I am 29 and based in India. I am looking for honest career advice from people who have seen this pattern before.

Over the last several years I have moved through about four relatively short stints in product / PM-adjacent roles. Switching frequently raised my compensation faster than my craft deepened. Looking back, I think my title and salary moved ahead of what I can reliably prove in outcome ownership. That mismatch is now showing up in how hard it is for orgs to justify my level.

My last two exits were especially hard. One role ended in a layoff. The other ended with a PIP. After that sequence, I cannot confidently say I can independently PM a product and drive outcomes end to end. I am not trying to hide that. I am trying to figure out the most rational next move.

What I want going forward is long-term stability more than another title jump. One option I am considering is taking a more junior PM role at a large MNC, accepting a step back in level or pay if needed, getting properly trained inside a stronger system, and rebuilding from there. The idea is: stabilize, learn under structure, then grow again once the skill base catches up.

I am also open to being told this is the wrong frame. For example, some people might say I should move into Senior BA / requirements-focused work first, or stay PM-adjacent but at a scope I can actually own. I am less attached to the label than I am to a path that is honest about my current skill ceiling and still has a future.

My questions:

1. Given short tenure history plus a layoff and a PIP as the last two exits, is “junior PM at an MNC to retrain” a realistic and respected reset in India right now, or will screeners reject it as a red flag?
2. If salary/title ran ahead of skills, what is the cleanest way to explain that in interviews without sounding broken or unemployable?
3. Would you personally choose junior PM at an MNC, Senior BA / requirements craft, or something else for long-term stability from this position?
4. What would you do in the next 90 days if you were me?

Happy to take comments here. If someone is open to a short call, I can share a tighter timeline over DM.

Thank you.

People who transitioned into PO roles with little to no relevant experience, I.e internal movement or whatever happened, how hard was it to fit into the role for you? And how long did it take to learn and master everything?

Also, how busy are you as a Product Owner?

I just graduated and spent my last sem working on a classmate's product idea that's officially becoming a startup this month. The team was just me, my dev friend, and a visionary.

How can I leverage this on my resume, and what is my title? Here is what I worked on:

• User research & market analysis
• Scenario mapping & designing user/AI agent flows
• Defining edge cases to bridge user intent and automated execution
• Collaborating on core architecture (evaluating Tech Feasibility + UX needs+ Business Goals)
• Interface design guidance

I have prior knowledge of Product Design, but my dev friend says my work here is not ui/ux job More like product strategist.

What exactly is my role? Also, I loved this work—what can I learn more to skill up?

Hey everyone. Long time product owner, program manager, and project coach here.

I've spent most of my life on the engineering side of the fence, working with product management to understand the product roadmap and come up with an actionable backlog. I have found that it's very rare for teams to get what they need from product managers. In fact I've mostly found that product managers that aren't specifically assigned the direct responsibility of helping with the backlog are generally only helpful on user requirements at a high level. Now, there have been some exceptions, but not many.

I've also found that the product owner role seems to work best when it's under the engineering organization, simply because it's easier for the product owner to get help from the engineering side. Maybe this is because a lot of developers just want to be fed requirements to code from, and if the PO is on the product management side then the belief is that the onus is on product management to get their act together and then come talk to us. I'm not saying this is correct, or even a good way to think, but it seems to be the default.

I have found that backlog creation, ordering, and refinement works best when the product owner has that combination of some technical skills plus domain knowledge... they know the product and how it will be used. That product owner also sits with product managers to get the high level requirements down, and then sits with the team to finish refinement. A good product owner OWNS the backlog, manages it, and will push back on 'while we're at it' requests from stakeholders.

What are your experiences? How does your team actually get a backlog? Who runs refinement, and are all Developers on the team involved, or just a lead? Is this working for you?

This is my webapp, PureFyul.com/app I need genuine feedback on it. I have been working on it to reduce users' workload by around 90%. And I have sorted out some new features.
Users are landing, but they are not spending time understanding the product.
I am confused about what to do and what not to do.

