Ask HN: What are the best resources for SWE to PM transition?
I am a software engineer with nearly 15 YOE and as I progressed I have been drawn more and more towards product. I am interested in transitioning to the PM role at a startup but would like to be setup for success upon doing so. What classes, books, courses, etc would you recommend to someone with my background?
As someone who did make that transition, I wouldn't recommend consuming any content to start. You have been a dev. If you want to be a PM, you should already have opinions on how to build an ideal workflow, what kind of information the devs need, and what your ideal setup would be. Go write up your own PM manifesto of what your ideal team/org/process structure looks like.
Then, once you have sorted out your own opinions, go read up on what everyone else does. Learn from it and modify your worldview based on what you learn. Learn how the non-tech aspects of the job play into the role of PM, and read books and take courses on those things. And again, synthesize it into your own ideal.
The thing is that PMs who read books, blogs, listen to podcasts and do what they all say are a dime a dozen. But PMs who truly understand the creation of software and are willing to break out of the mold to create their own world... not only do we need more of such people, but startups in particular need someone with the personality to buck the system and do what is actually needed.
Going through that exercise is also good practice for the role. PMs need to hear a plethora of opinions, sort out which ones make sense, which ones do not, and devise solutions that meet diverse needs in the best way. Being overloaded with info and sifting the good from the bad is the key skill to do all that. So practice exactly that as you learn.
Then, once you have sorted out your own opinions, go read up on what everyone else does. Learn from it and modify your worldview based on what you learn. Learn how the non-tech aspects of the job play into the role of PM, and read books and take courses on those things. And again, synthesize it into your own ideal.
The thing is that PMs who read books, blogs, listen to podcasts and do what they all say are a dime a dozen. But PMs who truly understand the creation of software and are willing to break out of the mold to create their own world... not only do we need more of such people, but startups in particular need someone with the personality to buck the system and do what is actually needed.
Going through that exercise is also good practice for the role. PMs need to hear a plethora of opinions, sort out which ones make sense, which ones do not, and devise solutions that meet diverse needs in the best way. Being overloaded with info and sifting the good from the bad is the key skill to do all that. So practice exactly that as you learn.