How to become a product manager?

At what point should I sunset my professional goal to become a product manager?

• Hi.  I'm trying to figure out at what point do I start looking at other career paths if I can't land a role as a PM at a top tier company (non startup). Here's my backstory.  I've been working hard to redefine and retrain myself to work and think like a PM.  I've even gone so far as to complete my MBA (top 5 school) after 10+ years of working on Product teams as a Product Designer and, for a short while, as a PM.  The majority of my work has been in Product Design (7 years) with my remaining time in Product Management.  Side note, my Product Design work has been used by millions and I've launched two products as a PM before moving into management, both roles were at very well known consumer mobile and internet companies. During my time as a senior manager in product, which btw was abroad, I began to notice that I was missing some essential skills that I needed to succeed as a PM.  Domain competencies necessary to lead teams, execute great product visions, and manage business.  Not comfortable with this, I concluded that I needed to do something about this and it had to be big.  Effectively, I was going to have to rebuild my "golf swing" and develop the critical thinking and analytical skills and business acumen prized in MBA graduates.  So, off I went to retool myself.  (Incidentally, I never actually thought I would get in to my school.) Without drawing this our too much longer, upon completing my MBA, I certainly felt more confident in my abilities.  But, my nervousness from being unproven as a PM post MBA came through in interviews.  I bombed in the on sites and was quickly back to job searching and prepping mode.  I feel I was lucky to secure my current role as a Product Marketing Manager, at well known e-commerce company, as I've learned a lot, but it's PM work, so I'm in the car but not the drivers seat, so to speak. Almost a year into the role now, I'm trying to transition back to Product Management at my company because I miss building products and want to solve consumer pain points.  However, I feel that my inability to talk about myself and my accomplishments succinctly hurts me.  Communication is an essential skills for PMs.  At times, English feels like a second language to me and I have some trouble structuring my thoughts and framing ideas for others in a way that's clear and direct.  I'm working on this.  Also, while my writing has improved, I still tend to spend extra time wordsmithing emails. So, today, I was speaking with the Director of a Product team I applied for at work.  The chat started off strong and then ended up in an all too familiar place: uncertainty and confusion.  I'm sure he was asking, how can this person look so great on paper, they started off rally strong, but now, ehh.  It was an all too familiar feeling for me and it's beginning to make me wonder, am I really cut out to be a PM?  I could go to a startup and / or apply somewhere else, but the sad fact is that I need job stability at this stage of life with a family in mind and I'm not in a position to make a big move anyway (relo pack, etc.). I may not be a good fit for that person's team, for a variety of reasons.  I'm aware of that.  But, at what point do I resign myself to finding a career that I love (and wants me)?  I don't want to just get lucky.  I want to earn my place. Any advice or help appreciated.  Thanks.

• Answer:

  You should give up on being a product manager when decide that you aren't willing to spend your own money to build a product to prove that you know what you are doing. The number one qualification for being a product manager is having built something.  Don't wait for someone to give you permission.