Question: “How should one make a move from core engineering/development or R&D to product management?”
Answer: The mechanics of making this career move would include suggestions such as getting trained and certified in product management or volunteering to partake in product management tasks at your company. Some recommend getting a Master of Business Administration (MBA) academic degree as a beneficial step towards a product management position.
However, the transition from a technical position to any role in product management is not about acquiring a new skill set with new responsibilities but is mainly about somewhat of a personality change that is not easy to accomplish in a grown person. Therefore, the move is all about a personal internal change.
You should leave your current position and move into product management roles if you feel challenged and excited by market-think (not product-think) and wish to make uncertain yet possibly very rewarding business decisions that in their very nature run contrary to deterministic technical decisions. For more information, please see the Blackblot career web page.
Making this kind of move can be a great career choice. You already have the technical background and understand the technology. That’s half of the battle won right there. If you are interested in pursuing the transition from engineering to product management, there are a couple of things you want to think about.
First, understand that there is a mental frameset difference between the two professions. This does not mean you have to completely change your thinking or personality. Engineering has more of an inward focus. Product Management has more of an outward focus. Both disciplines must possess both in- and outward focus, but at a different percentage. You have to be able to put yourself in the customer’s viewpoint, not be shy to converse with customers, understand their pain and problems, and be able to articulate their problems (not the solution) in writing in such a way that the responsible engineering architect can come up with the best solution. If you feel challenged in these areas, there are ways for you to overcome those challenges. For example, take a public speaking course such as Toastmasters, take a technical marketing writing course, spend time listening to people who use your products such as volunteering to do some customer support from time to time. Acquire those skills most used by product managers and become more outward focused.
Second, talk to the people in your company and other companies about what and how they do their jobs. Find out what you might like or dislike about the various tasks that product managers have to perform to be successful. Find out what you know and don’t know about the product management role and what it takes to learn what you do not yet know. Get involved and volunteer to help product managers to survey customers and to write product requirements (MRDs) and be able to justify those requirements. Get to know your marketplace, the customers, and the competitors. Remember to stay out of designing the solution.
Third, take on some academic interest in product management. Read a book or two on the subject. Take a seminar or course on product management. Look into the various certification programs available. Join and attend some product management focused organizations and meet with other product managers. Educate yourself on the body of knowledge of product management.
The biggest challenge and a must in making such a transition is to get outside the building (not only figuratively), listen and get to the root problems, with no product in mind. Potential customers know well the symptoms, want a solution (they often say “I need this or that”) but it is the product management art to get to the root.
The comfort of the “building” often is a big barrier for product managers coming from engineering. Then, there is the pattern thinking. It is an awesome job because you can make a real difference, but do not expect immediate results.