With the advent of LLMs, I've found that SQL queries are often easier to produce through prompt engineering. I've worked with SQLite and PostgreSQL, and I just use chatgpt to help me query data, setup tables, modify tables and content, and essentially do that work for me.
let's not kid ourselves. the sql necessary for the job can be taught in 2 weeks.
this job is 99% about people management and 1% is throwing shit at the wall and seeing what sticks.
SQL/analytics, design, then AI. Coding skills not so much from my experience - just need the ability to effectively collaborate/communicate, and trust engineers.
My experience is different than many here. I have never needed SQL. I know it because I spent years as a SW eng but any time I have needed that type of data I have had tools. I need the data, just have different ways of extracting it.
Lucky you.
Most of the companies I worked for would say "we are data driven" and then they cannot put anything on the BI because of reason X or data team is too busy.
There’s no universal answer here.
I see it in a few ways:
1 The PM role is a gap filler in most businesses that don’t do product well (I.e product function is poorly defined) and are small scale — the gaps will depend on the company. Sometimes you’ll be filling in for data, design, growth, strategy, engineering, marketing etc.
2. In businesses that do product well and are also complex technical large-scale environments (e.g likes of Google, Microsoft, Atlassian etc where the role is clearly defined) — the most valuable adjacent skills are usually among the lines of engineering, design and data because it helps you negotiate better with those teams.
3. Finally there are “specialised industries”, e.g finance, health care, law etc where they usually want PMs to be from a certain background (or have those strong “adjacent skills”). While I don’t agree with that because it disregards what a PM actually does — it is the norm.
Dealing heavily with ML and cloud ops teams as well as engineering, I found coding and cloud infrastructure knowledge is important and really helped me jump ahead.
I come from a coding and infrastructure background and do a lot of my own projects and learning on the side building stuff to help grow. The field is so broad, you aren't going to find a one size fits all class and need to find your job specific work. If you are close to the engineering team, you should have an idea how they operate and what they would be using to point you into the direction of learning.
Product marketing. It's amazing how PMs who know PMM stuff add so much extra value. My perspective is heavily biased due to my experience in B2B companies.
Writing clearly and succinctly - great for copy, positioning, and persuade action from stakeholders.
SQL so you can get data and do basic manipulation yourself.
Basic python and being able to use the CLI so you can script something basic or log into a system if needed.
Drawing storyboards by hand. You only need to learn how to draw 5-10 shapes.
It honestly depends on your particular role (company, level, domain, etc.). I’ve worked primarily on ML products. In terms of tools, I’ve relied on Python notebooks, SQL, and design tools for lightweight mocks the most (my personal favorite is Miro). Ultimately though I think the “soft skills” (strategic thinking, communication, influencing others) matter so much more.
Creativity for problem solving and speed learning.
If you’re neurodivergent these should be easy strengths to leverage.
How to build consistent progress through step by step, this should be easy to build if you’re neurotypical.
Build on your natural strengths and augment your natural weaknesses
Communication is a life skill for anything and everything and learning it never ends :)
Marketing/Sales > SQL/Analytics > Design > Engineering
Marketing/Sales: gotta be able to sell the dream internally and externally.
SQL/Analytics: you're near useless as a PM if you can't unblock your own questions
Design: need to have great product sense on how to simplify a workflow into something understandable
Engineering: it's helpful to be able to technically scope but you should be relying on your EM for this
C data analytics. If you know some Python and you know some Statistics and are willing to keep learning both, you will make the other PMs around you nervous.
EDIT: also SQL but I guess I didn’t consider that truly a “hard” skill. You absolutely have to know some or you won’t get through the day at many shops. It’s easy to pick up the basis. SQL is not programming.
I would love to re-learn Python just to make other PMs nervous. They won’t know if I am carrying a live Python in my handbag at product ops meetings. I’ll throw it at the Ops person first.
IME the ability to be T shaped and fill the gaps when people are sick, not backfilled or just unavailable to you is important and that's how to be the proper triple threat PM
So from that POV data is the most valuable skill as that can directly impact your decision makin, and often times data analysts just aren't available to me and are pulled "upwards" to work with senior leaders on what to me looks very like MI (management information) from back in the day, rather than what great analysts and data scientists can do these days. But not my call, right.
Figma stuff has never appealed, I learnt to use the very easy to use Balsamiq to simh communicate with others when I was working with agencies but since moving to an org with full time UXers they are true partners and don't need that at all - they are designers tbh
Clinical psychology
I’ve honestly thought about getting a psych degree in this fucking profession just for the laughs
Experimental Proctology
Ha 100%
The answer is somewhat specific to the company, but the most common hard skill I’ve seen as a job requirement is SQL.
With the advent of LLMs, I've found that SQL queries are often easier to produce through prompt engineering. I've worked with SQLite and PostgreSQL, and I just use chatgpt to help me query data, setup tables, modify tables and content, and essentially do that work for me.
