The confession of a five -year product

Editor: Everyone will slowly mature from small and white, and in the workplace life of the year and year, there will also be different workplace understanding. In this article, the author tells himself as a product person. From 17 years to the present experience and understanding, let's take a look.

From graduating from 17 years to the present, I have unknowingly worked in product positions for five years. It has been said that five years are a hurdle. It not only means the change of work focus and ability, but also means increasing anxiety and stress.

The last stage re -examination was three years ago. It was time to stop and review the past five years, and prepare for the next five years.

This article tells my experience and experience in the first person, and the outline of the full text:

My experience, my regret, my regret My anxiety I think about my plan, my experience, my experience

My product experience can be roughly divided into three stages:

1. University: Active learning

Looking back at the college stage, what I want to thank the most is myself at that time ① decisively choose a career ② dedicated learning ③ actively find opportunities.

Decisively choose a career: If I have started to calculate the job of product manager, I have been staying in this line for 8 years. Thanks to the guide at the time invited the excellent seniors and sisters to share the career plan for us. I first met the product manager and began to be interested in this post. It is not so much that I chose the product manager's road. It is better to say that this position has given me a first -line vitality of me.

Focus on learning: Once the direction is determined, the next step is to make up for your skills. Fortunately, the basic skills of the product manager are not as difficult to understand as the program design. By reading tutorials, shopping communities, reading books, etc., basic knowledge can be learned similarly. At that time, I knew that optics was not enough, and I had to do it, so I wrote several analysis reports according to the knowledge I learned, and made a public account practice operation knowledge (that is, this number).

In the process of self -study in the early stage, I think the most important thing is to maintain focus and endure loneliness. My classmates told me to play, I was reading; my roommate was playing games, I was watching the video; the dormitory was off, and I was writing a report ... I insisted on it for five months. All knowledge.

Take the initiative to find opportunities: I started to pay attention to the school's laboratory in the last semester of my junior year. I entered the two laboratories to do projects at one time. During the period, the entire process of product development was practiced. However, the school's project is relatively simple. I still want to try the projects in society, so I actively find an internship in my junior year. Even if there is no salary, I found a startup company to participate in the process of the product from 0.5-1.

Before the summer vacation, he also actively paid attention to the summer internships of major companies. After experiencing the guidance, the guidance did not give the leave and said that I was utilitarian and went out of the province for the first time to take a green leather train to Beijing for interviews. The interview performance was not good. I was at a loss ... Fortunately, I finally found an internship in Guangzhou and experienced the first flight.

The latter school recruitment can achieve good results is the result of the water in front.

2. The first job: the foundation

The position of the school recruitment is product designer. From this name, we can guess that our work content includes only the process of getting demand → demand analysis → prototype design, so it is not a real product manager. However, during this period, the company's product design methodology (including original needs → target user analysis → dry department analysis → scenario analysis → function list → prototype design) and related processes and specifications The product design ability has a solid foundation. Later, because of the repeated product design, it felt slowly improved, so he filed two years later.

3. Second job: let go of yourself

Because I have been doing education informatization in the past two years and more optimistic about this direction, the second job is also looking for the education industry. I joined the entrepreneurial company in Chengdu to provide public primary and secondary school solutions for public primary and secondary schools. But before I did it for half a year, I encountered the epidemic, and the company transformed into a remote recruitment system for colleges and universities. This is almost three years, and it has also achieved good results (if there are readers who have re -examined online re -examination in recent years, maybe I designed the system).

Why is this stage "flying self"? There are three reasons. One is that in startups, there are many norms and systems as big as big companies (in the first company, the design plan must be tried to the team leader, and then the team leader’s The leadership trial, and finally gave the product VP trial). Here my leader is CTO. I have a great right to speak in terms of product design and provide me with a great trial and error cost. The second is that as the project deepen, I need to be responsible for all aspects of the product and start to truly become a product manager. But during this period, no one took me, all the study and practice must be explored by themselves, commonly known as "wild road"; the last point is that with the development of the product, especially in the education industry, watching the students using the products I designed to use my designed products Entering the next life stage, it provides me with a great sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.

4. Summary

Looking back at the eight years in the past, it can be said that my experience is the standard product manager's growth route: self -study product knowledge → campus project practice → internship → large enterprise screw screws → small enterprises to build rockets. I have not experienced too much twists and turns, but there are no places. The only thing deserves to be fortunate is that in eight years, they can still be happy to engage in this profession.

