How do you break into this in-demand, highly strategic field? There are three common, successful pathways that prospective PMs take and one that worked for me.
The Product Manager, often called the "CEO of the product," and for good reason, sits at the intersection of business, technology, and user experience (UX).
Their core job is to define what problem to solve, for whom, and why it matters — then rally a team of various stakeholders to deliver a solution that is valuable, feasible, measurable and in the end, usable. This role is important because the PM is the champion of the customer, ensuring that every development decision is strategically aligned with the company's goals and a clear market need. If you are passionate about strategy, problem-solving, and leading without formal authority, Product Management might be your next great career move.
One of the most natural ways to transition into product management is by moving from a closely related role that forms part of the "Product Trio" (or triad): Developer/Engineer, Product Designer (UX/UI), or Business Analyst/Data Analyst.
Developers/Engineers bring a crucial understanding of feasibility. They know the technology, the codebase, and the effort required to build a solution. Their transition approach may include focusing on how they work cross-functionally and priortize what to build.
Product Designers bring a deep focus on usability, journey and user empathy. They are skilled at discovery, user research, and prototyping. For them, the shift may involve focusing more on the business model, market strategy, and outcome-driven roadmaps.
Business or Data Analysts bring expertise in value and metrics. They are accustomed to defining and tracking success. Their path may involve stepping into the discovery process, translating business goals into customer-facing features, and guiding the team's "why."
The Key: Your proximity to product work gives you a built-in advantage. Leverage your current expertise and volunteer for PM-like tasks on your existing projects to demonstrate competence in the other two areas of the trio.
The internal move is a powerful and often less-risky way to step into a PM role, and it's the pathway I took. Companies often prefer hiring a known internal candidate because that person already understands the organizational structure, culture, and, most importantly, the domain expertise — the products, customers, competitors, and industry landscape.
If you are not in the Product Trio, but are in a role like Project Management, Marketing, Sales, or Customer Success, this could be your route.
Network: Build genuine relationships with current Product Managers. Invite them for a coffee and understand their biggest challenges and think about how your existing skills could solve them.
My Approach: What worked for me was inviting product managers in my organization for a virtual coffee and asking them about their experience working in the company. I was able to attain advice and learn of any opportunities opening up.
Take Ownership: Identify a minor but impactful digital product problem within your current scope. Use your own time to define the problem, propose a solution (with data!), and work with the relevant PM to sell your concept and hopefully get it on a roadmap.
My Approach: While we were building and delivering digital products, we weren’t following a formal product management processes (i.e. Agile, client interviews, A/B testing), and so I developed a document outlining the roles and responsibilities of a PM and how leveraging ceratin processes can help streamline our work. This type of initiative caught the eyes of a director on the digital team, which led to a coffee chat, which led to me getting hired as a PM.
Skill Transfer: Articulate how your previous experience is an asset.
My Approach: As a former marketer, many of the skills I built were transferable - working with stakeholders, understanding customer needs and launch strategy. This helped me better understand the framework of a PM and allowed me to focus my growth on other areas of product meenagement I wanted to learn.
If an internal move isn't an option, you can build your own experience from the ground up to get that first PM to take a chance on you. This approach is highly effective because it demonstrates initiative and a product mindset, not just theoretical knowledge.
Create Your Product: This doesn't have to be a launched app. It could be a detailed case study, a high-fidelity prototype, or a comprehensive feature proposal for an existing product you use. You could also critique and redesign a feature on your favorite app. The process of defining the problem, researching users, creating a wireframe, and defining success metrics is product management work.
Formalize Your Knowledge: Enroll in a reputable Product Management course or gain a certification. This shows commitment and provides a common language and framework for your work.
Network (Seriously): Connect with PMs on platforms like LinkedIn and the Toronto Product Management Association (TPMA) Slack channel. Ask for informational interviews, not jobs. Ask for feedback on your case studies. Focus on genuine curiosity and learning. When a company decides to hire an Associate Product Manager (APM) or a Junior PM, they often prioritize candidates who have already demonstrated the ability to do the work or at the very least, it’ll give you something to get your foot in the door.
Breaking into Product Management is challenging, but it is achievable. Whether you leverage your technical background, navigate an internal transfer like I did, or choose to build a powerful portfolio from scratch, your success will ultimately come down to your ability to communicate three things: customer empathy, business sense, and a knack for getting things done.
I hope that by sharing my own path alongside the common successful strategies, I've provided you with a helpful framework to kickstart your own journey into this exciting career. Good luck — the digital world needs more great products and people (not AI) to management them, and that starts with you!