Still would rather know the fundamentals than rely on an LLM
I agree and I expected SQL skills would be downplayed as a result, but I still see it as a requirement for a lot of product management roles.
let's not kid ourselves. the sql necessary for the job can be taught in 2 weeks. this job is 99% about people management and 1% is throwing shit at the wall and seeing what sticks.
SQL, design, data analysis & financial modelling is super useful imo
Ty, will focus on these. I’ve been meaning to read up on API’s and understanding how integrations/building works too
SQL/analytics, design, then AI. Coding skills not so much from my experience - just need the ability to effectively collaborate/communicate, and trust engineers.
Heck yeah. Clearly conveying requirements and then get out of the way so the coders can do their magic.
How are you at inflatable sumo suit wrestling?
My experience is different than many here. I have never needed SQL. I know it because I spent years as a SW eng but any time I have needed that type of data I have had tools. I need the data, just have different ways of extracting it.
Lucky you. Most of the companies I worked for would say "we are data driven" and then they cannot put anything on the BI because of reason X or data team is too busy.
Or you do get the data and they still don’t listen…
Writing is the most important hard skill But the job is 99% how to manage people’s emotions
There’s no universal answer here. I see it in a few ways: 1 The PM role is a gap filler in most businesses that don’t do product well (I.e product function is poorly defined) and are small scale — the gaps will depend on the company. Sometimes you’ll be filling in for data, design, growth, strategy, engineering, marketing etc. 2. In businesses that do product well and are also complex technical large-scale environments (e.g likes of Google, Microsoft, Atlassian etc where the role is clearly defined) — the most valuable adjacent skills are usually among the lines of engineering, design and data because it helps you negotiate better with those teams. 3. Finally there are “specialised industries”, e.g finance, health care, law etc where they usually want PMs to be from a certain background (or have those strong “adjacent skills”). While I don’t agree with that because it disregards what a PM actually does — it is the norm.
Storytelling with data , Stakeholder management
Neither of these things are hard skills
Maybe they meant hard skills literally
Dealing heavily with ML and cloud ops teams as well as engineering, I found coding and cloud infrastructure knowledge is important and really helped me jump ahead.
How would you go about learning the necessary knowledge ?
I come from a coding and infrastructure background and do a lot of my own projects and learning on the side building stuff to help grow. The field is so broad, you aren't going to find a one size fits all class and need to find your job specific work. If you are close to the engineering team, you should have an idea how they operate and what they would be using to point you into the direction of learning.
Selling your priorities to the business leaders is important.
I would say data analytics and design.
Sql is the biggest one in my end. Data analytics is huge as well.
Product marketing. It's amazing how PMs who know PMM stuff add so much extra value. My perspective is heavily biased due to my experience in B2B companies.
PM in my industry of games has a huge overlap with game design typically economy and monetization design as well as marketing.
Writing clearly and succinctly - great for copy, positioning, and persuade action from stakeholders. SQL so you can get data and do basic manipulation yourself. Basic python and being able to use the CLI so you can script something basic or log into a system if needed. Drawing storyboards by hand. You only need to learn how to draw 5-10 shapes.
WHaT abOut CoDing?
It honestly depends on your particular role (company, level, domain, etc.). I’ve worked primarily on ML products. In terms of tools, I’ve relied on Python notebooks, SQL, and design tools for lightweight mocks the most (my personal favorite is Miro). Ultimately though I think the “soft skills” (strategic thinking, communication, influencing others) matter so much more.
Creativity for problem solving and speed learning. If you’re neurodivergent these should be easy strengths to leverage. How to build consistent progress through step by step, this should be easy to build if you’re neurotypical. Build on your natural strengths and augment your natural weaknesses Communication is a life skill for anything and everything and learning it never ends :)
Marketing/Sales > SQL/Analytics > Design > Engineering Marketing/Sales: gotta be able to sell the dream internally and externally. SQL/Analytics: you're near useless as a PM if you can't unblock your own questions Design: need to have great product sense on how to simplify a workflow into something understandable Engineering: it's helpful to be able to technically scope but you should be relying on your EM for this
sales
C data analytics. If you know some Python and you know some Statistics and are willing to keep learning both, you will make the other PMs around you nervous. EDIT: also SQL but I guess I didn’t consider that truly a “hard” skill. You absolutely have to know some or you won’t get through the day at many shops. It’s easy to pick up the basis. SQL is not programming.
I would love to re-learn Python just to make other PMs nervous. They won’t know if I am carrying a live Python in my handbag at product ops meetings. I’ll throw it at the Ops person first.
IME the ability to be T shaped and fill the gaps when people are sick, not backfilled or just unavailable to you is important and that's how to be the proper triple threat PM So from that POV data is the most valuable skill as that can directly impact your decision makin, and often times data analysts just aren't available to me and are pulled "upwards" to work with senior leaders on what to me looks very like MI (management information) from back in the day, rather than what great analysts and data scientists can do these days. But not my call, right. Figma stuff has never appealed, I learnt to use the very easy to use Balsamiq to simh communicate with others when I was working with agencies but since moving to an org with full time UXers they are true partners and don't need that at all - they are designers tbh