Q: I’m transitioning from being the first (and only) Product Manager at a small company to being a PM at a big company. How different will the job be?
I joined Airbnb as one of the first few product managers, and by the time I left there were nearly 200 PMs. Life during those two periods was very different, and it’s even more different if you go from being the only PM at a small company to being one of a thousand PMs at a large company. Here’s what to expect:
To help you in this transition, I’d suggest doubling-down on these three PM skills:
Communication: Everything you do as a product manager is done through writing, speaking, and meetings. As Boz puts it, “communication is the job.” It’s very difficult to over-communicate, and you can never be too good at it. Particularly at a big company where you’ll be working with many more (and different types of) people. Recommendations for developing your communication skill, particularly writing:
Emails: Force yourself to look at every email at …