To Be A Product Manager | Week 51

This journal helps me improve 1% every day…

Welcome to Week 51 of

To Be A Product Manager

I haven』t updated my product journey for 2 weeks. During the past 2 weeks, a lot of things happened and a lot of people are leaving the company. I need some time to process the past year me as a product manager, and think about should I stay in this startup, or look for other opportunities.

The first week

The first week that I skipped this journal, we are making the big product shift. In the entrie 2017, we failed to launch even one product with our clients. Our team has tried and pushed really hard to make our algorithms ready and easy to use, but there』re always unexpected things postponing our schedule.

So our founder and CPO eventually to decide to pivot and make VR solutions for overseas adults industry, which means I also need to start taking look at adults industry in Japan, America and Europe. Although I hate what I』m doing and the content I need to watch everyday, I did the research with my mentor anyway. He』s also quite upset and unwilling to do that deep inside his heart, but he』s also strict with himself and work he has to do.

After that, I started questioning myself,

What is my intention of being a product manager?

Does the company』s value still align with mine?

The answer seems obvious, and my initial thinking is to leave this startup, right away. But another question also comes to my mind at this point,

Would it help?

If my intention is to learn and grow in product management, it doesn』t matter what you do, you could make a good product.

If I leave this startup right away, it』s easy to get a job, but hard to get the ideal position I want. So it may be nothing different from the startup I』m working with now, nothing fundamentally has changed. I decided to stay here, but look for opportunities in the same time.

The second week

The second week I skipped my journal, our UX designer in Millbrae office left, and I also got to know my mentor is leaving after the Chinese New Year. I don』t know what to say, or even how to write that journal.

My mentor is like my go-to guy in this startup, when I have questions for work or life, he』s the guy I can turn to and rely on. But after his leaving, I don』t know if it is a good thing or bad thing. I definitely have more opportunities to make the product decisions, but I don』t know if that』s good or bad for my growth. It』s hard to embrace the uncertainties.

Now

I learned to accept the reality of people』s leaving, and also refocus on myself, as my mentor said,

Company』s success doesn』t mean you are good and skilful, and your personal success cannot be defined by company』s failure.

You are who you are, with or without a successful experience.

Next week, I』m going to Hokkaido for holidays, would use this period of time to figure out what I should give up and hold on, then come back and fight.

See you in March.

My name is Zake Zhang, a VR product manager based in Shenzhen, China. I write weekly product journal and reflection.

Thanks for reading and let』s keep on hacking!

Warm Regards,

Zake