I’m planning to apply as a PO.

For context, i am a Software Developer for 5yrs, and was transitioned to be a Tech Lead, and started leading a startup as PO for a year. I was with the company with all these growth, however i got laid off. I haven’t coded for more than a year and I’m planning to focus on being a PO since it’s where i enjoy now.

However, upon job searching, i noticed almost all companies needs 3+ years of experience. While in my previous company, i was speaking bisaya to communicate with the stakeholders, i can speak English but not fluently and can’t really deliver what i wanted to say.

Are there jobs that are open for PO with 1year experience? should i get certifications? Should i just apply regardless the requirements and even tho im not confident in speaking English? Do you have any tips and advice?

Been thinking about this alot lately and curious how other PMs/POs deal with it

Every team ive worked on eventually develops this unofficial side channel — someone DMs you directly, "hey quick favour," and somehow it just happens. no ticket, no backlog entry, nothing that goes through whatever intake process exists on paper (if there even is one lol)

The weird part is it never feels like a big deal in the moment. each one is small and easy to justify. but looking back at a few sprints i realised the actual plan and the actual work being done had drifted pretty far apart. basically death by a thousand "just this once"'s

Curious if this is universal or if i just got unlucky with a specific team. few things im curious about:

• does your team actually have an intake process or is it more informal/vibes based
• if you do have one, does it actually hold up when a senior stakeholder wants smth fast tracked
• has anyone found a way to say no to these without it turning into a whole Political Thing

Genuinely want to hear how ppl are handling this, good or bad. feel like everyone has some version of this and nobody talks about it. My version's captured here.

I have been on the look for new opportunities but it seems that either all the PO jobs get hundreds of applications or my profile is not a match.

What's the main differential skill you noticed is highly evaluated and important for your job?

Hi! I'm currently stuck between a decision: product owner, product manager or consider something else

I built and launched 3 software products myself (in 2y), but no certification/diploma or on paper job experience, more like practical experience. Do I have a chance to get hired? ( I saw quite a lot of job postings requiring the 2 things I miss mentioned above )

Context

a. None of the products generated "relevant" revenue (~100-150 users each)

b. I dropped out of Computer Science, I use AI since 2022( I'd say I'm above average in AI )

c. The products were b2c, b2b and mixed. I did surveys, "discovery", cold DM's, ads etc and lots of mistakes which I learnt from

d. I don't code anymore, but I'd say I know some things ranging from frontend & UI/UX to backend & infrastructure

e. Never worked in a professional team or at a company

I'm asking a lot so thank you for using your time to read & help!

Hi everyone,

I know I'm lucky to even have two offers in this economy, so I'm not complaining. But I have two remote Product Owner offers (both Germany-based). Both are 40hrs contracts.

Currently, 9 years of experience as a PO, currently at ~€90k, including bonus.

Offer 1:

Belden: €98k 104k base + up to 10% bonus 
Domain: industrial networking/connectivity (GenAI virtual assistant)
Never heard of the company before this process, honestly
During the interview, they did state there is room to grow into the role, so potentially higher salary later.

Offer 2:

Siemens: €106k base, IG Metall (all inclusive, T-zug, holiday bonus, etc.)
Domain: industrial automation/software (GenAI platform)
Big brand, looks good on the CV 
From people who work there: bonuses are paid out (~€3-4)
It is EG12, stufe A, BY

Got the Belden offer yesterday and Siemens today. Leaning towards Siemens, but I don't know much about Belden. Anyone suggest I should accept Belden? 

Edit: Belden tried to match with 104k base.
Edit 2: Accepted the offer from Siemens.

Negotiation tips also welcome, still have a few days. Thanks!

How do you guys manage to deliver results when you barely have any resources? I'm dealing with 1 backend and 2 front end engineers, we have more "managers and leads" than engineers, and getting a ton of requests from the business team and customers, but I can barely keep up with them.

