A framework for PM skill development | Vikrama Dhiman (Gojek)
Vikrama Deeman, Gojek's Head of Product, shares his 3 W's career growth framework for PMs: what you produce, what you bring to the table, and your operating model. He also discusses common career pitfalls and how to overcome them by focusing on what you control, embracing change, and correcting self-narratives.
Deep Dive Analysis
11 Topic Outline
Framework for PM Career Growth (3 W's)
First W: Focus on Outputs and Execution
Second W: Impact on Impact through Artifacts
Third W: Effective Operating Model with Stakeholders
The Art of Effective Pushback
Mindset Shifts Impeding Career Growth
Personal Journey: Overcoming Self-Perception
Strategic Skill Development for PMs
Navigating the Ambiguity of the PM Role
Eight Key Axes for PM Skill Development
Contrarian Views: Intent vs. Action, Effort vs. Hours
6 Key Concepts
Three W's Framework
A career growth framework for product managers comprising 'What you produce,' 'What you bring to the table,' and 'What's your operating model.' Strong PMs excel in at least two, while those rising perform well on all three axes.
What You Produce (Outputs & Outcomes)
The first 'W' of the career growth framework, emphasizing that early in a PM's career, the focus should be on tangible outputs (shipping products, running experiments). As one grows, the focus shifts to owning outcomes, but the ability to produce outputs remains crucial.
What You Bring to the Table (Impact on Impact)
The second 'W,' which refers to demonstrating one's contribution to the product's impact through high-quality artifacts like PRDs, product notes, strategy docs, and design briefs. It shows progression across data, design, technology, and strategy pillars.
Operating Model (Working with Others)
The third 'W,' focusing on communication, collaboration, organizational, and community skills. It involves raising difficult issues without being difficult, bringing out important topics without drawing importance to oneself, and getting decisions made without making all decisions personally.
Mindful Agency
A self-perception shift from being a 'high agency PM' (which can sometimes imply being brash or cutting corners) to a 'mindful agency PM.' This involves adapting one's approach to different team cultures and contexts, especially in diverse regions like Southeast Asia, while still getting work done.
PM as Community Enabler
The idea that a product manager's role extends beyond technical and strategic tasks to fostering community within the team and organization. This 'software aspect' ties everyone together towards a common mission, especially vital in remote or distributed teams.
10 Questions Answered
Successful product managers who grow rapidly excel across three key areas: what they produce (outputs and outcomes), what they bring to the table (quality of artifacts and impact on impact), and their operating model (how they work with others.
Early in their career, PMs should focus on producing tangible outputs like shipping products and running experiments. While outcomes are important, mastering execution and delivering useful small things builds a strong foundation before obsessing over broader strategy.
'Bringing to the table' means demonstrating one's contribution to impact through high-quality product artifacts (PRDs, product notes, design briefs) and showing progression in data, design, technology, and strategy skills. It's about the quality and depth of one's work, not just the quantity.
An effective operating model involves raising difficult issues without being difficult, highlighting important topics without seeking personal importance, and facilitating decisions rather than making all decisions personally. It emphasizes communication, collaboration, and organizational skills.
Career growth often stalls when PMs focus on things beyond their control, resist change (allowing their rate of change to slow down), or tell themselves limiting stories about who they are as a PM (e.g., 'I'm a high-agency PM' as an excuse for being difficult).
Successful pushback involves bringing the conversation to a more logical space from an emotional one, focusing on adding value, unblocking the team, and preventing work on 'stupid' or likely-to-change tasks.
PMs should identify areas where they are 'floundering' and fix those first for the highest leverage. Then, they should pick one skill from data or technology, and one from design/research or strategy, especially those not already strong in their background, to develop strategically.
Instead of obsessing over a precise definition of product management, PMs should focus on their contribution and output, ensuring they add value across the core axes of data, design, technology, and strategy, acting as a 'community enabler' that ties disciplines together.
While good intent is important, it's not enough; a PM's actions, behavior, and communication must also clearly convey their intentions and capabilities. The way one communicates and collaborates is as crucial as the underlying intent.
Yes, putting in effort and hours is critical for personal growth and skill improvement in product management. While avoiding workaholism, dedicating time and energy to honing one's craft is essential for development.
18 Actionable Insights
1. Focus on Output Early & Always
Prioritize getting things done and shipping products, especially early in your career. Even as a senior leader, don’t forget individual contributor tasks; pull up your sleeves to maintain credibility and impact.
2. Be Useful in Small, Impactful Ways
Actively seek out areas where leaders are blocked (e.g., preparing briefs, slides, legal reviews) and volunteer to deliver first drafts. Focus on small, tangible outputs that contribute to overall outcomes and your learning.
3. Produce High-Quality Product Artifacts
Demonstrate your impact by consistently creating excellent product artifacts like PRDs, product notes, strategy docs, and design briefs. Ensure pre-iteration planning is thorough and Jira stories are well-described.
4. Master Collaborative Operating Model
Raise difficult issues without being difficult, bring up important topics without seeking personal importance, and focus on getting decisions made rather than making all decisions yourself.
