contributor work and team management.
- Building a good culture, providing direct feedback, and creating a compelling vision were key aspects of Alex’s leadership role.
- In the current tough job market, Alex advises job seekers to leverage their networks and keep an open mind.
- Product managers can leverage AI for faster insights and efficiency, but they must apply it with caution.
- As a working parent, Alex emphasizes the importance of flexibility and trust from employers.
- Doing less but doing it well can be more impactful than taking on too many responsibilities as a PM.
- Mentoring PMs and making strategic impact at a higher level are exciting aspects of Alex’s current role.
- The skills needed to succeed in a PM role today may not be the same as those needed to advance in the future.
- Unlearning and learning new skills is crucial for career growth as a PM.
- Alex’s determination and willingness to dive in and become a subject matter expert were key to her success.
- Quantifying the value and effort of potential projects helped Alex prioritize effectively.
- Alex’s experience in both engineering and business education contributed to her successful transition into product management.
About the speaker
I have over 10 years of experience in product and project management, four years of managing and mentoring direct reports, a B.S. in engineering and a MBA-equivalent graduate degree. I'm extremely customer-centric and data driven. I enjoy working in fast-paced environments, leading PMs, and engaging with sales, marketing and engineering teams to generate strategic roadmaps and build high quality features and products.
About the host
Nisarg is currently the Director of Product at cloud security unicorn Lacework, and has a decade of experience in Product Management with the entirety of his focus on securing enterprises from cyberattacks. He has built both 0-1 and 1-100 products in cybersecurity. He is passionate about pushing forward the field of product management by helping a diverse field of entrants grow into successful PMs. He lives in Boston, MA.