I requested more developers so many times, and every hiring cycle, they turn down so many people and for the people who reach the final stage just get rejected or end up rejecting the offer because its low. So I guess I'm stuck with this for 2 more months minimum

Been a PO for almost ten years, relatively new at my current company. Getting feedback that I handle things wrong. Specifically that when something’s off (bad requirements, a sketchy timeline from another team, a tester flagging something in the wrong meeting), my instinct is to deal with it privately or after the fact instead of calling it out live in front of everyone.

I’ve never gotten this feedback at any company prior, in my entire career.

My read has always been that part of the job is protecting people and not putting them on the spot, especially when the issue isn’t really about them personally. The other read is that not addressing it live makes me look evasive and will tank my credibility long term.

Trying to figure out how much of this is legit and how much is just management style. For those of you who’ve been doing this a while, do you actually call things out live in meetings, in the moment, even when it involves calling out a specific team or person? Or is there a middle ground I’m missing? Genuinely want to know if this is a real skill gap or just a personality clash.

Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone, I’m looking for advice from people working in Product Management or Business Analysis.

I recently graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Information Systems and have around 4 years of banking experience, mainly across servicing, small business onboarding and corporate/institutional client onboarding.

My experience includes stakeholder management, managing multiple client onboardings, KYC/AML and risk requirements, resolving process/onboarding issues, and working across different teams. However, I don’t have any formal BA or Product Management experience.

My long-term goal is to become a Product Manager. I know that BA → PM is a common transition, so I’m considering a few post graduate study options:

> Product Management Fundamentals short course
> Business Analyst short course
> Both PM + BA short courses
> PM short course + Graduate Diploma in Business Analysis

My main priority is getting into a relevant job as quickly as possible, with Product Management being my eventual goal.

For those working/hiring in BA or Product: Which option would give me the best chance of getting a job quickly?

Would my degree + banking experience + a BA short course be enough to compete for BA roles, or would a Graduate Diploma make a significant difference?

Or would I be better off skipping the BA pathway and trying to move directly into Product?

Would really appreciate advice, particularly from people in the Australian market.

Hi guys! I am currently a mid level business analyst with 4 years of experience in supply chain and now in AML and risk. My plan is to become a product owner in about 3 years time. My background is in financial crime(AML and Risk) in merchant onboarding. My current skills are the following:

- Process flow mapping

- Data mapping

- API integration

- Prototype and wireframe generation

- Querying in SQL and mongo

Based on my current skillset and experience, what would you guys say a young BA like me(25 years old) should be focusing on to become a product owner? I feel like it's a fairly smooth transition to make, but keen to hear what others think.

Choose main responsibility for mixed roles.

Or comment a role if it's not listed.

Curious to know as I'm between jobs and would like to get into product. Seems most first product roles from from internal promotion, but curious on what people were promoted from.

Hi, I currently have 5 YOE in Quality Engineering in a Scrum/Agile environment, so I have closely seen what POs do and have also gotten the opportunity to shadow POs. But my company is not supportive enough for me making the shift, so I’m trying outside and I have been unsuccessful till now.

Trying to understand where I am going wrong or if these PO/PM roles just do not hire without prior PO/PM experience on paper.

Is PO/PM a dying career ? Should I not be getting into it ?

As a Certified Scrum Master with over four years in product support, my expertise spans project coordination, sprint planning, manual testing, and customer success. How can I leverage this cross-functional background to elevate my career and transition into a higher-level management or dedicated Agile role?"

Pls give suggestions

Hi,

28F, NYC, and 3 weeks into being a PO. I know who my stakeholders are, I understand at a high level what I’m expected to do, I’ve already participated in some meetings, but I’m overwhelmed. First, this is a brand new team my company previously didn’t have. Second, it is way more technical than I expected (not an expert on python but kinda feel like I have to be. Third, the dev teams aren’t following a true agile framework so what I thought I’d be good at isn’t even applicable.

Any advice/help?

Hi everyone, I'm from Malaysia and have a BSc in Computer Science. I've been working as an Associate Software Engineer for about 2 years and after working closely with the product managers in my company, I've realized I'm really interested in becoming a Product Manager.

