PMDojo

👀 Want to move up to senior product leadership and finally be seen as a strategic leader, here’s what needs to stop right now: Being the behind-the-scenes doer, working hard, hitting OKRs, and hoping someone will notice doesn’t work—especially for women. Women face unique challenges in product leadership, and leading with authority requires a different set of skills, strategies, and mindsets. Make yourself "un-ignorable" and take your seat at the table. Join 1,500+ women from top companies like Meta, Netflix, and LinkedIn who’ve fast-tracked their careers by mastering what it really takes to lead. Here’s what you’ll learn: ✔️ Tackle the toughest challenges women face leading product teams ✔️ Decode vague feedback and finally understand what’s holding you back ✔️ Get C-Suite buy-in and handle difficult personalities ✔️ Crush self-doubt and quiet your inner critic ✔️ Advocate for yourself and change the narrative ✔️ Become the go-to strategic leader in your organization ✔️ Identify what’s really blocking your growth and take action ✔️ Communicate with authority to executives ✔️ Elevate your visibility and make yourself un-ignorable ✔️ Lead with influence and master key product leadership skills ✔️ and so much more Limited spots for Fall 2024 are open! (1:1 and group formats available). Link in comments to learn more. P.S. Share this post to help more women step into product leadership and make a lasting impact. 👩⚕️ #womenleadership #productleadership #womeninproduct #productmanagement #careergrowth

Office politics is the sanitized term for an un-sanitized reality. We've all been there. - The silent undermining that makes you question yourself - That colleague who plays the game too well.  - The careful posturing. We vent about it. We stress about it. We lose sleep over it. Then Monday comes. We put on our game face. And the cycle continues. Want to know how bad it really is? I asked Product Managers to define office politics. Here’s what they said: ❌ “It’s like every win is on loan.” — Senior PM, Fortune 500 ❌ “There’s a constant need to watch your back” — VP. Product, mid-size tech ❌ “Success feels like a threat.” — Product Manager, well-funded startup ❌ “It’s like playing chess with people you can’t even see.” — Product Manager, Big Tech Today’s newsletter, I deep dive on this uncomfortable topic.  1. How to navigate this game without losing your soul 2. Three hard-won techniques that actually work 3. The landmines most PMs step on (so you don't have to) P.S. Have a real, unfiltered story? Is there a tip or lesson that’s helped you cope through office politics? 🔔 Follow me, Bosky Mukherjee, for more insights on breaking barriers for women in product and tech leadership. #productmanagement  #womeninproduct  #productleadership  #careergrowth #toxicworkplace

Break the corporate rules when needed as a people leader. 👊 Do this for your team members who consistently deliver results. Do this especially if they are a working mom or a working dad (they're often doing two full-time jobs). Why? Because your top talent needs to know YOU have their backs when it matters most. When my newborn needed emergency heart surgery, my managers broke every rule to support us. My husband's managers did the same. Those moments changed how I saw leadership forever. Company policies don't capture all the levers you can - and SHOULD - pull. And some battles are worth fighting more than others. I've done the same for my high-performing team members - creating gradual return-to-work plans after childbirth and redefining roles when life demanded it. Small accommodations that made huge differences. Don't accept "it's not in policy" or "it's not possible." As a leader, you have more leverage than you think. Here's what it takes: - Challenge the status quo (pick your battles wisely) - Escalate to senior levels (have your business case ready) - Get creative with solutions (think impact on retention and team morale) - Sometimes fight uncomfortable battles (that's why you're in the chair) Will it be messy? Yes. Will you face pushback? Absolutely. Will it be worth it? Every time. The hard truth: replacing a top performer costs 50-70% of their salary. The team impact? Priceless. Remember why you took that leadership role. It wasn't to follow rules. It was to build strong teams. That's the job. And sometimes that means breaking rules to do what's right. P.S. Tell me about a time your manager fought for you. What did it mean for your career? 🔔 Follow me, Bosky Mukherjee, for more insights on breaking barriers for women in product and tech leadership. #workingparents #productleadership #womeninproduct #productmanagement #techcareers

