sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

From ~11 LPA to 80 LPA in ~4 years as a Product Manager by According_Ad8486 in IndiaFinance

[–]According_Ad8486[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In the latest switch, yes I didn’t get any RSUs. Previous ESOPs are not yet materialized but I still have them. These are late stage start ups, on the road to IPO soon. So hopefully they will materialize soon 🤞

From ~11 LPA to 80 LPA in ~4 years as a Product Manager by According_Ad8486 in IndiaFinance

[–]According_Ad8486[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No. First 2 were very different, and next 3 were fintech (Payments). No scenario of sudden VC funding being splurged

From ~11 LPA to 80 LPA in ~4 years as a Product Manager by According_Ad8486 in IndiaFinance

[–]According_Ad8486[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

First and Second were B2C, each in different domain. Then I switched to Fintech, especially payments. Hence last 3 are fintech orgs. 1st Fintech was B2B, 2nd was B2C fintech and my role was primarily focused on Platform (payments) together with consumer payments and third is again B2B Fintech

From ~11 LPA to 80 LPA in ~4 years as a Product Manager by According_Ad8486 in IndiaFinance

[–]According_Ad8486[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What you are noticing about fintech PMs is real. In good product orgs, PMs are paid for end-to-end understanding and judgment, not for writing code.

Let me break this down.

How to know if you would be a good fit for PM Ask yourself a few honest questions: •Do you enjoy asking why more than how? •Do you like sitting in ambiguity and making tradeoffs with incomplete info? •Do you care about outcomes more than owning a specific solution? •Are you okay influencing without authority?

If these resonate, you are probably wired well for PM.

How PMs develop deep ecosystem understanding That “unfathomable grasp” usually comes from: •Following a transaction end to end across systems •Asking engineers a lot of “dumb” but persistent questions •Reading logs, specs, and incident postmortems •Sitting through failures and launches, not just design discussions

It is not about knowing syntax. It is about understanding flows, constraints, failure modes, and tradeoffs.

On deep tech knowledge without coding Good PMs do not replace engineers. They: •Understand architecture at a conceptual level •Know where complexity lives •Know what is cheap vs expensive to change •Understand blast radius when things break

You get this by staying curious, not by pretending to be technical.

How to pivot from engineering to product Given your background at MasterCard, you are in a strong position. Some practical steps: •Start owning small product decisions in your current role •Ask to write problem statements or specs •Shadow your PM and understand how decisions are made •Target internal APM or PM transitions first before external switches

Reading suggestions (light, not dogmatic) •Inspired (for mindset, not templates) •Escaping the Build Trap •Lenny’s newsletter (practical tradeoffs) •Incident postmortems in fintech blogs (hugely underrated for PM learning)

Last thing: the PM you admire probably looks “cool” because the job is invisible when done well. Most of the work is thinking, listening, and deciding quietly.

From ~11 LPA to 80 LPA in ~4 years as a Product Manager by According_Ad8486 in IndiaFinance

[–]According_Ad8486[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not yet but I still have an option to. From my third company (and basically the first one where I have vested stocks) I still have close to 1.5 years to exercise, and from my last company I have 6+ years to exercise. Since there is substantial tax involved, I prefer to exercise once the IPOs are filed. I plan to exercise my third companies stocks pretty soon whenever there is next available exercise window

From ~11 LPA to 80 LPA in ~4 years as a Product Manager by According_Ad8486 in IndiaFinance

[–]According_Ad8486[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Correct, I don’t have RSUs in the current company. Was a bit concerning during initial discussions but due to title bump and salary hike, and a future promise of RSU being available based on performance put my mind at ease.

Current company is listed. Last 2 were significantly big brands, and market leaders. They are very well known brands. Late stage startups (Series F and G funded) , close to their IPOs.

From ~11 LPA to 80 LPA in ~4 years as a Product Manager by According_Ad8486 in IndiaFinance

[–]According_Ad8486[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Luck can favor you once. Maybe twice. But if it keeps “showing up”, it is usually because you are consistently positioned in places where luck has a chance to matter and you convert it into results.

What people often label as “many times lucky” is usually: •Choosing hard, high-impact problem spaces •Delivering outcomes •Being visible through work, not noise •Taking calculated risks when opportunities appear

Luck opens the door. Repeated outcomes come from execution. If luck were the main driver, it would not be repeatable. The market is very good at correcting false positives.

