If you make $100k+ a year working in product, what would you say are the largest factors that helped you get where you are today? What has your career trajectory been like so far, and what are your plans for the future? Sorry if that's a lot, just looking for some insight to help me with goal setting.

Honestly I didn’t have much of a career trajectory. Started off in MBB consulting, hated it, and used the pedigree of my firm + undergrad to recruit for Product and then negotiate aggressively. Some people start as PM interns in college and start right out or the gate as APMs. Everyone has a different path

Honestly work experience. Each company I took away learnings that helped me understand how to communicate, manage stakeholders and projects, etc. my first 7 years in my career were not even in product but those were extremely valuable to help me understand others POVs.

Probably the hardest lesson learned for me was to stick up for myself and never settle. I used to make shit money ($47-60k) as a business analyst and worked my ass off at the same company for almost 4 years. Always took on more thinking I’d eventually get rewarded for it.

Well after my friends and coworkers encouraged me to say something, I told my manager that I deserved a title bump and equal pay to my PM peers who were doing the exact same level of work as me. She told me she would work something out. Despite getting constant praises from leadership and a shit ton of promises from my director and manager, nothing ever happened. I waited nearly a year before realizing that nothing would ever happen. Quitting that job was a turning point for me in my career. I told myself I would never settle for any job if I felt undervalued at that company.

Then I went to work at a tech startup under the impression that I would be mentored as a PM while still having the title as a business analyst. I did the same shit as I did at my last company but at least I was paid better ($85k). It didn’t take long for me to realize that the Product org was a glorified marketing department. There were several uncomfortable situations where I was placed in charge of a few projects more technical in nature. What really drove me away was when they hired more mediocre PMs to take some work off my plate and the CTO insisted that I wasn’t “ready” for a promotion. Yet somehow, I was the one that ended up training the new PMs on how to do their damn jobs. I was there for less than a year.

When I started interviewing for PM roles last year, I got an offer with a fairly controversial company that I just couldn’t say no to. I was making nearly $150k there. This was 3x more than what I was making 5 years ago! It finally clicked inside me that I knew exactly how much my worth was.

Well shit hit the fan a couple months ago and I was laid off along with half my team. I spent several weeks unemployed but I told myself that I wasn’t going to accept any job that paid any less. I could’ve easily settled for a senior business analyst or APM role barely making $100k but I turned down all those recruiters/interviews. Now I’m a PM at a large non-tech company, making well over $150k. I could’ve accepted their initial offer making the same salary as my last job where I had only been making that for only 6 months but I still managed to negotiate more.

Anyways. Never fucking settle. Even now, I still want more for myself. I plan to stay at my company for at least 2 years before looking around again. Gotta hit that $200k mark somehow and sticking with one company rarely gets you there quickly. I am happy with where I’m at but it’s hard to let go of this mindset especially when wanting more got me to where I’m at today.

Prioritising your learnings, interests, goals and career.
Make sure if you are in a company you see that it add no value to your goals, leave! Always prioritise yourself, goals and mental health.
Do not wait to spend the time somewhere just for the sake of the timeline, people moves around!

For me I use to work in sport and with kids as a nanny so I went back to study ensuring I have a good degree in my pocket and improve my knowledge in general.
Once that was done, I landed a first role with a big corporate and found actually that was not what I wanted from a role I stayed 8 months.
Reach a startup end up managing a lot of product but then was part of layoff later then moved to a scale up for 1 and half year, moved to consulting in my current role 1 and half year.
In numbers:
1. 8 months $32k
2. 9 months $51k -> $57k
3. 1year and a half $71k
4. 1year and a half $124k
This is far from FAANG/MAANG but only sharing what worked for me as a PM

What works for me was ensuring:
- I maximised my learning and knowledge
- learned a lot on the side and apply, attend events, take courses try to apply as much as I could etc… ( Evan and Cole product courses suit were a 💎 for me at time).
- Jumping from role to role unfortunately is something that will work but you need to ensure you can prove your value
- Paying for optimised professional CV writing every now and then as well as a super polished Linkdln
- A lot of interview preparation and keeping opportunities open

Hope it helps

Oof I am wondering this same thing. No where close to that right now and sometimes it feels hopeless, but I know at least it's possible in this industry. Used to work as a waitress so I shouldn't complain!

