In this insightful episode of Definitely Maybe Agile, Shobhit, CEO and founder of Intentional Product Manager, shares his journey from engineer to McKinsey consultant to Google product manager, and now to coaching others in building fulfilling product careers. The conversation explores the challenges of breaking into product management, the critical differences between product managers and product owners, and how to demonstrate true value in an increasingly competitive field.
This week´s takeaways:
- Master the "What if I wasn't here?" question - The most powerful way for product managers to stand out is by clearly articulating what wouldn't have happened without their involvement, moving beyond just keeping engineers busy
- Prioritize product-market fit above all else - If you don't have at least 40% of customers who would "crawl to you" if you took the product away, that should be your only focus until achieved
- Balance execution with strategic thinking - Use the three horizons framework and deliberately make important long-term work urgent by creating commitments and deadlines, while leveraging AI to handle routine tasks faster