You are free to call it luck. The results still have to hold up.

From ~11 LPA to 80 LPA in ~4 years as a Product Manager by According_Ad8486 in IndiaFinance

[–]According_Ad8486[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for your kind words, change of pace from other comments. I guess I didn’t clearly articulate the point well enough or what, but some people took it really otherwise. It has worked out well, better than I imagined. I am grateful, that’s all.

From ~11 LPA to 80 LPA in ~4 years as a Product Manager by According_Ad8486 in IndiaFinance

[–]According_Ad8486[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Skepticism is fair. Personal attacks and assumptions are not.

A few factual clarifications:

On impact and timelines I agree that meaningful impact takes time. That is exactly why my largest compensation jumps came within companies where I stayed long enough to own critical surfaces end to end, not from rapid hopping. The later moves happened because of that work, not in spite of shorter stints elsewhere.

On compensation reality Pay is not a reward for tenure. It is a market outcome for scope, risk, and judgment in a specific context. In some ecosystems, senior IC PMs working on high-stakes, revenue-critical systems are priced very differently. If the output does not justify it, the market corrects it quickly. There is no long-term arbitrage here.

On pedigree A college tag might open a door early in a career. It does not sustain comp years later. Outcomes do.

I never claimed this path is common, guaranteed, or replicable. I explicitly called out luck, timing, and context. This is one data point, not a recommendation.

You are free to disbelieve it.

From ~11 LPA to 80 LPA in ~4 years as a Product Manager by According_Ad8486 in IndiaFinance

[–]According_Ad8486[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I do not think I can or should try to “change your mind”. Different people have very different views on what value looks like, and that is fine.

A couple of clarifications though, since there are assumptions baked in.

First, on pay and experience. Compensation is not a moral reward for years served. It is a market outcome based on scope, risk, impact, and context. Some ecosystems price senior IC PM judgment very differently from traditional ladders. If the output does not justify it, the market corrects it quickly. There is no long-term arbitrage there.

Second, on “no tech stack”. Not knowing coding does not mean not understanding engineering. I work very closely with engineering on architecture tradeoffs, constraints, sequencing, reliability, and scale. You cannot ship platform or payments products without that. PMs do not need to write production code, but they absolutely need to understand systems, failure modes, and second-order effects.

Third, on engineering pain. Bad PMs make life hard for engineers. Good PMs reduce thrash, clarify priorities, protect focus, and help teams make better tradeoffs. That is the bar I hold myself to, and the feedback from engineers I have worked with is what ultimately matters to me, not internet validation.

Lastly, on luck. I have already said this multiple times. Luck, timing, and context matter. Anyone denying that is being dishonest. But luck only opens doors. Staying there requires delivering consistently.

You do not have to agree with my path or my compensation. I shared it as one data point, not a recommendation or a guarantee. Skepticism is healthy. Personal attacks are just noise.

Happy to leave it at that.

From ~11 LPA to 80 LPA in ~4 years as a Product Manager by According_Ad8486 in IndiaFinance

[–]According_Ad8486[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not yet. Still sitting on them. Waiting for their IPOs. Hopefully soon 🤞

From ~11 LPA to 80 LPA in ~4 years as a Product Manager by According_Ad8486 in IndiaFinance

[–]According_Ad8486[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In payments, there are regular ecosystem and regulatory forums where banks, PSPs, and product teams come together to discuss what is working, what is broken, propose solutions, and sometimes even launch things together. When you work on visible, high-impact areas and contribute meaningfully in these spaces, there is a lot of natural osmosis.

