Some days, I sit back and reflect on my early days in product. I joined an experienced R&D team at a top workforce management software company. On day one, I sat with the Development Director, learning about the business, team structure, and my role.
By day three, I came home with my brain scrambled like never before, feeling completely out of my depth.
Agile
Scrum
Release cycles
SDLC
Test Steps
VSTS
Epics
Stories
Tasks
Backlog refinement
Sprint planning
Estimation
Sprint retrospectives
Sprint reviews
Pipelines
Bugs
It all seemed overwhelming, and to be honest, not very cohesive. As my career has evolved, I realise that not all organisations practice Agile/Scrum the same way. Many operate on different parts of a spectrum when it comes to these methodologies. Despite this, Agile and Scrum serve as lightweight frameworks for software delivery that give structure and processes to the end goal.
After a few months with the R&D team, things started to click. "Right... now I'm getting it," I thought. This was when I fell in love with the product world. I didn't come from a technical background; my journey into product came from my experience in the health sector, where I implemented and managed the software that led to my first product role.
So Why Product?
Product and software development have become my passion. Of all the careers I've had (and I've had a few), product management is the one I want to do for the rest of my working career. Taking an idea, whether it's an enhancement of existing functionality or a completely new feature, and seeing it come to life is incredibly rewarding and fills me with a sense of achievement.
Working with creative people, discussing how a feature will work, seeing wireframes and mock-ups come to life, and getting feedback from customers are all parts of what I consider one of the most fulfilling careers. Product management allows you to solve complex problems for customers, extend your product's reach, open new markets, and increase revenue for your organisation. It's a career like any other that does come with challenges but the rewards are such that the challenges are outweighed.
For anyone aspiring to get into the product industry, I would highly recommend it as a career option, if you have a passion for creativity, like tech, enjoy solving problems then this could well be a good career option for you.
Through these posts I hope to impart my passion for product and hopefully give those entering the industry an insight and some tips on what I have learnt on my journey.
I hope you enjoy...
コメント