The speaker discusses overcoming impostor syndrome as a product manager. He shares his own journey from software engineering internships to product management roles. Common challenges faced include feelings of not being good enough at coding or strategy. Impostor syndrome causes people to work too hard, focus too much on others' opinions, and not break big tasks into achievable wins. To overcome it, he recommends mentorship, self-reminders of one's abilities, prioritization, patience, and making one's voice heard. The key takeaways are that engineering skills are valuable for product work, learning discernment, and exercising patience gained from learning technical skills.

1. www.productschool.com
Overcoming the Impostor Syndrome
by fmr Mastercard PM

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5. Kwame Odame
T O N I G H T ’ S S P E A K E R

6. My Path to Product Management
SDE Internship #1
Corporate Business Technologies
SDE Internship #2
Operations
Stumbled upon YouTube Channel
Product
Biometrics Platform
Product
Authentication
Agenda
1. Fun Facts About Me
2. What is Product Management?
3. My Journey to Product
4. The Impostor Syndrome
5. Challenges Faced
6. 5 issues with the Impostor Syndrome
7. Overcoming the Impostor Syndrome
8. Key Takeaways

7. Fun Facts About Me
❏ Originally from Ghana. Grew up in
Swaziland
❏ Family of Entrepreneurs
❏ Started a sneaker business at age 13,
and then ventured into music at 16
❏ BA in Computer Science
❏ Background in Payments Industry
(Biometrics & Authentication)
❏ Recently moved to the Bay Area

8. My Path to Product Management
SDE Internship #1
Corporate Business Technologies
SDE Internship #2
Operations
Stumbled upon YouTube Channel
Product
Biometrics Platform
Product
Authentication

9. My Path to Product Management
SDE Internship #1
Corporate Business Technologies
SDE Internship #2
Operations
Stumbled upon YouTube Channel
Product
Biometrics Platform
Product
Authentication
What is Product Management? - Industry Definition

10. My Path to Product Management
SDE Internship #1
Corporate Business Technologies
SDE Internship #2
Operations
Stumbled upon YouTube Channel
Product
Biometrics Platform
Product
Authentication
What this definition of Product Management is missing
You
What? Why? How?

11. My Path to Product Management
SDE Internship #1
Corporate Business Technologies
SDE Internship #2
Operations
Stumbled upon YouTube Channel
Product
Biometrics Platform
Product
Authentication
My definition of Product ManagementSo, what is Product Management?
Product
Strategy
Define What Problems are Worth Solving
Product
Roadmap
WHY WHAT
Product
Manager

12. My Path to Product Management
SDE Internship #1
Corporate Business Technologies
SDE Internship #2
Operations
Stumbled upon YouTube Channel
Product
Biometrics Platform
Product
Authentication
2016 2019
PM, eCommerce
Media Commerce Horizontal
My Journey to Product Management
SDE Internship #1
Corporate Business Technologies
2015
Stumbled upon YouTube Channel
SDE full-time interviewing
Attended HBS Africa Business
Conference
2017 2018
Product
Biometrics Platform
SDE Internship #2
Operations
Product
Authentication Platform

13. My Path to Product Management
SDE Internship #1
Corporate Business Technologies
SDE Internship #2
Operations
Stumbled upon YouTube Channel
Product
Biometrics Platform
Product
Authentication
The Impostor Syndrome

14. My Path to Product Management
SDE Internship #1
Corporate Business Technologies
SDE Internship #2
Operations
Stumbled upon YouTube Channel
Product
Biometrics Platform
Product
Authentication
What does it mean to be an Impostor?
How many of you feel like an impostor in your job?

15. My Path to Product Management
SDE Internship #1
Corporate Business Technologies
SDE Internship #2
Operations
Stumbled upon YouTube Channel
Product
Biometrics Platform
Product
Authentication
58% of Tech Workers feel like Impostors*
- Survey taken by BLIND in late 2018
- Sample Size = 10, 402
- Of 17 companies represented, only 3 had less
than 50% of the surveyed employees
experiencing Impostor Syndrome
Source: Blind Survey

16. My Path to Product Management
SDE Internship #1
Corporate Business Technologies
SDE Internship #2
Operations
Stumbled upon YouTube Channel
Product
Biometrics Platform
Product
Authentication
Challenges Faced

17. My Path to Product Management
SDE Internship #1
Corporate Business Technologies
SDE Internship #2
Operations
Stumbled upon YouTube Channel
Product
Biometrics Platform
Product
Authentication
Engineering
● “I am not good enough in
coding”
● “There is so much to learn”
● “What I know now, is not
enough”
● “I failed an interview. It is
just not meant to be”

18. My Path to Product Management
SDE Internship #1
Corporate Business Technologies
SDE Internship #2
Operations
Stumbled upon YouTube Channel
Product
Biometrics Platform
Product
Authentication
Product
● “I am an introvert. How am I
meant to constantly
communicate with people?”
● “I am more comfortable
being an engineer”
● “How do I learn strategy?
These people seem to be so
good at it”
● “I failed an interview. It is
just not meant to be”

19. My Path to Product Management
SDE Internship #1
Corporate Business Technologies
SDE Internship #2
Operations
Stumbled upon YouTube Channel
Product
Biometrics Platform
Product
Authentication
5 issues with the Impostor Syndrome
1. We work really hard. Burnout. And then hate our jobs
2. We believe someone is watching. Therefore, we need to work 2x harder
3. We focus on what others have to say about us (Good or Bad) and use this
to define our value
4. We allow the fast pace of the industry to define our unique learning curve
5. We don’t take big tasks and break them down, in order to achieve small
wins

20. My Path to Product Management
SDE Internship #1
Corporate Business Technologies
SDE Internship #2
Operations
Stumbled upon YouTube Channel
Product
Biometrics Platform
Product
Authentication
Overcoming the Impostor Syndrome
1. Mentorship
2. Self-reminders
3. Made my voice heard
4. Prioritization
5. Patience

21. My Path to Product Management
SDE Internship #1
Corporate Business Technologies
SDE Internship #2
Operations
Stumbled upon YouTube Channel
Product
Biometrics Platform
Product
Authentication
Key Takeaways

22. My Path to Product Management
SDE Internship #1
Corporate Business Technologies
SDE Internship #2
Operations
Stumbled upon YouTube Channel
Product
Biometrics Platform
Product
Authentication
1. You Possess an extremely
powerful super power:
Speaking the Engineering
language

23. My Path to Product Management
SDE Internship #1
Corporate Business Technologies
SDE Internship #2
Operations
Stumbled upon YouTube Channel
Product
Biometrics Platform
Product
Authentication
2. Be able to discern what is
important, & what is not

24. My Path to Product Management
SDE Internship #1
Corporate Business Technologies
SDE Internship #2
Operations
Stumbled upon YouTube Channel
Product
Biometrics Platform
Product
Authentication
3. The patience you exercised
in learning how to code, will
serve you well

25. __________________
Kwame Odame
kwameogh@gmail.com
linkedin.com/in/kwameyodame
Final Thoughts
The Imposter Syndrome is
a self-inflicted wound. It’s
cure simply lies in a boost
in our self-confidence.

26. www.productschool.com
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and
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