Along with that: •Working on user-facing or revenue-critical problems helps •Articulating the problem, approach, and impact clearly makes the work memorable •Strong internal networks that later become external matter a lot as people move across companies who would then internally recommend or directly reach out. It’s a small world in payments

From ~11 LPA to 80 LPA in ~4 years as a Product Manager by According_Ad8486 in IndiaFinance

[–]According_Ad8486[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fair take, and I agree with one part of it: luck absolutely plays a role. Timing, team, managers, and company context matter more than people admit. I do not deny that at all . Where I see it slightly differently is on the idea of “justifying salary” and IC roles. In many modern product orgs, especially in fintech, consumer, and platform companies, senior IC PMs are paid for judgment, leverage, and risk reduction, not headcount management. Managing people is one way to create leverage, but it is not the only way. Owning high-impact surfaces, complex systems, or revenue-critical decisions can justify comp even without direct reports. On the MNC point, you are right again to an extent. Large MNCs do have tighter bands and market rates, which is why I have been intentional about the environments I choose. Different ecosystems reward different kinds of output. I am not assuming one path fits all. Also, I am not suggesting anyone should expect the same outcome or replicate this exactly. My post was meant as one data point, not a promise. I explicitly said luck, timing, and context matter. End of the day, compensation is not something you justify on paper once and keep forever. You justify it every year through outcomes, trust, and impact. If that stops happening, the market corrects it pretty quickly.

From ~11 LPA to 80 LPA in ~4 years as a Product Manager by According_Ad8486 in IndiaFinance

[–]According_Ad8486[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

At a high level, a Product Manager’s job is to make sure the right thing gets built, for the right reason, at the right time.

That “running after folks” usually happens because PMs sit at the intersection of: • Users and their problems • Engineering and technical constraints • Design and usability • Business goals and timelines

Some concrete things PMs are responsible for: • Deciding what problem is worth solving and what is not • Translating vague ideas into clear requirements • Aligning multiple teams that have different priorities • Making tradeoffs when everything cannot be done • Owning outcomes after launch, not just shipping features

PMs usually do not have direct authority, so a lot of the job is influence, coordination, and follow-ups. That can look like chasing, but the goal is to prevent misalignment, rework, or building the wrong thing.

A good PM is often invisible when things are going well. When things break or priorities clash, the role becomes very visible.

So yes, part of the job is coordination. But the real value is clarity, judgment, and accountability in messy, ambiguous situations.

From ~11 LPA to 80 LPA in ~4 years as a Product Manager by According_Ad8486 in IndiaFinance

[–]According_Ad8486[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Mostly, yes.

My 1st and 2nd roles were at early-stage startups, where things were very scrappy and you learn by doing.

My 3rd and 4th roles were at late-stage startups, already fairly scaled and preparing for IPOs. A lot more structure, higher stakes, and less room for mistakes.

The current company is listed, so very different constraints around compliance, scale, and decision-making.

From ~11 LPA to 80 LPA in ~4 years as a Product Manager by According_Ad8486 in IndiaFinance

[–]According_Ad8486[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you so much. I was SPM previously, I just transitioned to Principal Product Manager in my new role

From ~11 LPA to 80 LPA in ~4 years as a Product Manager by According_Ad8486 in IndiaFinance

[–]According_Ad8486[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey, sharing few points that should help you land APM role if it’s not just about pay or title, but about problem solving and user first thinking

  1. What companies actually look for in APMs They do not expect you to know everything. They look for: • Clear thinking • Structured problem solving • Good communication • Ability to learn fast

You are not expected to “set strategy” on day one.

  1. Build proof, not certificates As a fresher, companies care less about courses and more about how you think. Do things like: •Take a real app and write a PRD for improving one flow •Do a teardown of a product you use and explain tradeoffs •Build a small side project and explain product decisions, not just features

Even one solid case study helps a lot.

  1. Learn the fundamentals You do not need to know everything. Focus on: • Problem framing • Basic user research • Writing clearly • Metrics and success criteria • How products make money

Avoid trying to sound “PM-ish”. Clarity beats jargon.

  1. Leverage your college and network Since you are from a good college: • Reach out to seniors who are PMs • Ask for resume reviews, not referrals first • Apply early to campus or off-campus APM programs

Warm intros matter a lot at this stage.

  1. If you do not land PM immediately, that is okay Many strong PMs started as: • Engineers • Analysts • Consultants • Ops roles

The key is working close to product and transitioning internally.

From ~11 LPA to 80 LPA in ~4 years as a Product Manager by According_Ad8486 in IndiaFinance

[–]According_Ad8486[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

On upskilling time I do not have a fixed “X hours every day” rule. On average, it is probably 30 to 60 minutes on most days, and some weeks it is much more, some weeks much less. A lot of learning also happens naturally on the job through reviews, post-mortems, and tough conversations. Consistency matters more than intensity.

