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1 month ago
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Many know the idea that mastery takes 10,000 hours of practice. This concept, made famous by Malcolm Gladwell's book "Outliers," suggests that skills like Japanese sushi-making require years of dedicated work.
While researchers have questioned the exact "10,000 hour rule," the basic idea makes sense: the more you practice, the better you get. This happens because you:
Build mental and physical skills through repetition
Face different challenges and learn to solve them
Work with various people and learn their methods
Teach others, which gives you new insights
This should also hold true for product management.
I counted for myself: Throughout my career, I spent nearly 30,000 hours working as a product manager, product owner, product lead, etc.
Certainly not. This is why:
First, my career path has changed many times. I've worked as an individual contributor and as a people manager. I've been a technical product owner and handled business aspects like pricing and portfolio management. Each role partly reset my learning curve.
Second, the product field itself keeps changing. We moved from shipping software on DVDs to cloud applications, from yearly releases to continuous deployment, and from adopting Scrum to exploring newer methods like Shape Up.
However, some skills remain valuable throughout these changes:
Working well with people
Understanding and managing risks
Clear communication
Spotting potential problems early
Focusing on customer needs
Adapting to change
(This list is not exhaustive)
True growth comes from mastering these lasting skills while keeping up with new methods.
Try these approaches:
Experience many different situations, either in one company or by changing jobs
Work in fast-changing industries where you learn more quickly
Learn from others through conferences, books, and mentoring
Product management mastery isn't just about time spent—it's about making the most of your learning opportunities.
Please like ❤️ and restack 🔁 this article so others can find it, too.
When I use a chatbot AI, I use whatever fits best to my use case. With Abacus ChatLLM, I choose between ChatGPT-5, Claude 4, Gemini, Perplexity, Grok, Llama… whatever I need, for less than a ChatGPT subscription.
[I am not affiliated with Abacus, but I am a convinced subscriber. If you use the link and subscribe, I will receive a referral fee.]
As usual, I will list some of the best articles I read on the Internet. I will keep a list of the best articles (currently >800) at https://www.digital-product-management.com. These are today’s picks:
Guide on Which AI Model to Use: A practical guide to choosing between ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, and Perplexity
Architecture of High-Performing Teams: The key components and how to use them to build a strong team or transform one that’s struggling.
Collaboration: Interest Based Conflict Resolution: It is crucial to develop a good understanding of the interests of all the stakeholders.
