Instead of learning skills based solely on personal interest, a more strategic approach is to identify the biggest, most expensive pain points in your target industry. Then, deliberately acquire the specific skills needed to solve those problems, making yourself an invaluable asset before you even apply.
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When hiring, top firms like McKinsey value a candidate's ability to articulate a deliberate, logical problem-solving process as much as their past successes. Having a structured method shows you can reliably tackle novel challenges, whereas simply pointing to past wins might suggest luck or context-specific success.
Instead of just sending a resume, prove your value upfront by delivering something tangible and useful. This could be a report on a website bug, an analysis of API documentation, or a suggested performance improvement. This 'helping' act immediately shifts the dynamic from applicant to proactive contributor.
To accelerate your career, focus on developing 'agency'. This means moving beyond assigned tasks to proactively solve unspoken, systemic problems. Instead of chasing high-visibility projects, look for the unaddressed issues that keep leaders up at night. Solving these demonstrates true ownership and strategic value.
Instead of chasing random skills, simplify your career development by focusing on mastering one of four core value-creation archetypes: creating things (Make), generating attention (Market), selling (Monetize), or overseeing outcomes for others (Manage). This framework clarifies where to invest your efforts.
Average performers avoid learning new technologies by claiming their customers don't use them. High achievers operate with the discipline of proactive learning, assuming that mastering new tools is essential for future success, regardless of immediate application. Their mindset is, "I don't know this and I need to, therefore I'm going to learn it."
Product management "range" is developed not by learning domain-specific facts, but by recognizing universal human behaviors that transcend industries—the desire for simplicity, convenience, or saving time. Working across different verticals hones this pattern-matching skill, which is more valuable than deep expertise in a world of accessible information.
When transitioning to a new industry, your lack of domain knowledge is secondary. Focus on your "superpower": the proven, repeatable process you use to deliver results. Articulate your ability to launch, rally teams, and solve problems, as these core skills are universally valuable.
"Bad niching" boxes you in, making you unemployable outside a tiny market. "Good niching" focuses on solving a specific, high-value problem (e.g., messaging, positioning) that is applicable across multiple industries, ensuring your skills remain transferable and in-demand.
Technical implementation is becoming easier with AI. The critical, and now more valuable, skill is the ability to deeply understand customer needs, communicate effectively, and guide a product to market fit. The focus is shifting from "how to build it" to "what to build and why."
To become indispensable, go beyond surface-level knowledge. Develop such deep expertise in your client's industry that they feel not choosing you would be actively detrimental to their organization. This makes you an essential partner, not just another vendor.
