Moving from an engineering to a PM role an be exciting, fulfilling as well as challenging at times. I had moved from an engineering management role into product management 5 years back, and will share my key learning as well as hear your perspective.

1. Roshan Agrawal
Product Line Manager
VMware

2. How I transitioned from Eng. to PM
Your opportunity as a PM
Planning for the Transition
What changes in a PM role?
Share your experience

3. Bachelors in
Engineering
Software
Developer
Engineering
Manager
Eng Mgr + PM
PM
Masters in
Entrepreneurship

4. Opportunity for
huge impact on
the business
Develop a
broader view
(Organization, Business
)
• Paint the Vision
• Focus on needle
movers
• Define what gets
built
• Cross functional
engagement
• Customer discovery
• Industry Trends

5. Same company, ideally same product/team
Gradual transition
Get a business degree if you can

6. What aspects of my
role just changed?

7.  Less Authority,
more by influence
 Data is your friend
 Personal credibility
 Soft skills

8.  Perfection is the enemy of
“Time to market”
 Start the discovery process
early
 Shoot for “good enough”,
and iterate from there

9.  Letting go of technical decisions
 Focus on the “Why” and the “What”
 Leave the “How” to the Engineering team

10.  Deeper understanding of what it takes to build it
 Easier building rapport with the engineering team
 Technical background highly valued in PM’s

11. Why did you move to product management?
What did you like most about the role?
What was most challenging?

12. Roshan Agrawal
roshanagr@gmail.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roshanagrawal