Stage of company: a career unlock

07/30/24 • 44 min

Many product managers focus on brand names or job titles, overlooking a crucial factor: company growth stage.

This episode reveals how a company's phase - from startup to market leader - shapes your work and career path. We explore the four key growth stages, how product management evolves, and how to align your strengths with the right stage.

Featuring insights from seasoned product leaders, learn to identify your ideal company stage and navigate transitions. This episode is your guide to making strategic career moves in product management by leveraging the often-overlooked power of company growth stages.

We also discuss:

The 4 stages of company growth: drunken walk, product market fit, hypergrowth, and established market leader
How PM roles evolve across stages
Matching your skills to each stage
Intentionally choosing your company stage
The value of diverse stage experience for successful PMs
Strategies to gain multi-stage experience

Referenced:

Stage of company, not name of company: https://theskip.substack.com/p/stage-of-company-not-name-of-company
Shadows of your superpowers (Part 1): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZbjvymjabA&t=912s
Shadows of your superpowers (Part 2): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcdb5enbDLE

Where to find Nikhyl:

Find The Skip:

Don't forget to subscribe to The Skip to hear me coach you through timely career lessons. If you’re interested in joining me on a future call, send me a note on LinkedIn, Threads, or Twitter.

Timestamps

(00:00) Intentionally choosing your company stage (episode teaser)

(01:25) The importance of company stage

(02:47) 3 common questions from PMs

(05:383) The link between PM and company stages

(07:48) The 4 company stages

(13:45) What’s unique about early-stage PMs

(15:24) How PM evolves when there’s customer traction

(18:00) Product management at a hypergrowth company

(21:50) One example of what changes between the first three stages

(24:49) PM at an established leader

(30:04) How to know which stage is right for you

(37:03) Spotting when it’s time for something new

(38:36) Choose your stage of company wisely

(41:38) Why top product people have multi-stage experience

(43:28) How to get in touch

Many product managers focus on brand names or job titles, overlooking a crucial factor: company growth stage.

We also discuss:

The 4 stages of company growth: drunken walk, product market fit, hypergrowth, and established market leader
How PM roles evolve across stages
Matching your skills to each stage
Intentionally choosing your company stage
The value of diverse stage experience for successful PMs
Strategies to gain multi-stage experience

Referenced:

Stage of company, not name of company: https://theskip.substack.com/p/stage-of-company-not-name-of-company
Shadows of your superpowers (Part 1): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZbjvymjabA&t=912s
Shadows of your superpowers (Part 2): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcdb5enbDLE

Where to find Nikhyl:

Find The Skip:

Don't forget to subscribe to The Skip to hear me coach you through timely career lessons. If you’re interested in joining me on a future call, send me a note on LinkedIn, Threads, or Twitter.

Timestamps

(00:00) Intentionally choosing your company stage (episode teaser)

(01:25) The importance of company stage

(02:47) 3 common questions from PMs

(05:383) The link between PM and company stages

(07:48) The 4 company stages

(13:45) What’s unique about early-stage PMs

(15:24) How PM evolves when there’s customer traction

(18:00) Product management at a hypergrowth company

(21:50) One example of what changes between the first three stages

(24:49) PM at an established leader

(30:04) How to know which stage is right for you

(37:03) Spotting when it’s time for something new

(38:36) Choose your stage of company wisely

(41:38) Why top product people have multi-stage experience

(43:28) How to get in touch

Previous Episode

The art of building your personal brand

Personal branding is a crucial yet often misunderstood aspect of career development. Many professionals mistake personal brand for self-promotion or social media showmanship.

This episode debunks these myths and reveals the true power of strategic personal branding. Featuring insights from two tech executives, Annie Pearl of Microsoft and Iska Saric of Meta, we pull back the curtain on how industry leaders craft and wield their personal brands to open doors, land dream roles, and shape their legacies.

The episode provides actionable strategies to build an authentic and compelling brand that catapults your career forward.

We also discuss:

The critical distinction between reputation and brand
Why you don’t need to become an influencer
The power of ‘peak roles’ in accelerating your career
Tailoring your brand story to specific audiences
Strategies for expanding your professional network
Navigating gender dynamics in personal branding
The 30-minute per week method to brand-building

Referenced:

Annie Pearl, CVP at Microsoft: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anniepearl/
Iska Saric, VP of Communications at Meta: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iska-saric-97210212/
Crafting a compelling career story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Reh9wTUIYc&t=1078s

Where to find Nikhyl:

Find The Skip:

Don't forget to subscribe to The Skip to hear me coach you through timely career lessons. If you’re interested in joining me on a future call, send me a note on LinkedIn, Threads, or Twitter.

Timestamps

(00:00) Episode format

(02:14) Why brand matters

(04:47) Building a brand ≠ becoming an influence

(08:14) Reputation versus brand

(10:28) How to establish a reputation

(13:55) Leveraging professional connections

(18:08) The role that will transform your career

(24:12) Crafting and communicating your brand

(30:09) The "30-minute per week" method

(30:49) Navigating

(35:36) Key takeaways from this episode

(35:56) How to get in touch

Next Episode

Navigating careers while expecting

In this short and sharp "peacast" episode of The Skip, I share insights from a conversation with a pregnant Product Executive facing a career dilemma. She was convinced she needed to leave her current company, but while searching for a job, she got pregnant. And now she's been offered a new role at her company due to a reorganization. We discuss her options: accept the role, take a less senior role post-maternity leave, or seek opportunities elsewhere.

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We also discuss:

Maximizing career potential without sacrificing family
Reframing career decisions in the context of long-term growth
How to have it all, just not at once
The value of wartime leadership experience
Overcoming job search anxiety

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Referenced:

Avoiding burnout for high achievers

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Where to find Nikhyl:

–

Find The Skip:

Don't forget to subscribe to The Skip to hear me coach you through timely career lessons. If you’re interested in joining me on a future call, send me a note on LinkedIn, Threads, Twitter or email me at: [email protected]

–

Timestamps

(00:07) Applying my career framework to the caller’s case

(02:13) Caller context

(02:52) Why one option is a “no-brainer”

(03:58) The value of wartime leadership experience

(07:43) Why you won’t regret choosing family > career

(09:53) The wisdom in “playing it safe”

(11:11) Key takeaways

(11:44) How to get in touch