Crossing the Canyon: How to Transition from Product Manager to Product Leader while Improving Learning and Maximizing Retention

Crossing the Canyon: How to Transition from Product Manager to Product Leader while Improving Learning and Maximizing Retention

Transitioning from a Senior Product Manager to a Product Leader can be a challenging step in a PM's career. Many bright PMs find themselves stuck at this transition point because the skills required to be successful as a product leader are different from those that got them to this level. To make this transition successfully, there are four key transitions that need to be made:

• 1. Depth in one type of product work to breadth across multiple types of product work: As a PM, you may have excelled in a specific area of product work, but as a Product Leader, you need to broaden your knowledge and expertise across different types of product problems. Understanding the different types of product work, such as feature work, growth work, scaling work, and product-market fit expansion, is crucial in leading your team to work on the right problems at the right time.

• 2. Being good at your job to training others to be good at theirs: A Product Leader's role goes beyond individual success. It involves training and developing others to excel in their roles. This shift requires stepping away from the execution and focusing on enabling your team's growth and success.

• 3. Solving with the resources you have to solving by allocating resources and influencing others: As a PM, you may have been used to solving problems with the resources available to you. However, as a Product Leader, you need to learn how to influence others in the organization to solve problems outside your direct span of control. You become responsible for defining and advocating for the resources you need to achieve the product's vision.

• 4. Gaining more personal scope to creating more scope for the organization: Instead of seeking personal growth and scope, a Product Leader's responsibility lies in identifying gaps in the organization and advocating for filling those gaps. This means shedding some areas of responsibility to enable others to excel and create opportunities for the entire organization.

To successfully make these transitions, it is important to prioritize ownership, scope of product/solution, and influence over titles. Titles may not accurately reflect the responsibilities and impact a Product Leader has. By focusing on these key areas, PMs can break through the barriers and become successful Product Leaders.

In addition to navigating the transition from PM to Product Leader, it is crucial to continuously improve learning and maximize retention. The spacing effect, a learning technique called spaced repetition, can help achieve near-perfect recall of information. Spaced repetition organizes information or memorization in a way that efficiently retains the material.

The spacing effect was first identified by German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus. He found that the rate at which we forget new information can be slowed down by revisiting and recalling the information at intervals. This changes the forgetting curve, enabling us to remember a greater percentage of the material.

Furthermore, Ebbinghaus discovered the concept of savings, where even forgotten information is stored in our subconscious minds. These memories can speed up the process of relearning the same information later on. Our brains are designed to think and hold onto what's important, rather than memorize. Encoding information through various sensory experiences strengthens the neural network associated with that task.

Spaced repetition is not only efficient but also leverages our initial interest in the material. Massed learning, on the other hand, tends to lead to diminishing interest and retention over time. The challenge with spaced repetition lies in the need for forward planning and setting up a system for review, storage, and tracking progress.

To summarize, transitioning from a Senior Product Manager to a Product Leader requires making key transitions in skills and mindset. It involves expanding knowledge across different types of product work, training and enabling others, influencing across functions, and identifying opportunities for the organization. Additionally, incorporating spaced repetition and the spacing effect can greatly improve learning and retention. By combining these strategies, PMs can successfully cross the canyon and thrive as Product Leaders.

Actionable Advice:

• 1. Prioritize breadth of knowledge: Seek opportunities to gain exposure to different types of product work to broaden your expertise and become a well-rounded Product Leader.

• 2. Invest in training and development: Shift your focus from individual success to enabling the growth and success of your team members. Invest time and resources in training and mentorship programs.

• 3. Implement spaced repetition: Set up a system for spaced repetition to improve learning and retention. Create a schedule for review, organize information effectively, track progress, and dedicate regular review sessions.

In conclusion, transitioning from a Product Manager to a Product Leader requires making key transitions in skills and mindset. It involves expanding knowledge, training and enabling others, influencing across functions, and identifying opportunities for the organization. By incorporating spaced repetition and the spacing effect, PMs can improve learning and retention. By following these actionable advice, PMs can successfully navigate the challenges and excel in their roles as Product Leaders.