2. My change

1. In terms of learning: fragmentation → systematic → fragmentation. I think the acquisition of new knowledge must follow the process of "fragmentation-systematic-fragmentation".

When I know nothing about product knowledge, I learn through Baidu, Zhihu, community, books and other methods. This is the fragmentation of channels. Due to the restrictions of the knowledge carrier, the content of knowledge is also fragmented. I often look at it. An article on demand analysis, then read an article in data analysis, even if it is said in the book. However, the focus of this stage is to quickly understand.

With the increasing knowledge of knowledge, our brain will naturally classify it. Under the catalysis of new knowledge, the previously unconventional knowledge is also rare. The focus of this stage is to establish a knowledge of knowledge and deconstruct the fragmented knowledge-re-form a network.

There are shortcuts to find in the first two steps. This shortcut is "training". You can skip the first step to directly learn to become a systematic knowledge. When I was studying project management, I reported PMP. There are very few things that can spend money, and one training is calculated (the training here is a wide range of training, not only refers to the training course for spending money, but also internal training and the teaching of superiors. The reason for the big enterprise).

In the future, this network is to refine it, from the 5th finger network eyes to the 1 -finger network. This step is the watershed of the profession, because no matter how advanced knowledge is, it is almost difficult to obtain from the outside, and there is no shortcut to find it. It is more obtained through in -depth thinking and practice. The focus of this stage is to check the missing and supplement.

I think that I am in the third stage in terms of product design, and I am still in the second stage in product planning management and project management. Therefore, I also want to regularly precipitate the systemic knowledge through the form of a public account. In the first stage, systematic learning is planned.

2. In terms of ability: vertical → horizontal → vertical

In the past three years of startups, my ability is the fastest and the most widely improved. I have increasingly discovered that the product manager is a universal talent. It will only be a real product manager. The product manager should be responsible for the overall product, and can formulate the planning and designing products. Wenneng manage the Wuneng management team. I have not made up for the development, operation, testing, design, customer service, pre -sale, and even the driver I have done it. However, the product manager is also the most realistic "manager". It is also a technical job walking between leaders, production, functional managers, customers, and business departments all year round.

Everyone knows "π -type talent", and I summarize the product manager's ability to master the "π type ability".

Product planning and design: Plan and design the product to achieve user value and business value

Technical project management: Effectively use project management knowledge to realize the ability of the project to achieve the expected results of the project

Leadership: Not only basic abilities such as negotiation, pressure resistance, communication, problem solving, critical thinking, and interpersonal relationship skills, but also the ability to guide, cultivate, incentive and lead the team, including the ability to build and the ability to inherit knowledge inheritance

The product manager needs to understand strategy and business again. Therefore, on the basis of "π -type ability", I also proposed "meta -type ability". Among them, strategic and commercial management refers to the ability to view the organization from the perspective of high -level perspectives, and effectively negotiate and implement the ability to decide and move strategic adjustment and innovation.

Before the second job, I have been focusing on improving the ability of product design. After arriving at the startup, I have been forced to expand many horizontal capabilities, such as product planning, technical understanding, project management, leadership, etc. The goal of the year is to conduct in -depth learning and practice of these horizontal expansion capabilities. As for strategy and business capabilities, I think it is not the focus of my current stage.

3. Mental aspect: Seek stability

The most important changes in these years are still in terms of mentality -it has become more stable, mainly to see some things:

(1) The reason for changing jobs

In the past five years, I have only stayed in two companies. In the era of a year, I am very stable. Although I am a child, I will have a child, but this is not the reason for my stability. I always think that if you want to change your job, you can first see if you still have room for improvement (unless the salary increases by more than 30%). If there is no room for improvement or a small disadvantage, you will consider changing work. In the current company, I still have to learn and practice, so I will stabilize.

(2) Limited product manager ability

The longer I stay in this position, the more I feel that the product manager's ability is limited.