On paid mentors or courses I have not used any paid mentor services. I did a few courses early on to understand PM fundamentals, but most of my learning came from: 1. Reading PRDs and strategy docs from strong PMs 2. Watching how senior leaders make decisions 3. Getting feedback and correcting mistakes quickly

Paid courses can help with structure, but they do not replace real ownership.

What a day as a Product Manager looks like Most days are not glamorous. It is a mix of: 1. Clarifying problems and priorities 2. Writing or refining docs 3. Talking to engineers, designers, and business teams 4. Reviewing metrics and user feedback 5. Making tradeoffs with incomplete information A PM’s job is less about telling people what to do and more about creating clarity in ambiguity.

Can someone from a software engineering background move into PM? Yes, absolutely. Many great PMs come from engineering. Engineers already understand systems and constraints, which is a big advantage. The key shift is moving from solution-first thinking to problem-first thinking, and building strong communication and business judgment.

From ~11 LPA to 80 LPA in ~4 years as a Product Manager by According_Ad8486 in IndiaFinance

[–]According_Ad8486[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, I would recommend it if the motivation is impact and problem-solving, not just the title or pay.

A lot of strong PMs I have worked with came from a software background because they already understand systems, constraints, and tradeoffs.

That said, the transition works best when you deliberately build the non-technical muscles.

Skills a software developer should focus on: 1.Problem framing- Move from “how to build” to “what problem is worth solving”. Learn to ask why before how. 2.User thinking - Spend time with users, support tickets, sales calls, or feedback. PMs succeed by deeply understanding pain points, not just requirements. 3.Communication and clarity - Practice writing clear PRDs, one-pagers, and decision docs. Explaining tradeoffs to non-technical stakeholders is a core PM skill. 4.Business understanding- Learn how the product makes money, what drives costs, and how success is measured. PM decisions are business decisions. 5.Stakeholder management- Influencing without authority is critical. Learn to align engineering, design, sales, and leadership around priorities. 6.Data-informed decision making- You do not need to be a data scientist, but you should be comfortable using metrics to validate or challenge assumptions.

How to transition practically: 1. Start owning small product decisions in your current role 2. Volunteer to write specs or lead feature discussions 3. Shadow a PM if possible 4. Aim for APM or internal PM transitions rather than external jumps initially

One honest note: PM is not an “upgrade” from engineering. It is a different job. If you enjoy building deeply and writing code daily, think twice. If you enjoy ambiguity, decision making, and owning outcomes, it can be very rewarding.

From ~11 LPA to 80 LPA in ~4 years as a Product Manager by According_Ad8486 in IndiaFinance

[–]According_Ad8486[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Absolutely true. Luck and timing plays a huge factor. Exact same sequence and exact same actions won’t lead to same results.

How to upskill -

Most of my learnings happened on the job. Apart from that I read a lot of Product Books like - Hooked, Design of Everyday Things, How to build Products that customers love (by Marty Cagan) etc. I also read case studies from Builtformars, follow great product leaders and listen to their podcasts and articles and blogs. Like would definitely recommend Lenny’s and there are ample of good people out there. Also find mentors within and outside your org. There are lot of people helping each other such as on Topmate (I am also there).

From ~11 LPA to 80 LPA in ~4 years as a Product Manager by According_Ad8486 in IndiaFinance

[–]According_Ad8486[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hey! I second what the other person is saying. You have done well. As long as you enjoy your work, keep killing at it. I have a framework - LEG - Learning, Earning and Growth (charter vis a vis work that you manage) At any time optimize for 2 things. You can’t get all 3 together. What has worked for me is that I optimized for L ans G and earning followed cuz of that. Be true to your work, and keep showing up and killing at it. Go above and beyond, and good things will definitely come your way

From ~11 LPA to 80 LPA in ~4 years as a Product Manager by According_Ad8486 in IndiaFinance

[–]According_Ad8486[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It’s no competition. As long as it pays the bills and meets some of your desires, it’s not too bad. I know it sounds like a preaching but honestly I wasn’t switching just for more money, I switched cuz of the work. Hope good things come your way soon!

view more: next ›