

Ask HN: What would compel you to hire a product manager out of undergrad? - zeusofzeus


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prostoalex
A portfolio of maybe simple (but well-thought out) products built out. A lot
of the job is about championing the product vision and distilling it down to
requirements, as well as tying the loose ends (how well does the product work
in foreign languages? on different platforms? for blind users? etc.), so
attention to details is valuable.

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zeusofzeus
Thanks for the great advice. I have just been struggling to decide between
different projects. Do you think a consumer mobile app would have enough
degree of difficulty to impress companies?

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olegious
I don't think it is really about the difficulty of the project. Like
prostoalex said above, it is more about the product being well thought out-
ease of use, design, UX, its ability to solve the problem it is trying to
solve, etc. Also, beyond the product- communication is key (as greenyoda
explained above), so is the ability to prioritize problems that you want to
solve (at its core, building products is about providing solutions to
problems) and managing stakeholders' often competing interests and
expectations.

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Bahamut
That last part about managing stakeholders' competing interests and
expectations might be the most important part. As an engineer, I have been
furious with bad product management pushing near impossible designs and
setting ridiculous deadlines without consultation in the past.

If I had to hire for a product manager, an indication of the skills associated
with this would be what I would look for. Critical thinking and diplomacy are
crucial skills, in addition to all the things you have mentioned.

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jtfairbank
Do your research and show how you can contribute. If you know what my products
are, who my users are, and have insights for how to improve the products to
better meet their needs I'd give you bonus points in the interview.

Working with teams is also important. I'd definitely look for a portfolio like
the other commenters suggested, but also that you worked with others on some
of these projects. Going from hacking something out yourself to managing a
product built with other busy people is a big step.

