Siddharth Saoji 
“I hear you’ve applied for that Product Manager position?”
“Yes! I’ve read three PM books, taken two certification courses, and practiced drawing product roadmaps in my sleep.”
“Fascinating. And what did you do before this sudden passion for sticky notes and user stories?”
“Well, nothing related to product… I was an engineer/data scientist/sales rep. Does that matter?”
“Oh, not at all. Except that it might be the only thing that actually helps you succeed.”
“I’m… not sure I follow.”
“Let me explain. All those beautiful frameworks you’ve memorized? They’ll last about three days before reality intervenes. Then you’ll need something else entirely.”
“Such as?”
“Perhaps the ability to understand why your engineering team is looking at you like you’ve suggested building a perpetual motion machine. Or why sales keeps mentioning that feature no customer has ever requested.”
“But the books said—”
“The books don’t mention that your primary job is translating between species that barely speak the same language. Engineers, designers, executives, customers—all with different priorities, vocabularies, and pain thresholds.”
“So my technical/sales/data background…”
“…means you’ve already been one of those species. You know their tribal rituals. This is anthropology, not management science.”
“What about the PM-first folks?”
“Ah, yes. The theoretical Product Managers. Wonderful at reciting principles. Rather like someone who’s memorized a language dictionary but never had a conversation with a native speaker.”
“I’m sensing some skepticism.”
“Not at all. I’m sure their slide decks are impeccable. But product management isn’t about slides—it’s about empathy. And empathy requires experience.”
“Like entrepreneurs who become PMs?”
“Precisely. They’ve had to be designer, developer, salesperson, and therapist—often in the same afternoon. They’ve felt the pain on all sides.”
“So my previous career wasn’t a detour?”
“Quite the opposite. It might be the only reason anyone will listen to you at all.”
“That’s… comforting, I think?”
“Product management isn’t about being right. It’s about understanding why everyone else thinks they’re right, finding the overlap, and making it seem like their idea. Previous experience is your secret decoder ring.’
“So basically, I should leverage my past life rather than hide it?”
“Now you’re thinking like a PM. Congratulations, you’ve just pivoted your personal value proposition.”