For the C -side product, it has long been a era when a functional design can bring a significant growth of data. This is why I have never been optimistic about the direction of growth product managers. It was originally the stock market. B -end products, I think there are very few cases that attract customers to buy by product functions alone. As long as the functions of each product are given enough, the functions of each product must be converged. And can bring the index effect. Douyin is a good example of this effect. First, attract customers to the store with low prices, and then provide high -quality services. Usually, it can also brush the company's daily life from time to time to stimulate brand cognition. My own products are the same. We are a startup company. I deeply know that it can be used by major universities (such as Qingbei, People's Congress, party schools at all levels, and army, etc.). There are many products on the market than us), but because we have an extremely powerful endorsement to gain the trust of these customers. The unit price, brand and service depend on the company's control of cost, the ability of brand promotion, and the establishment of a standardization system for service, which has little to do with product managers. So what is the role and significance of the product manager at this stage. I think it is part of the construction of enterprise infrastructure and a normal position. Similar to HR is the infrastructure of corporate talents, the product manager is responsible for the infrastructure of enterprise products Essence Everyone's cognition of product managers should return to rationality. The product manager's ability is limited. There is no high status, let alone God. At the same time, the product manager's understanding of yourself must also return to reason. Whether the product can be successfully affected by the function is extremely limited, and it is impossible to change the world through a product. Everything now is given to you by the platform.

As long as the product is not too span, for enterprises, improving operations, sales and service capabilities can bring more cost -effective value to enterprises. Therefore, I think the product manager's future development prospects are not operational and customer manager,

(3) Good at self -comfort

As a product manager, we must have a strong pressure resistance, because the trouble of product use will be scolded by users, and an online problem will be scolded by the leader "(even if it is not your responsibility), plus needs will be scolded by colleagues" " There is no powerful heart for a long time. In the past, in the face of these negative evaluations, I would doubt myself. I couldn't extricate myself for a long time. Even when the team members left, I would ask if I did not do well enough. As time I increased, my skin was rough and thick. These things have also been weaker. The product manager dances with handcuffs, and you cannot satisfy everyone.

There is an iron triangle relationship in the project management. It is actually difficult to ensure the scope, cost, progress, and quality of the project as planned. As long as it is appropriate under the conditions at the time, it is enough. Time to deal with. In short, except for life and death, now there is no big deal in my opinion.

(4) Find a way to complete the task of leadership explained

The previous paragraph said that it is not possible to satisfy everyone, but you must satisfy your leadership. This is not a question of Ah Bing, this is a priority issue.

I am very disgusted on the Internet that after 00, I want to rectify the workplace and persist in the right leadership of the right leadership. Who wants to teach you not stupid or bad. The leader recruits you to help you solve the problem, not for you to create more problems; second EQ method.

We have all heard a new employee of Huawei who wrote a result of the results of the Wanyan book. I think Ren Zhengfei thought when he saw this letter. It should be the same as we encountered some outrageous user feedback: "You understand a P". The main contradiction in this is whether your cognition can be equivalent to the leaders' cognition and whether it can establish a full trust with the leader. If the Wan Yanshu was written by Yu Chengdong, Ren Zhengfei would definitely think about verbating and sentences. Essence

In order to resolve these two contradictions, there is only one way to complete every task that leaders will explain. Over time, leaders will trust you. The more you trust you, the more you will make you do more advanced things. This is a positive cycle. When you really get the trust of the leadership, or have some authority, the suggestions you make will be heard at this time. Therefore, if you want to change the status quo, you are not to be an angry youth, but to work hard to become a person who can change the status quo.

In addition, when you do it, you have to think about what the significance of this matter. If there is no meaning of why the leader does, why the leader does not adopt a better way I think, and so on. It is necessary to know that the task of completing the leadership is its own responsibilities, but independent thinking is responsible for themselves.

Third, my regret

1. I haven't lived in first -tier cities for a long time

I haven't seen the sea in Nanshan District, I haven't seen the night in Changning District, nor is it blocked in the streets of the Houchang Village, but I still want to experience the fast -paced living environment and the working environment full of opportunities. However, now he has settled into a house, and there is no idea of ​​the rushing.

2. Did not insist on being a public account

I started the public account in 2015. At that time, I was in the rapid growth period of the public account. Later, I stopped because I rarely produced original content, and on the other hand, because the public account was to make me have no project experience. The resume is more rich, and after finding the campus project, there is no motivation to operate.

After work, I thought about restarting the number and recorded my thinking, and I changed my name twice, but it was not true until March this year. I often fantasize. If I persist earlier, maybe it is now the big V of the product industry.

Fourth, my anxiety

My anxiety should be the same as all Internet migrant workers -with the competitiveness of age, it will continue to decline, which is an inevitable law in the capital market. If you want to fight against it, according to the experience of the predecessors, there are three directions to choose from: ① Entrepreneurship ② Do high -level managers ③ Consultation and training. If you only want to maintain the status quo, you can only wait to be eliminated.

