1 Yr From Quitting My Full-Time PM Job. What Do I Miss The Most?
Some Regrets, Recollections, And Reminiscences From Years Of Full-Time Employment
This month one 12 months in the past, I give up my full-time job. Listed here are some regrets, recollections, and reminiscences.
I labored as a Staff Product Manager at Twilio until March 2022. Since then, I went on a sabbatical, launched a PM job hunt coaching service, and consulted a number of companies as a product consultant.
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What do I miss probably the most about working full-time?
1 – Common discussions with a small set of individuals (colleagues). Assembly colleagues throughout days and weeks helped construct nice relationships. Even when the conferences had been digital. I realized from The Happiness Hypothesis that these sorts of friendships deliver me happiness. One-on-ones, scrum conferences, or venture discussions had been alternatives to proceed constructing relationships.
2 – A bodily place to work collectively or think about myself working collectively. After I would meet somebody nearly, I’d bear in mind instances we’d met in individual. Or think about assembly them someday. I would reminisce about working in a meeting room, lunchtime within the cafeteria, or strolling between Cisco buildings. In-person time was enjoyable (not the commute).
3 – I obtained faster suggestions cycles in full-time work. Brainstorming, mentoring, and presenting my work helped me get suggestions. I often obtained suggestions inside every week or a month if I’m working (exhausting) however within the unsuitable course.
4 – I didn’t must pursue each single course as an worker. Narrowing of scope allowed for deeper pondering and execution in a single space. Anytime I recognized new buyer issues to unravel, I’d make an observation. I’d hold my priorities in thoughts and never soar on fixing a brand new discover instantly.
5 – I used to be not liable for finishing administrative, HR, recruiting, authorized, finance, or taxes duties. Some had a drag-and-drop interface, for instance, expense reimbursement. Some had concierge, like journey reserving. The remainder didn’t occupy my thoughts house, like writing employment contracts or privateness insurance policies.
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What remained the identical throughout full-time and an entrepreneur?
1 – Work did not cease on weekdays. As a Workers Product Supervisor or an entrepreneur, my work did not finish at 6pm on Fridays. I’d discover pockets of time on weekends to assume over vital however not pressing issues. Each roles give me empowerment and possession, which drove me to work nights and weekends. I typically (however not all the time) discovered that energizing.
2 – Household time did not disappear. I had heard tales of entrepreneurs dropping reference to their households. I additionally wished to go all-in to develop my enterprise. However, I select to not go away from clear consuming, figuring out, or spending time with my household. These take up vital time each day, however I used to be capable of keep some steadiness as an entrepreneur.
3 – Execution took priority over technique or long-term pondering. Have you ever heard workers complain about working within the weeds? Have you ever heard complaints of not having time to assume strategically and long-term? These can go on a “profession bingo”. However, they had been additionally true once I was a enterprise proprietor. The buck stops at me. However it was exhausting to dissociate execution duties from long-term pondering.
4 – As a Product Supervisor in a growth-stage firm, I could not discover time to put in writing my ideas in my newsletter or blog. I believed once I personal my time, I might concentrate on this. However writing continues to be complicated. In actual fact, my backlog has swollen for 3 causes. a) I developed the talent of discovering new concepts. b) I had new skilled experiences. And c) I took away time from writing to experiment with delegating the writing.
What modified for the higher?
I’ve lined my sabbatical earlier.
I’ve 3 extra months earlier than I full a 12 months as an entrepreneur. I will cowl issues which have modified for the higher by being an entrepreneur after finishing 1 12 months.
For instance, I will cowl my steadiness of long-term planning and execution. I will cowl experiments in work delegation. Internet hosting cocktail events. And the endless stream of beginning pains.
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