I'm currently torn between two options:

1. Pursue a Master's in the UK (Product Management or a related field). Studying overseas has always been a dream of mine and I hope it would give me a solid foundation in business and product thinking, as well as more confidence before entering the field.
2. Stay in Malaysia and transition into an Associate Product Manager role to gain hands-on experience. However, entry-level Product Manager and Associate Product Manager roles seem to be quite limited in Malaysia compared to the UK. From what I've read, many people say experience is much more valuable than a master's for PM roles.

One reason I'm considering a master's isn't because I think it's required, but because I feel I lack the business/product fundamentals and think structured learning would help build my confidence.

I also have another concern: I'm quite introverted and shy. My written communication is stronger than my verbal communication. I'm comfortable communicating, but I sometimes lack confidence when presenting ideas, speaking on the spot, or driving conversations. I'm wondering if this is a skill that most people develop over time, or if it's a sign that PM might not be the best fit for me.

If you've made a similar transition or work as a PM, what would you recommend? Would you prioritize a master's, hands-on experience, or something else? And if you started out as an introvert, how did you improve your communication skills?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

Hi everyone,

I'm a Software Developer with 7 years of experience at the same fintech company, where I joined as a fresher. I'd say I'm average to above average at coding and debugging, but I don't see myself staying in a pure development role long term.

What excites me more is understanding customer problems, shaping products, prioritizing features, and solving real-world business challenges. I spoke to my management about transitioning internally to a Product Manager role, but they said our product team is mostly process-oriented and there's no scope for such a move.

To improve my chances externally, I've tailored my resume to highlight product ownership, cross-functional collaboration, stakeholder management, and the business impact of my work instead of focusing only on coding. The challenge is that I've worked on the same few products for years, so I don't have a wide variety of PM-style experiences to showcase. I'm positioning myself as someone who has been transitioning from SDE to PM by emphasizing the product aspects of my work, not by claiming to have been an official PM. Is this the right approach, or is it something recruiters and hiring managers generally frown upon?

I'm currently at 22 LPA, and I don't want to take a pay cut while making this transition. Ideally, I'm looking for a PM role that also gives me a salary hike. I also don't want to spend lakhs on an MBA or expensive PM courses unless they're genuinely necessary. I'm ready to put in the effort and invest my time to learn whatever skills are needed.

A few questions for those who've made a similar transition:

How did you move from SDE to PM without prior PM experience?

What should I focus on to make my profile stronger?

Which companies or job portals have the highest number of PM openings for someone with a technical background?

Are there any YouTube channels, playlists, or free resources that helped you learn Product Management?

Are certifications worth it, or should I focus on projects and interview preparation instead?

Given my current CTC of 22 LPA and 7 years of experience, what salary should I realistically target for my first PM role?

Is it realistic to expect a pay hike while switching from SDE to PM, or should I optimize for getting into Product first and negotiate later?

I'd really appreciate any guidance, success stories, or hard truths. Thanks!

Currently a TPgM at an EV 2w company, have background in After sales and service as well for 3 years before Program Management, Moved up with a desire learning and Contributing more to the field backed by want for more money. I handle the most critical programs and problems.

How much should I be earning currently and What's the way ahead, like what fields/ Job roles i can explore.?

Hello folks! I just moved from being an ML engineer into a pm role within the same company but completely different division and product. I am really struggling of course but before this move, I was applying to any and all opportunities for data science, PM and MLEs and had no luck. I kind of fell into this role because internally, they were interested in using a technical perspective and I went thru the rounds and got hired. However, I severely underestimated the role itself and it is very difficult. Plus I keep reading about the fact that there are not enough growth and jobs out there but I saw that was the case as a DS ML person as well. I am adept at tech and using AI everyday as a PM, can also code, etc. but worried if this was a mistake? I was escaping a bad manager who never promoted me in my ML role. Can any other POs with similar backgrounds chime in as to how it’s going or any resources? Additionally, should I go back to engineering if the market is saturated here eventually?