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Best thing to do would be to request a short interview with the CEO. Culture is set from the top.
However, “poor culture fit” is a very reasonable reason to jump ship after a short time if it ends up being a bad environment. And that way, you’ll be coming from an existing PM role.
Mentor
Only ask to talk to CEO after you get a job offer. Don’t want to do anything there that may jeopardize your candidacy.
For a good PM 90% depend on your direct manager… if he/she is good then you will grow 10x however if they are not good then you will suffer every second…..
Try to judge on how good the hiring manager is… see how many years they have spent in the company…. How open are they to new ideas… ask them have you spend some time in this role in your previous experience
Thank you, super helpful. I can’t agree more that your direct manager is easily one of the biggest determinants of growth and overall enjoyment in a role
A big part of being an effective PM is the ability to lead without authority, resolve conflicts and work with challenging personalities - as long as it’s not toxic.
A female CEO, nice. Agree with others that if you make it farther to have a quick meeting with the CEO.
Also a question you could ask is whether or not the company has any DEI KPIs, etc. If you’re concerned about the bro culture.
I like the idea of asking about DEI KPIs. Thanks!
Ask more details about their company onboarding process and specifically their onboarding process for their product department. From past experiences if there is no initial good onboarding or handover processes set up you might find yourself struggling to get off the ground in the first few months or even doubting your job move.
Mentor
Startup life means usually not so great onboarding documentation and processes.
I would ask my hiring manager what is expected within the first 30/60 (maybe 90 days) of hiring. You should be able to tease out on boarding from the answer.