I was in a few different roles before I got into product roles. The major factors I focused on is to learn as much as I could. Took the best from whoever is around me, learned and practiced it. Even if it's not my job or pay grade to know it, and then tried to apply it. Since it's not my role, I was able to apply the principles and learn while not being solely responsible to get it right. This was at the start.

Then I prioritized the projects, products and companies that gave me challenging opportunities which helped me learn and grow. Every role I took, I made sure it had atleast 30,% new responsibilities so that I always grew in some aspect.

As for money, I figured a while back that I need to ask and even then I won't get it in the same role/company. So every year my goal will be to pick up some new responsibilities which added to the pay marginally. Every two years, made key change to my role - step up, promotion, internal move. And when I maxed my potential in the role/product/company - tried to find another team/product or I just found a new company.

There is no fixed formula as you would have noticed in all the replies. But one thing to make sure is that you have a healthy balance, not a toxic environment and have a supportive team that helps you learn and grow. If you have this then -
1. Keep learning something new
2. Don't get to comfortable
3. Get some certification every few years if not every year to stay updated
4. Change your product/role and/or company to stay challenged and to get the bump you need
5. Ask the money you want, research thoroughly the range at the time based on role
6. Every 6-8months just give interviews just to know what's up in the market - what skills are in demand, changing trends etc. It gives a good picture of what you need to work on, learn, hone

I transitioned back into tech in 2019 and became a product manager in 2021. The thing that helped me move into product was being a SME in the industry we were selling into so I had a chance to be the go to person for various departments. What helped me make the salary jump was switching companies about a year and a half in the PM role.

It took me a long time and multiple job hops but I’ve been doing this for 17 years. Hearing about people making 100+ by year two can be very disheartening so don’t let that get you down. It took me 9 years because of a combo of discrimination and being in a small metro area that just seemed to discover Product a few years ago. My best advice is to stay positive in your work interactions. Never be honest in an exit interview because telling them how you really feel will only hurt you. Companies almost never make changes based on exit interview feedback. You never know when you may get an invite to come back at a higher title or salary so no burning bridges.

I started off in sales and made a lateral move to product within my company, tbh there isn’t really a tried and true recipe to get there most of the time. Some people do all the extra courses, certs, interview prep, etc and it doesn’t get them there. It can sometimes have a lot to do with just pitching what value you can bring to the product and how it aligns with the mission/vision. I know a lot of people who did everything you’re “supposed” to do and they just weren’t very good

Had 0 related experience or trajectory. Saw a few products that no one wanted to touch and invested time in them, as they grew I got assigned or found more.

For me I’d say the past 8 yrs have been finding or creating products and then making them valuable. Nothing was on my job description.

Honestly the biggest part of my success has been my relationships, knowing the right people that can point me in the right directions and give me guidance.

Always being comfortable with change and learning is my biggest factor.

My trajectory looks like this:
started in a product specialist role ($60k), got my masters while I was in that role, then transitioned to a scrum master role right before I graduated. ($90k)

Being a scrum master was not a long term role for me but i took it to get my foot in the door towards product management. I started taking on more of the product owner responsibilities for my teams and learned a lot on the job.

I was able to transition officially to a Product Owner role within the company, but ended up leaving for an external PO role that paid about $110k. I’m now in a product manager role (~130k)

For the future, I’d ideally like to stay in product and become a product leader

I think the prestige from where I started my career. I only really have <2 YOE in product. I started as a project manager, did that for 2 yrs, then jumped to a 100k TC role. The company did a re-org which led me to product. I jumped again and now at 150k TC.

I started my product journey at a smallish tech startup as a project manager and was super lucky to have supportive managers. I asked for and they gave me several product-related projects so I gained great experience. After 2ish years they moved me to an actual product role, and I stayed for another year. I hit over 100k once I left there and went to a larger company. I now work at a consulting firm but as a product manger and make 146.

For me, it was being really good at the basics of the role and being able to communicate my value. I met a company who just wanted someone who could do the basics really well and with my experience matching a lot of what they needed, I negotiate my offer to just a bit over 100k.

One thing that helps in Product space is to analyze different case studies. In all interviews the companies asked situation based questions to which I felt case study 📚 practise comes as very beneficial.
I am still a learner but thought of sharing this.

For me, the largest factors were work ethic and genuine relationships. Yeah I’ve completely worked my tail off but I also had managers who saw the drive and gave me opportunities to develop and show different skills.