⚓Navigating Your First 90 Days as a Product Manager

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Hey Impactful PM! It’s Areesha :)

Starting your first job as an APM or PM can feel both exhilarating and overwhelming. The initial days are crucial, as they lay the foundation for your success in the role.

Your ability to navigate the complexities of your new product, team, and stakeholders will shape your journey.

The first 90 days are often seen as the make-or-break period, where you'll either build trust and momentum or struggle to find your footing.

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The First 30 Days: Laying the Foundation 📅

The first month in a new PM role is all about learning, absorbing, and building key relationships. This is your opportunity to dive into the world of your product, understand its nuances, and familiarize yourself with the team and business landscape.

Learn the Product Inside and Out

Your first task is to become an expert on the product you're managing. Begin by using the product like a regular customer. Familiarize yourself with the product's history, mission, vision, and key features that have been driving its success.

Imagine you’ve joined a team managing a mobile payment app. Start by downloading it, exploring the user experience, and evaluating each feature. Pay attention to where users might encounter friction. Are there any bugs or design issues?

What features feel intuitive, and what could be improved? This hands-on approach will give you a user’s perspective and help you identify areas of improvement early on.

Understand the Business and Market Context

It's not just about knowing the product itself—you also need to understand the company’s larger ecosystem. Learn about the business model, revenue streams, and overall goals. Dive into your company’s market: who are the competitors, and what industry trends could impact the product?

For instance, if you’re managing a fintech product, you’ll want to be up to speed on the latest regulatory changes and how they might influence your roadmap. Industry shifts like rising interest in cryptocurrency or government regulation changes can greatly impact your product's direction.

Build Relationships with Key Stakeholders

Your product’s success hinges on collaboration across different teams. Start introducing yourself to key stakeholders, such as engineering, design, marketing, sales, and support. Each department has its own priorities and communication style, so it’s essential to learn how they operate.

For example, engineers might be more focused on feasibility and technical debt, while sales teams are laser-focused on features that help close deals. By understanding these differences, you’ll be better positioned to mediate between different departments and push initiatives forward.

Set Up a Structured Onboarding Plan

To keep yourself organized, create a structured onboarding checklist. This should include key documents to review, tools to set up, and specific goals to meet. A good plan might include reviewing historical roadmaps, attending customer calls, and setting up your work environment with tools like Jira or Slack.

Think of this plan as your roadmap to learning—having this checklist ensures you don’t miss any critical information and helps you stay on track during your learning phase.

The Next 30 Days: Gaining Momentum 🔥

Once you’ve built a solid foundation, it’s time to start picking up the pace and contributing more to your team. The next 30 days are about gaining momentum by deepening your understanding of the product, engaging more with customers, and laying the groundwork for future improvements.

Dive Deeper into User Needs

You’re now familiar with the product, but to succeed as a PM, you need to understand your users on a much deeper level. Start by reviewing customer feedback, analyzing support tickets, and conducting user interviews. This phase will allow you to map out user personas and their journeys within the product.

Let’s say you’re working on an e-commerce platform. By studying support tickets, you may notice that users frequently struggle with the checkout process. Use this insight to start developing a customer persona and understand how their pain points fit into the larger product experience.

Start Prioritizing the Product Backlog

Once you have a clearer understanding of the product and its users, it’s time to dive into the product backlog. Work closely with your engineering and design teams to evaluate technical debt, pending features, and bugs. This is where you begin to prioritize what should be tackled first.

For example, if a bug is affecting a key user flow, such as the payment process on an e-commerce site, it may need immediate attention. In contrast, a less-used feature might get pushed down the priority list. Begin to think about how you can optimize for both user satisfaction and business outcomes.

Read more here: Scrums, Task Management, and Sprint Ceremonies 📆

Establish Clear Communication Channels

Transparency is key in product management. Set clear expectations for how and when you’ll communicate with key stakeholders. Regular updates and check-ins help everyone stay aligned.

For instance, you could schedule weekly status meetings with your engineering team, bi-weekly check-ins with marketing, and monthly reports for leadership. Clear communication not only keeps everyone on the same page but also helps you build trust.

Set Short-Term, Achievable Goals

To show immediate progress, define a few short-term goals that you can achieve within this phase. These could be small wins that improve user experience or internal processes, such as simplifying the onboarding flow or documenting the product’s roadmap.
Setting short-term goals keeps you focused, helps you gain momentum, and demonstrates your ability to make tangible progress.

The Final 30 Days: Making an Impact 🚀

By the last month of your first 90 days, you should be transitioning from learning mode to making tangible contributions. This is where you start taking ownership and demonstrating your value to the team.

Start Driving Small Wins

Now that you’re more comfortable in your role, look for areas where you can make an immediate impact. Focus on small, manageable improvements that will show quick results.
For instance, maybe you can refine a critical feature that users struggle with, or you could streamline a team process that’s been causing inefficiencies. Small wins not only improve the product but also build your reputation as someone who gets things done.

Present Your Findings and Proposals

Use the knowledge and insights you’ve gathered in your first 60 days to present a well-thought-out proposal to stakeholders. This should include any user pain points you’ve identified, product gaps, and opportunities for improvement.
For example, if your research shows that users are dropping off during the checkout process, suggest potential solutions—whether it’s redesigning the checkout flow or adding new payment options.

Align with Leadership on Long-Term Goals

Ensure that your proposed initiatives align with the company’s long-term vision. Now that you have a deeper understanding of the product and the market, engage in conversations with leadership to ensure your roadmap supports broader business objectives.
This alignment will not only help ensure your ideas get buy-in but also demonstrate that you’re thinking strategically about the product's future.

Read about: Crafting Powerful Product Principles 🧬

Demonstrate Leadership and Initiative

By the end of your first 90 days, it’s time to step up as a leader. Take charge of key meetings or discussions and offer strategic insights based on everything you’ve learned.
For example, lead a cross-functional team meeting and present your findings on user behavior. Show that you’re capable of guiding the product forward and fostering collaboration between departments.

⭐ Key Takeaways for Product Managers ⭐

1. Immerse yourself in the product and business to build a solid foundation for success.

2. Foster relationships with cross-functional teams and stakeholders for seamless collaboration.

3. Prioritize user needs by diving deep into customer feedback and defining clear user personas.

4. Set achievable goals and demonstrate quick wins to build momentum in your early days.

5. Show leadership by aligning product goals with company strategy and taking initiative in key meetings.

🤣 Product Management Meme of the Day 🤣 

💡 PM Productivity Tip of the Day 💡

Here are a few lines to help you keep going 🎉 

That’s all for today !

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Cya!
Areesha ❤️ 

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• Areesha Shaikh

• Aneesha S

• Twice the Impact PM