Just got hired at a startup as a Junior PM and I really want to put my best efforts to make it work.
I worked previously in an irrelevant industry as a junior PM briefly. Got this one both thanks to previous experience but also a lot of self-study.
Do you have any tips for a new Junior PM to start on the right foot in a small startup?
Keep up with your learning. Landing a PM role is just the tip of the iceberg and all told its truly a marathon, not a sprint. Be resourceful, ask lots of questions, and keep learning. You’ll level up much quicker.
Make sure you and your manager are aligned on their expectations of your work and work hard to exceed them. Early on you’re likely to feel a lot of imposter syndrome so focusing on the key things that matter and crushing them is going to give you the momentum to carry you through some of the harder times when self-doubt is rampant. Most importantly you will have a sense of security because you know your boss values the work you’re doing.
Treat your teammates like your customers and focus on providing good “customer service”. Another way to put that is be the teammate you want others to be. Be accessible, respond to messages quickly, show interest in people, look for opportunities to help out, show up prepared. Your teammates will grow to like and trust you and that will be the foundation upon which the majority of your influence will come.
Take really good notes while onboarding and make specific mention of the things that were difficult or lacking. Then look for ways to make the process better for the next person. It’s a great way to add value right out of the gate in an area that everyone knows is important, but no one has time to devote any energy too.
@DhirajMehta, Hijacking the top reply: build a customer pipeline for conversation and data gathering. Depending on how far along the startup is their customer research is probably not built out in any reasonable capacity simply because the startup runs on the founder’s vision. But as the product grows beyond the first narrow customer base, you need to recognize the other segments and decide if the company wants to go after them. By highlighting this when appropriate you can bring perspective as a PM.
Great advice there. Thanks a lot. Are there any resources you recommend for keeping on learning?
Sure! Here’s a list of resources I have found more valuable to my career growth than most:
The thing I want to stress is that you set aside 5-10 hour every week and just dig into something that helps you grow. Ideally it will be in an area that helps you work through a current challenge or guides you towards a career goal, but ultimately it should be something you enjoy learning.
@MichaelYoffe, You are on fire. Either that, or Ritalin. You really are a helpful person. Thank you!
@RisaButler, Thanks for the kind words. It was only a little over three years ago I was a career bartender looking for an escape out of the service industry, so I have a deep empathy for people trying to make their way into the role.
That’s an incredible list. Thank you so much!
The list is good and solid. I recommend giving recommendations always with reasons on to why to read the book and what you got out of it. It’s impossible for a junior to navigate all these resources just by title or why they helped you specifically.
This should be carved into diamonds, so those wise and very well-articulated words are never forgotten. Really powerful advice. I will stalk you from now on. Lol. 
@CathrynCui, If i could do it over, after learning from the best “manager” (just a friend who organizes events for us) I know, my tips would be:
If you do those three things, you will be great at PM or management or anything else at work, I have no doubt.
Can’t express this one enough: pick up the shit that nobody else wants to do. Be proactive about it, don’t wait for things to be handed to you. Literally the simplest way to make a name for yourself.
@MariaWilson, Great advice. I do always ask my team members how I can help and can confirm that this is a great way to connect with people at work, to build trust and proper team spirit.
Main role of a PM in a startup is to focus the team on what will actually move the needle for the company. Talk to customers, a lot, otherwise you will have no clue what will move the needle, and, instead, you will be a glorified spokesperson for the founders.
@AhmadBashir, I’d like to add more detail on what “move the needle means”
You need to work with the execs and team to validate your market assumptions and your value proposition.
You need to build a friendly customer base of early evangelists to get feedback.
I’d suggest starting with a fake door and try to get customers if you can.
Use clickable wireframes to validate the lean product pyramid in single feature slices.
FIND VALUE FAST.
I was in the same position in my early days, it’s not going to be easy. Here’s the biggest key to this situation: Not a single soul in your organization or single customer has the answer. Your job is to collect as much information as possible from as many places as possible to make the best guess. Your job is to be clear with your stakeholders about the guesses you’re making, and why you’re making them. Keep this mindset and work hard to guess the best, and pivot fast when you’re wrong - and you’ll do great.
Find mentors and learn. Ask for feedback all the time.
@HeatherKurtz, I’m joining a very small team and will basically be the only PM supporting the product lead. Do you think it would be a good idea to look for mentors outside of the company? Do you know any good resources where I can find PM mentors?
Congratulations!
The most important thing as you’re new is to stick to someone that you trust to be better than you. No one will be better than you in everything but having some people to ask and challenge directly is a huge asset. Product management is an incredibly diverse field and learning everything at the same time will end you up nowhere.
Being a junior, bears a huge advantage:
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