Product Management and Mental Health ❤️
Everyone today talks about how glamorous the role of a Product Manager is. Yes, it’s creative, it offers one of the fastest growth curves, and it commands a lot of respect.
But what often goes unspoken is how stressful and isolating the role can be. Let me break this down for you.
If you’re considering becoming a Product Manager, or are new to the field, keep reading.
The following points highlight how taxing this role can be on mental health, and hopefully, they will help you recognize and overcome some of these challenges.
• The Ambiguity is Overwhelming
As a Product Manager, dealing with ambiguity is inevitable. You can’t always know what the competition is doing, what your users will need next quarter, or if the innovative feature you’re pushing will be accepted by either management or the users.
Yet, you’re expected to have all the answers, and fast. You’re required to make informed decisions, even when the data is incomplete. The pressure of making your product successful can feel immense.
The key to managing this is acknowledging that you won’t always be right—and that’s okay. Rely on data as much as possible, trust your team’s expertise, talk to users frequently, and if things don’t go as planned, be thankful for the learning experience. But remember—don’t burn yourself out. Next time, you’ll handle it better.
• Imposter Syndrome Thrives
You are a generalist in a team full of specialists. Designers, engineers—they all have niche skills. As PMs, we are supposed to be the jack of all trades, but some days it feels like we have no skill at all.
Imposter syndrome is real among Product Managers, but here’s the good news: it does get better. With more experience, you’ll see the unique value you bring, and over time, the feelings of inadequacy will fade. On most days, at least.
• Loneliness: A Curse and a Superpower
On many days, you’ll have to say “No” to a lot of people. This won’t win you many friends. Despite all the empathy you show for users and management, sometimes all you get in return is negative feedback, even hostility.
Saying “No” to a request can feel like a betrayal to other teams. It can get lonely, and unfortunately, it’s part of the risk that comes with the reward.
But don’t mistake this post as a warning to avoid the field. Product Management is one of the most rewarding and exciting roles, not just for me but for countless others. This is just a reminder to be empathetic towards your PMs, whose success depends on your success.
So instead of thinking your PM is being difficult, send them a “Hi” today. We’re more approachable than you think ❤️
For more awesome posts, follow Rethink Systems ❤️
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Yours,
Team Rethink Systems
