What life looks like when you’re a Product Manager
It’s me! Hi! I’m the PM, it’s me!
Lol! Yes, I am a Product Manager working in the health space at Google, and here is a realistic week in my life.
First let’s confront the crazy - my calendar!
A Product Manager’s calendar
Yes, that is what my calendar looks like sadly! Some things to note:
I work from 9 am - 5 pm on Monday anf Friday and work 7 am - 4 pm Tuesdays - Thursdays.
The early mid week start is due to my meetings with the team I work with in London.
I am still learning my new routines around return to office and am currentky unable to make the 3 days I am supposed to be in the office.
I make sure to take a full hour long lunch break and try to make it a solo break so I get a break for my poor introvert soul.
These meetings are a mix of 1:1s, standups, regular syncs and one off decision making meetings. I limit my attendance at standups to buy back some time.
I try to keep my Fridays free for writing.
I do end up working evenings after dinner and an a few hours over the weekends to get my PRD and other document writing done. 8 hours on a Friday are just not enough to keep up with the backlog of the week!
My calendar load and working style are pretty similar to other PMs. Most of them are better at saying no to meetings though!
I spend most of the time in between meetings being reactive due to the fact that I individually can’t concentrate in small chunks of time. This allows me to be productive as I unblock people while not using up too much effort on my part.
Let me know if you have any questions about what a day in the life of a PM looks like!
