Entrepreneurial Skills That PMs are Missing and How to Get Them

Great products come with a clear strategy which is the foundation of their roadmap. If we consider ourselves (PMs) as products, our lifecycle is dependent on this strategy. A good strategy starts with a strong vision, clear objectives, and measurable goals.

Going into entrepreneurship for the first time feels like jumping into the abyss, credentials will only take you so far, skills will matter much more as an entrepreneur. Fortunately, many of these skills can be found and optimized in PMs but they are not necessarily the set of skills you may anticipate.

During this talk, we’ll discuss product strategy insights for any PM looking to transition to entrepreneurship. We will review practical examples and examine guidelines that can be implemented in your current position that will help you make this change.

To start, we’ll review data reports about entrepreneurship and demystify some urban legends that might be holding you back. Maintaining optimistic foresight, you will identify your preexisting strong skills for reinforcements where needed.
Taking a sharp turn we’ll review the surprising skills that all PMs lack and how they can be obtained as part of your role as a PM or after hours. These skill tips will include subjects such as sales, HR, legal, intrapreneurship, and more. Some of the most crucial entrepreneurial skills such as market-fit and user acquisition are most likely not something PMs can get good enough exposure to or practice during their current position, we’ll touch on these separately.
When working for a company, your vision might be clouded with regards to how much backing you’re getting from bosses, brand, or funding, just to name a few. We’ll review certain ‘assets’ all PMs need to collect to make up for this deficit.
At the end of the talk, the PMs will have a better understanding of how to create their product strategy for an optimal PM > entrepreneurial lifecycle.