Break the corporate rules when needed as a people leader. 👊 Do this for your team members who consistently deliver results. Do this especially if they are a working mom or a working dad (they're often doing two full-time jobs). Why? Because your top talent needs to know YOU have their backs when it matters most. When my newborn needed emergency heart surgery, my managers broke every rule to support us. My husband's managers did the same. Those moments changed how I saw leadership forever. Company policies don't capture all the levers you can - and SHOULD - pull. And some battles are worth fighting more than others. I've done the same for my high-performing team members - creating gradual return-to-work plans after childbirth and redefining roles when life demanded it. Small accommodations that made huge differences. Don't accept "it's not in policy" or "it's not possible." As a leader, you have more leverage than you think. Here's what it takes: - Challenge the status quo (pick your battles wisely) - Escalate to senior levels (have your business case ready) - Get creative with solutions (think impact on retention and team morale) - Sometimes fight uncomfortable battles (that's why you're in the chair) Will it be messy? Yes. Will you face pushback? Absolutely. Will it be worth it? Every time. The hard truth: replacing a top performer costs 50-70% of their salary. The team impact? Priceless. Remember why you took that leadership role. It wasn't to follow rules. It was to build strong teams. That's the job. And sometimes that means breaking rules to do what's right. P.S. Tell me about a time your manager fought for you. What did it mean for your career? 🔔 Follow me, Bosky Mukherjee, for more insights on breaking barriers for women in product and tech leadership. #workingparents #productleadership #womeninproduct #productmanagement #techcareers

Don't try to break into product management right now. I know this hurts to hear. After years of helping thousands transition into product roles, this is the hardest advice I'm giving to people right now. Here's what I'm seeing in the market: Every PM role is Senior+ APM programs are vanishing. Maybe you're thinking: "I'll start at the bottom" "I'll take an APM role" "I'll prove myself". That entry-level door? It's not just closed. It's being bricked up. Here's the trap most are finding themselves in: Your experience makes you "too senior" for APM BUT not "product enough" for Senior PM. Plus you're competing against PMs in the market with years of direct experience. 2 fundamental truths I have observed over the years: 1. You don't need to become a PM to drive impact and be successful. You can do each of this in your current role. 2. Learning theory, frameworks and 101 PM skills will not help you transition into PM, nor help you move up in your career. So what do you do instead? 1. Lead strategically in your current role using product thinking (Product management isn't just about building apps). 2. Find companies that grow their people (They exist - I see our PMDojo members succeed this way). 3. Consider funded startups (They value potential over perfect PM pedigrees). Right now, don't pivot into product management, BUT pivot your strategy to strengthening your career. Grow in the margins. P.S. Want ideas on how to apply product principles in your current role? Drop your question below. I'll answer them. 🔔 Follow me, Bosky Mukherjee, for more insights on breaking barriers for women in product and tech leadership. #productmanagement  #womeninproduct  #productleadership  #careergrowth  #careeradvice

"I feel guilty for still wanting more." This confession came from a Director of Product last week. "Some days I'm on fire, ready to push for that VP role. Other days, I wonder if I should just be grateful for what I have. Being ambitious feels... complicated." Every woman product leader I talk to carries some version of this weight. As women we often downplay our wins. Carefully manage how "ambitious" you appear, especially if you're a mother. ("Will they think I'm not committed enough? Too committed?") That's why I'm hosting a hands on LIVE workshop on Nov 14th. It will be 90 minutes of real, raw, deep work that is cathartic and transformative for you. 💖 We you will get: - Identify invisible patterns that hold you back - A worksheet with proven tools that work  - Create a 2025 game plan that feels authentic, not exhausting - Connect with high ambitious women in product who get it, who see you Space is limited to keep this real and intimate. P.S. Drop a "❤️" if you've ever felt this tension between ambition and expectations.  [ 🔗 Grab your ticket - https://shorturl.at/XypdG tickets] Will I see you there? #womeninproduct #womenintech #productmanagement #productleadership #womensupportingwomen

