How to Become a Product Manager
You don’t need a PM title to start thinking like one. This is a hands-on path to build product instincts, by noticing flows, fixing real problems, redesigning what’s broken, and learning to ship with judgment. No fluff, just habit and reps.
This isn't about getting a job. It’s about thinking like the person who already has it.
No frameworks. No fake projects. Just habit, taste, and time.
Build Product Awareness
Pick 3 apps you use daily. The ones you can’t live without.
Use them like a product person. Ask what’s smooth, what’s clunky, what breaks your flow. Compare them with two direct competitors. What’s missing? What’s copied? What’s better?
Take screenshots. Make notes. Drop them in Notion. This is your personal product brain.
Then call a few of your smartest friends or colleagues. Chat about the apps you’ve been studying. What annoys them? What feels magical? You’ll see how different people spot different things. That contrast sharpens your lens fast.
Why: Reverse-engineering is the best teacher.
Links:
Design, Not Just Look
Pick 2 apps. Redesign them in Figma. Not to make them pretty. To make them clearer.
How’s the navigation? What if the user has no data? Can you make edge cases smoother?
Treat every screen like a conversation. What’s the app saying? What’s the user expecting?
Why: You can't build well if you can’t feel design.
Links:
- Pttrns
- Mobbin
- Lottie Animations
- Book: Don’t Make Me Think by Steve Krug
Write Like a Builder
Pick 5 apps you use. Be their QA. Find bugs, weird flows, anything slow. Email them if you want.
Then, write 2 PRDs. Real ones.
- What’s the problem?
- What’s your hypothesis?
- Who’s the user?
- What does success look like?
Use Figma for low-fi mocks. Notion for docs. No fluff.
Why: This is how builders think — not reviewers.
Links:
Think in Metrics
Funnels. Retention. CAC. LTV. Not buzzwords — system levers.
If you can, get access to Mixpanel, Firebase, or GA. Look at where people drop. What causes churn? What features don’t get touched?
Make a Notion dashboard. Templates. Specs. Your own cockpit.
Why: Features are easy. Impact is hard.
Links:
- Book: Lean Analytics
- Podcast: Lenny’s Podcast (PM episodes)
- Book: Measure What Matters by John Doerr
Be Seen Before You're Hired
Don’t pitch resumes. Publish proof.
Break down an app you love. Redesign it. Share your docs. Your thoughts. Your fixes. Publish on Medium, Substack, or LinkedIn.
Send it to founders. Don’t say “hire me.” Say “I already think like this.”
Why: Most good PMs weren’t hired. They were noticed.
Links:
Build Intuition That Lasts
Product isn’t just what you ship. It’s how you think. It’s how you notice friction, how you prioritize time, how you explain decisions. That kind of intuition doesn’t come from reading Medium posts. It comes from showing up.
I wrote more about that mindset here:
These are not guides. They’re lived experiences. But they’ll help if you want to go deeper.
Closing
You don’t need a certificate. You need taste. You need reps. You need to think like a product person before anyone calls you one.
Start small. Fix flows. Write specs. Give feedback. Make things better. The rest compounds.
