GeekMBA360

I recently had an exit interview. I was leaving the company. As part of standard HR practice, the Human Resource Manager met with me for half an hour.
She started the conversation by saying: "Before we talked about the details such as COBRA, your last check, vacation balance, etc, we want to find out why you’re [...]

[Read more →]

Lately I have talked to several friends and acquaintances who are actively looking for jobs.
They share one thing in common: they have been laid off by their previous employers. But, instead of feeling bitter about the experience, they’re using it as a turning point to find something better and more fulfilling. To certain extent, [...]

[Read more →]

I’m pleased to announce that I just finished writing How to Become a Product Manager premium report.
Why did I write this report? Because over the years I have met many people who were struggling to make a career transition to product management.
It shouldn’t be that hard.
This report tells you the good, bad, [...]

[Read more →]

This is a true story.
Joe and I worked together at a high-flying, ventured backed start-up during the dotcom bubble. Joe just finished his undergraduate degree in Business Administration when he got the job offer from the start-up.
As the start-up was burning through cash and hiring one employee a day, a lot of the employees were [...]

[Read more →]

Question from a reader
I’ve been a software developer for seven years now. I’m getting tired of coding. I’d like to transition to product management. What should I do?
My answer
Making a career transition is never easy. The key is that you must leverage your strength while identifying opportunity to demonstrate you’re  capable of doing the new [...]

[Read more →]

Take a Outward Bound wilderness course.  From over protected teenagers to stressed-out young professionals who are having quarter life crisis to mid-career professionals who are searching for purpose and meaning, I have known people from all age groups telling me that their Outward Bound experiences were transformational and life-changing. If you’re a mid-career professional, I [...]

[Read more →]

Write detailed, thorough product requirements.
Be consistent — some product managers change their mind a lot. As a result, engineering has to change what they just implemented. Unless there is some strong reason to change the requirement, you should try to stick to what you propose initially, and be consistent. It will save engineering a [...]

[Read more →]

Question from a reader (some details were modified slightly to protect confidentiality and personal information):
I recently got laid off from an IT position in the Silicon Valley and even during the time I was working I have been thinking about a career change.
I’m 26 and don’t even have a computer science degree. I think [...]

[Read more →]

The book title has nothing to do with job, interview, resume, career, etc.
But, in my opinion, it is one of the most useful, powerful, and practical books about how to get yourself a job.
When you’re looking for a job, you’re selling. And you’re the product.
Therefore, you need to know how to sell. You need [...]

[Read more →]

How can I transition to be a product manager? This is a question I got asked quite frequently.
It’s hard to make the career transition to product management.
In most companies, there are no clear path to become a product manager. The job title "product manager" is defined differently at different companies. In some companies,product [...]

[Read more →]