From our family to yours—Happy Halloween and Diwali! 👻🪔 We’ve been lighting T’s first batch of handmade Diwali candles - very proud mommy moment. 💖 It hasn’t been easy. Flowers break, wax spills, and there’s more mess than I’d like to clean. But the best part? T’s not giving up. He’s raising funds for babies with congenital heart defects. And he’s only 10. Taneesh’s Luminous Creations is now LIVE! You can buy his candles ( 🔗 link in comments) and help support a cause close to his heart. Lately, I'm reminding myself that every spill, every mistake is a cue to show up again stronger. P.S. How are you celebrating this season? 🎃 #ProudMomMoment  #KidPreneur #CandleBusiness  #diwali #BayArea

Ever feel overshadowed by louder colleagues? It might be because your stories aren’t landing… I just wrapped up a hands-on 3-hour workshop with 40+ Product Managers on storytelling—and the feedback has been incredible! One PM shared: “I can’t wait to apply these techniques to my strategy presentation next week.” Another said: “I finally see what was missing in my C-Suite presentations.” Storytelling isn’t fluff when it’s done right. It’s how you connect with your team, leadership, and customers on a deeper level. Here are 3 ingredients that make a story stick as a Product Manager: 1. Content – what are you really saying? 2. Packaging – how are you framing it? 3. Delivery – how are you using your voice, tone, and silence? We also dove into the 5 essential stories every PM needs to tell: ✅ Customer Impact Story ✅ Managing Up, Across, or Down Story ✅ Failure Story ✅ Conflict, Ego, & Pride Story ✅ Innovation Story Past attendees have used these techniques to secure promotions and present strategies that get leadership buy-in. Storytelling isn’t optional. It’s one of the things that takes you from being a “doer” to a leader who inspires even your toughest critics. P.S. Ask yourself: How are you telling your story? 🤔 🔔 Follow me, Bosky Mukherjee, for more insights on breaking barriers for women in product and tech leadership. #productmanagement #womeninproduct #productleadership #careergrowth #storytelling

There are a few changes that can make a world of difference in how you lead your product team. Two of the biggest? 1/ Stop working as a Product Leader and start acting like a business executive. 2/ The barrier to become a product centric company is not a product management problem. It’s a cultural one. Most product leaders get stuck in this. In today’s newsletter, I share a 3-step playbook that will help you break free from execution mode and start driving the shift to make your company more product centric: When you make this shift:  ✅ You will create cultural multipliers with your IC Product Managers.  ✅ You will earn your seat at the executive table.  ✅ And you’ll move the business forward towards profitability and growth. This isn’t just another playbook—it’s been a game-changer for me every time senior leadership handed over a list of 100 projects, expecting the product team to act as mere delivery executors.💖🙌 P.S. What is the most misunderstood aspect of why a product team exists? Share in comments below. 🔔 Follow me, Bosky Mukherjee, for more insights on breaking barriers for women in product and tech leadership. #productmanagement  #womeninproduct  #productleadership  #careergrowth  #womenintech

115+ product leaders are joining to get the answer to: "Is our AI strategy actually moving the needle, or just checking a box?" The hard truth: Most product leaders today are still running 2022's playbook while AI rewrites the rules daily. But Hanlin F. has been architecting the future at Airbnb, ServiceNow, and Workday. The results? Transformative user experiences that are reshaping how the world's largest marketplace operates. Let's be real: Your board isn't asking 'IF' you'll integrate AI anymore. They're asking 'WHEN' and 'HOW'. And your competitors? They're not waiting for perfect answers. This is your chance to learn from someone who has already navigating these waters successfully. On 31st October, Hanlin will be sharing: ↳ The real playbook for meaningful AI integration ↳ How to make decisions when the ground keeps shifting ↳ What works (and what doesn't) ↳ The strategies that keep Airbnb ahead of the curve Don't let your 2024 strategy be built on 2022's assumptions. Join us: https://lnkd.in/gs9_Ciae #productmanagement #productgrowth #womeninproduct #leadership