Alexandra Foote

So what's going to happen to product management anyway? When I talk to mid-career PMs, I hear the same frustrations over and over: “I’m looking for a director role but all I see are individual contributor jobs.” “I want to work for an AI company but there are very few PM roles.” “I’m too tired to build at night after a day of back to back meetings.” I wrote 8 hot takes on where I think the PM role is headed next and why I'm actually optimistic. 📌 Read now: https://lnkd.in/g4Rtdbet

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30+ teams. One goal. None playing the same game. I recently stepped into a space where more than 30 teams contribute to the same outcome. On paper, we were “aligned.” In reality, each team was chasing a different metric. Then one purchase order caught our eyes. The delivery date was impossible. I pulled the thread with my team and partners and uncovered a breakdown that had been sitting under the surface for a long time, hidden in the noise of day-to-day operations. We are now working through the fix. The challenge is not about blame. It is about making the problem visible, making the first step easy to solve, and linking it to the next step so the system keeps flowing. I start small and go big. I am comfortable not knowing every detail upfront as long as I understand the big picture and build guardrails to keep us on course. You cannot fix a fragmented system overnight. But if you do not connect the pieces early, they will drift apart and take twice as long to bring back together. How do you fix a fragmented system : start small or try to solve it all at once?

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Can I combine my current career with product management?” That was one of the questions I got while speaking at a tech event over the weekend asked by an aspiring product manager who still wanted to remain in her field. It was a great question and it made me reflect. For me, I had to pivot completely from the medical field into product management. Being a healthcare worker is intense. Being a product manager? Also intense 😅 Trying to do both would’ve burned me out. But here’s the thing: My background in healthcare wasn’t wasted. it became a superpower. Whenever I work on health-related products, I bring real-world context, empathy, and experience that others may not have. To anyone wondering if they have to let go of their previous career: ✅ Some do. ✅ Some combine both. ✅ Some transition gradually. There’s no one-size-fits-all. Your journey is yours. Just make sure it’s sustainable for you. Now I’m curious for those of you who’ve transitioned into tech: Did you completely switch? Or do you still balance both paths? How did you make it work? Let’s share and encourage someone in that in-between space. #ProductManagement #CareerTransition #WomenInTech #FromHealthToTech #TechJourney #PMCommunity

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Hypotheses on layoffs - no organization owes you any entitlement, you need to simulate your finances knowing that layoffs will happen sooner or later - the macro printing money phase is coming to an end & with it the coasting in big tech is going to be rare, understand this new reality don't fight it, brace for more deep work x hard work x competition - if you didn't plan your finances accounting for a layoff, it's on you, not on your company, you are a one person business, remember that

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“What kind of PM projects should I add to my resume?” “Where do I start with a product teardown?” I have been getting these questions A LOT—so here’s a real example Sharing my Zomato Product Teardown deck focused on the Group Ordering feature, created for my recent product case competition I participated in and won! If you are starting out and wondering how to build strong PM projects, here’s a quick guide: ✅ Pick a product you use regularly and notice what could be improved ✅ Join product case competitions, you will learn a ton from the process ✅ Follow this basic teardown flow: – Product overview – User research + persona – Pain points in user journey – Solution ideas with prioritization – Wireframes/mockups – Success metrics to track impact Hope this gives you some clarity on how to structure your own teardown. Feel free to ask anything in the comments—happy to help 😊 Zomato #productmanagement #productteardown #internship

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I constantly oscillate between sharing in-progress work and completed work. This means I'm long overdue to share some exciting updates on Wonderment Delivery Promise, our pre-purchase ETAs product. Wonderment now supports Rules for transit estimations and fulfillment estimations to allow you to account for per-product ETA customizations (like embroidery and engraving), warehouse delays, or other events that would impact coming estimates. Here's a quick demo of how you can use them for communicating pre-orders, backorders, and delays: https://lnkd.in/eb88vmcu

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A junior recently reached out, confused by a job description for an Associate Product Manager (APM) role, it was asking for 10–13 years of experience with 5+ yrs working on SaaS products At first, I assumed it might be a different title structure in the org… but then I checked the salary range, and it didn’t add up. It raises a bigger concern: - Are job descriptions being added without proper checks? - Or are we now competing with AI/GPT subscription charges for salary? #ProductManagement #Hiring #APMRoles #CareerConfusion #AI #GPT

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A lot of PMs I know are feeling anxious right now for the job market. The bar is higher. AI is expected. I went through this recently. I know what it feels like. So I put together everything that actually helped me while interviewing for PM roles — and I’m sharing it to give back to the community. Not a pep talk. A practical guide: → What to fix in your resume → How to prep without burning out → Questions that come up in most loops — and how to answer them → What to do when you get rejected If you're in the thick of it, I hope this helps you breathe a little easier. Article in comments 👇 #ProductInterviews #JobHunt

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Product Manager hiring is brutal right now! Not because there are no jobs, but because hiring has changed. Even if you have a great resume, solid experience, and are genuinely good at what you do, it’s still painfully hard to land a role you deserve. I’ve been on both sides recently, and honestly, both job seekers and hiring managers are frustrated. If you’re looking - You’re drowning in fake job postings. - You’re getting “You may be a fit” emails that feel like a cruel joke. - And the “Easy Apply” button? It’s anything but easy. If you’re hiring - Hundreds of AI-generated applications flood in within minutes. - Connection requests with the same ChatGPT-written message. - You’re left sifting through noise to find one real, thoughtful candidate. The hiring game feels broken for everyone except the platforms trying to charge you for every little upgrade without delivering any real value. If you are in the market right now, I could share a few tips: 1. Don’t spend money on LinkedIn Premium I got way more out of Lenny Rachitsky's Slack group than I ever did from LinkedIn Premium. 2. Use referrals wisely Don’t waste a strong referral on a job opportunity that you are not a 100% fit for. Save that referral. 3. Network with curiosity I used to hate cold outreach. It felt cringey and forced. But once I got past that, I started enjoying it. People remember good chats, even if they’re not hiring today. Keep showing up. It will eventually work out.

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Getting a Product Job in this market, also depends on how strongly you play around your strengths and the choice of company. Half the battle is won there. Look for these similarities, to figure out if you have the edge: 1. If the team they are hiring for directly aligns to your current teams role. 2. If the product they operate in, you have experience in the same/similar industry. 3. If they are hiring for a tech PM and your skills actually show expertise in the same. 4. You can leverage your past experience directly in the new role. These are few points which are not so traditional while job hunting, but becomes essential as you advance in your career. You should know how to play with your strengths and double down on them. #productmanagement #jobhunt #PMjobs #tips #strategies

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Last two days I've interviewed a few people for Product Management role in our org. One of the most common mistake a few candidates made was not to listen to the questions asked and jumping to answers as if they want to finish their material. Successful candidates and by extension successful Product Managers listen closely and deeply to understand the problem and will ask a few clarifying questions to uncover other layers of the problem. Sometimes, in frenzy of getting through an interview or going through our delivery sprints we forget that understanding the problem is half the solution. 🙂 #productmanagement #interviewtips #interviewmistakes #productmindset #interviewprep

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