New to product: Explore the role · Core
Talk to three product managers
Short conversations with working PMs show you what the job is really like. They often lead to advice, introductions and feedback on your practice work. Make a small, easy ask.
About 3-5 hoursEvergreenLast reviewed 9 November 2026
Who this applies to
- Skills it builds
- Communication and influenceDiscovery and research
- PM types
- All
- Product types
- All
- Starting points
- Exploring product management
- Ways of working
- All
- Experience
- Beginner (under 1 year)
- Size of organisation
- All
Steps
- Write down what you want to learn, for example what the first year is like, what they would do differently and which skills matter most.
- List ten people to approach: PMs you know, colleagues of colleagues, speakers at product meetups and authors of posts you have read. Start with people one or two steps ahead of you.
- Write a short message: who you are, why you chose them, a specific request for 20 minutes and an easy way to say no. Do not ask for a job.
- Prepare five questions about their real experience, such as 'Tell me about a decision you made last month and how you made it.' Questions about specific past events give better answers than questions about opinions.
- Take notes during the call. Ask what you should read, whom else you should talk to and what you should try.
- Thank them within a day, say what you did with their advice and keep a simple list of who you spoke to.
- After three conversations, write down the three most surprising things you heard.
Tool examples
- Notion
- Keep a log of who you spoke to, the date, what you learned and what you promised to do.
- Claude
- Paste your draft message and ask for a shorter, warmer version. Keep every fact true.
Definition of done
- Three conversations held
- A 'what surprised me' list written
- A thank-you sent after each conversation
Common pitfalls
- Asking for a job in the first message
- Asking for an hour of someone's time
- Never following up