Frankly speaking ① ③ Both directions are not suitable for me, but ② don't have so many opportunities, so I haven't found a way to relieve anxiety. Fortunately, I still have a few years to prepare for the crisis of age. At this stage, focusing on complementing ability and precipitating myself. I can take a step in other steps. The goal is that even if I am graduated, I can find that I do n’t complain or lose my weaknesses. Broast.

5. My thinking

1. About business development

In the past three years of startups, I have experienced the rapid expansion of business -from a business to the current four businesses, and there are three businesses in the planning. Therefore, I have some experience in how the company chooses business expansion.

First of all, the core of the business expansion is to extend around user needs. Taking the Meituan as an example, the earliest relying on the group purchase business to solve the problem of users spend less money to eat good meals. Then Various scenarios have also led to travel, ticketing, wine travel, supply chain and other businesses. We are also the same. First, we will first solve the problem of "candidates' enrollment" from the online enrollment examination of colleges and universities. The school recruitment and standardized examination business was issued.

When the business model runs through, successful experience can be copied to other users, such as enterprises, art students, etc.

For enterprises, if you want to live for a long time, you must expand business. This is still the case for large enterprises. How can small companies be as good as? Moreover, it is faster for small enterprises, save the process of being able to save the process first, choose a simple solution for uncertain details, quickly make a first version to get the market to verify, collect real feedback, and occupy the user's mind.

2. About management

Management is to use the soul of "Culture" to armed employees and use the "process" to drive employees' behavior.

The product manager of small enterprises is often responsible for project management. In my project team, extended is a common thing. I have analyzed some reasons. Most of the time I worked, I was trying to solve it. I also went to the PMP, but in the end, I failed to solve this problem. Until recently watched Teacher Zhang Yiwu's "Management of Process" and opened my cognition at once.

In the past, my approach was to have some solutions for a postponing reason, such as the "automation reminder, but the development of the development of the test, but the development will be avoided). Let's remind you to develop it, and you will remind everyone to change the bug every morning. This approach will only be on the surface. Not only will it be effective, but I am also very tired. The most terrible thing is that I will reduce my prestige in the team over time. Now, I know the root cause is that there is no standard process, which is also a common problem for all small companies.

I took "because the bug did not change the project extension" as an example, and tried to build a process:

The above is a process that I mentioned in the course "Seven steps for effective implementation processes -target fineness, planning details, communication, simple tools, control, feedback, reward and punishment" design. Whether it can be implemented, but I know that this method does not need to keep the progress at all times, not only can drive members to complete the task, but also free the management time.

Although the product manager does not have the right, it can use the process to impact. There are also many methods in the course, such as the six steps of the process design, the seven variables that affect the process of the process, etc., in the next year, I will combine these theories with the excellent processes of other companies to land together to my to me. In the project, I will share my experience.

3. About personal core competitiveness

Can you run away in the project? If you change a person, can you achieve the current effect or better than now? These are the ultimate questions about the core competitiveness of the individual. I am still looking for answers. I am in a state of one or two points, but it is not very certain. For improving the core competitiveness of my personal, I have three suggestions:

Establish self -cognition: think about what your advantages are, what are the disadvantages, what is character, what do you like, and don't like anyone ... In the shortcomings of no obvious shortcomings, give full play to your strengths to keep the empty cup mentality: Yes, there is People who have made some achievements are arrogant and arrogant. To recognize that your value is the embodiment of personal ability, or the platform gives knowledge and ability to improve knowledge and ability: people have no self, people have me, and one dedicated to the core competitiveness Strong, the stronger the bargaining ability, and the stronger the risk of resistance. The life of a person is to establish a competitiveness to maintain his own competitiveness.

6. My plan

After three years, I entered the year, and finally made a simple three -year plan:

Set the methodology of a set of products from planning to landing, and share promotion of rapid practice project management and team management. I hope that after three years, they can fully undertake the role of the project in charge of the project in charge: soft test, PBA, teaching, and MEM continuous learning, continuous continuityThinking, continuous summary, and continuous output of the prestigious spring of the spring, wait for the autumn and fruit, and encourage the monarch!This article is published by @本 本 本 本 本 is the product manager. Reprinting

The title map is from Unsplash, based on the CC0 protocol

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