Build a Career Through People, Not Products

This week, we’re going to dig into one of the most overlooked but most powerful levers for your career as a product manager: building a network and finding a mentor.

Many product people think their success depends entirely on their ability to deliver features or manage backlogs, but the truth is your growth depends just as much on who you surround yourself with.

Unlike roles with decades of codified playbooks and well-worn career ladders, product management is still relatively new. Most companies define it differently, most leaders learned it through trial and error, and there isn’t one universally accepted path to mastery.

That’s why having people outside of your day-to-day environment, like mentors, peers, and trusted advisors, makes such a difference. They’ll help you spot blind spots, navigate politics, and understand what good product management looks like, not just whatever version your current employer has cobbled together.

Most product managers undervalue networking until they need it. They treat it like a transactional exercise: connect with someone on LinkedIn, send a message when they’re job hunting, and then disappear. Others over-index on internal mentorship, looking only to their boss or leadership chain for guidance, without realizing that those people may be reinforcing bad habits.

When you fail to invest in relationships, you cut yourself off from knowledge, opportunities, and perspective that could save you years of wasted effort.

If you want to build a long, successful career in product, you can’t do it alone.

You need the right people in your corner, both to teach you and to challenge you.

Learn From People Who Have Already Been Where You’re Headed

Experience is the best teacher, but it doesn’t always have to be your experience. One of the fastest ways to grow is by learning from someone else’s scars.

Product leaders who have already pushed through messy launches, battled with skeptical executives, or tried and failed at different approaches carry lessons you can’t find in a book or framework.

Imagine you’re facing stakeholder resistance on a new product direction. You could brute-force your way through it, wasting weeks on misalignment, or you could call someone in your network who has navigated that exact situation.

A 30 minute conversation could save you months of frustration.

Mentorship accelerates this even more. A mentor gives you continuity as someone who sees your growth over time and helps you avoid blind spots. They’ll push back on your decisions when needed, validate your instincts when you’re unsure, and keep your focus on becoming not just a competent product manager but a great one.

Stay Ahead of Trends Through Your Network

Product management evolves quickly. The tools, methodologies, and customer expectations that defined best practices five years ago are already outdated. If you only rely on your own company for exposure, you’ll miss the bigger shifts happening across the industry.

Your network is like a living, breathing radar for new ideas. By staying connected, you’ll hear about new research techniques, emerging markets, or even subtle shifts in how companies are organizing their product teams.

You don’t have to be an early adopter of everything, but you do need to stay informed enough to anticipate what might matter next.

When you hear about a new practice through peers, you also get the unfiltered truth. Frameworks and tools always look perfect on blog posts or conference slides.

Talking to other product people who’ve actually tried them tells you what works, what doesn’t, and what to avoid. That inside perspective is invaluable.

Opportunities Come Through Relationships

Let’s be honest. A big part of networking is opportunity. This doesn’t mean you should approach every conversation with the goal of getting something out of it. In fact, the opposite is true.

Strong relationships built on trust and genuine curiosity are the ones that later open doors.

Job leads, speaking invitations, partnerships, collaborations. All of these flow naturally when people know you, respect your work, and see you as part of the community.

I’ve seen it firsthand. Within months of intentionally building my own network, I picked up fractional roles, landed long-term contracts, gained coaching clients, and grew this very newsletter’s audience.

None of that came from cold applications or internal promotion ladders. It came from people.

The key is to invest before you need anything. Build the relationship first. Provide value when you can. Ask thoughtful questions. By the time you do need something—like advice on a career move—the trust will already be there.

Networking Keeps You Out of the Bubble

This is a big one and should probably have been number one. One of the most dangerous traps for a product manager is becoming too inward-looking.

You start to believe your company’s definition of product management is the definition. You adopt the broken processes around you as “normal.” You pick up bad habits because they’re all you see.

Getting outside perspectives breaks that bubble. Talking to other product managers reveals just how varied the role can be, and it gives you reference points for what good looks like.

Sometimes it’s validating to realize your struggles aren’t unique. Other times, it’s eye-opening to learn that there’s a much better way to do something you’ve been slogging through.

Either way, it keeps you honest. It keeps you from confusing motion with progress, or believing that the narrow slice of product you’re exposed to is all there is.

How to Start Building Your Network (Without Making it Awkward)

Here’s the part where most people freeze. Networking sounds good in theory, but where do you start? And how do you avoid feeling transactional?

Start simple.

Attend industry events. Even small meetups can connect you to people in your area who share your challenges.

Join online communities. LinkedIn groups, Slack channels, or dedicated communities like Mind the Product give you exposure beyond your company walls.

Reach out with curiosity. Don’t send “can I pick your brain?” emails. Instead, ask specific questions that show genuine interest. For example, “I saw you’ve led a transition from project to product thinking. How did you get leadership buy-in?”

Find a mentor. This doesn’t always need to be formal, but formal programs exist through Product School, Reforge, or other organizations. You can also approach someone you admire directly—often they’ll be flattered and willing to help.

And yes, I’ll put this out there: I take on coaching students myself. If you’re looking for structured mentorship, send me a message on LinkedIn.

In Conclusion

Product management is a hard job to master because there isn’t one path, one playbook, or one right way. But there is a shortcut: people. The mentors you trust and the peers you connect with will accelerate your growth more than any single course or framework.

So don’t wait until you need a job or hit a crisis. Start building your network today. Reach out, ask questions, contribute where you can. Your future self will thank you for it.

Thanks for reading. See you next week.