5. Push Back Logically, Not Emotionally
When disagreeing, bring conversations to a logical space from an emotional one. Aim to add value, advance the product, and unblock your team, rather than being perceived as an obstacle or hindrance.
6. Focus on What You Control
Direct your energy towards aspects of your career and work that are within your influence, such as your output, the quality of your work, and your operating model, rather than external factors beyond your control.
7. Continuously Increase Your Rate of Change
Actively seek opportunities to grow and learn new skills. Benchmark yourself against industry bests or other functions to identify areas for improvement and maintain a high rate of personal development.
8. Correct Self-Limiting Stories
Regularly examine the narratives you tell yourself about your capabilities and identity (e.g., ‘I’m a high-agency PM’). If these stories hinder growth, talk to trusted people for external perspective and consciously reframe them into enabling stories, like ‘I am a learner.’
9. Be Open to Feedback & Focus Skill Development
Welcome feedback as a gift, even if it’s difficult. Instead of trying to improve everything at once, identify the single area that offers the maximum leverage for your growth and focus on mastering it before moving to the next.
10. Strategic Skill Pairing for PM Transitions
When transitioning into product management, or early in your PM career, pair skill development. If from a design/research background, focus on data or tech; if from data/tech, focus on design/research. Once proficient in two of these, then prioritize strategy.
11. Embrace the PM Role as a Community Enabler
View yourself as a ’time piece’ and a co-collaborator across all disciplines (data, design, tech, strategy). Your role is to tie everyone together towards a common mission, especially in distributed teams, and elevate the team’s overall contribution and output.
12. Intent Is Not Enough; Actions Matter
Understand that good intentions alone are insufficient. Your actions, behavior, communication, and collaboration must consistently reflect your true intent and desired impact.
13. Dedicate Sufficient Effort and Hours
Acknowledge that significant personal and career growth often requires substantial time and effort. Don’t shy away from putting in the necessary hours to develop your skills and advance.
14. Read ‘Small Data’ by Martin Lindstrom
This book offers insights for product people on how to quickly gain a deep understanding of a market or user space to inform campaigns and product decisions.
15. Read ‘Originals’ by Adam Grant
This book helps challenge self-perceptions and provides a reality check for those who might feel stuck or overly confident, aiding in personal growth.
16. Read ‘Thinking Fast and Slow’ by Daniel Kahneman
This book explains cognitive biases and the difference between intuitive and deliberate thought, helping you understand why change and feedback are challenging and how to approach them more effectively.
17. Use a Brainstorming Interview Question
Ask candidates to brainstorm choices for a product they frequently use, exploring potential features, evolution over time (6-12 months), and alignment with overall goals. Look for their ability to abstract goals, identify users, and reason backward from impact.
18. Adopt a ‘Never Too Late’ Mindset
Believe that it’s never too late to pursue your desired career path or personal goals, regardless of your age or current stage in life.
6 Key Quotes
Raise difficult issues without being difficult to work with. Bring out important topics without drawing importance to yourself. And be able to get decisions made without having to make all the decisions yourself.
Vikrama Dhiman
The moment you are able to correct those stories, you may be back on the growth path again.
Vikrama Dhiman
You are one part of the cog wheel. You're not the entire wheel yourself.
Vikrama Dhiman
Intent is not enough.
Vikrama Dhiman
You still need to put in the effort and our number of hours is effort.
Vikrama Dhiman
It's not too late ever, you can be and do what you want right now.
Vikrama Dhiman
3 Protocols
PM Career Growth Framework (3 W's)
Vikrama Dhiman- **What you produce**: Focus on tangible outputs (launching products, running experiments) early in your career. As you advance, own outcomes but continue to hone output craft.
- **What you bring to the table**: Demonstrate impact through high-quality product artifacts (PRDs, product notes, strategy docs, design briefs) and show progression in data, design, technology, and strategy skills.
- **What's your operating model**: Focus on communication, collaboration, organizational, and community skills. Raise difficult issues without being difficult, bring out important topics without drawing importance to yourself, and get decisions made without making all decisions yourself.
Addressing Career Growth Stalls
Vikrama Dhiman- **Focus on what you control**: Redirect attention from external factors (organizational issues, stakeholder behavior) to your own craft, output, and operating model.
- **Embrace change**: Continuously seek to increase your 'rate of change' by benchmarking yourself against industry bests or other functions, identifying areas for improvement.
- **Correct your self-perception**: Identify and challenge limiting stories you tell yourself (e.g., 'I'm a high-agency PM' as an excuse for negative behaviors) and replace them with enabling stories like 'I am a learner.'
Strategic Skill Development for PMs
Vikrama Dhiman- **Identify highest leverage areas**: If you are 'floundering' in a skill, fix that first as it offers the most immediate impact.
- **Combine complementary skills**: For those transitioning or early in their career, pick one skill from data or technology, and one from design/research or strategy.
- **Leverage background**: If coming from design/research, pick data or tech. If from data/tech, pick design/research.
- **Focus on strategy later**: Once you've demonstrated proficiency in two of the three (data, tech, design/research), then shift focus to strategy.
- **Be patient during transition**: Allow for a slower pace during transitions to ensure thorough skill development, which enables faster growth later.