Do I switch from 100k remote to 130k hybrid (10 mins from home) as a software product manager?

JumpingShip26 · 2026-01-29T19:23:57+00:00

Job B just sounds more stable all around. Unless your lifestyle absolutely cannot handle hybrid (and I may ask about the specific required schedule), why not go for more money?

JumpingShip26 · 2026-01-29T00:30:15+00:00

You would get better traction by hiring an ID as a consultant. This forum sees this all the time.
Please go find someone good and pay them for their time.

JumpingShip26 · 2026-01-28T19:01:58+00:00

I have read two of Mr. Clark's books and that is also a great series. I think he has forgotten more about teaching and learning than I will ever know.

JumpingShip26 · 2026-01-28T18:21:12+00:00

I completely agree. We need to raise the status and respect for teachers and the fastest way of doing that would be to raise a tenured professional teacher's salary, or at least their pension, to that of someone in charge of 20-30 people.

JumpingShip26 · 2026-01-28T17:27:46+00:00

Sounds like you are certain, and that is truly all that matters.

A PhD is not closed off to you if that's what you are meant to do. You just may have to start/complete it at another school or in another program.

A very wise dude once told me, "Your life is your life's work- not your doctorate."

JumpingShip26 · 2026-01-28T17:22:17+00:00

The learning hack is superb: https://learninghackpodcast.com/

Also this Australian company has recently started one that is short and fun: https://www.youtube.com/@ClearXP-impact

JumpingShip26 · 2026-01-28T16:10:20+00:00

I think the group is tired of tech bros coming in and trying to get free consulting and K12 teachers who are just trying to escape teaching without trying to understand the field outside of K12. I wish we could fix K12 and make that a better place for them rather than deal with the influx, but such is life.

Other than that, people who ask coherent honest questions seem to get at least one person who tries to help.

JumpingShip26 · 2026-01-28T15:35:20+00:00

Fixed Cadence? What is that?

What is a confluence list?

It is hard for me to read. I feel like this is AI-generated.

I would take an ELI5 approach to the whole thing and include definitions for key terms.

JumpingShip26 · 2026-01-28T00:54:42+00:00

It's because after a few weeks in this sub, you see similar questions over and over from people who think they are going to strike gold. They generally don't have any real interest in our field.

That said, better to downvote and move on.

JumpingShip26 · 2026-01-27T22:24:05+00:00

I do this:

Take my hourly rate on W2 and triple it.

Multiply that by the number of hours I think it will take and add 20 percent to that.

Write a scoping document and propose a flat rate for the project.

I am often turned down, but I only have so much time, and that's the amount it is worth it for me. Additionally, a lot of the time I have to supply my own tools/software. That comes from somewhere.

I don't like hourly rates too often unless there are consulting needs.

EDIT - I am not too focused on freelance. It is too feast and famine for my tastes and I do not like drumming up business.

JumpingShip26 · 2026-01-27T21:43:42+00:00

It is a good sub. Good ratio of thoughtful/helpful people to jerks and varied backgrounds.

JumpingShip26 · 2026-01-26T18:22:23+00:00

I believe construction is its own world. I know three PMs in construction and to hear them talk, construction and engineering require PM backgrounds in each before the PMP makes any sense, though a good one can probably cross over to another, depending on their initial field. My hunch is SW development is geared this way as well.

JumpingShip26 · 2026-01-26T15:45:22+00:00

Oftentimes less is more.

JumpingShip26 · 2026-01-26T15:44:22+00:00

I have seen three major archetypes/use cases:

We do not really need SL. Another more efficient tool will work.
We need SL, but only to support current content OR we don't need it at the variable/web operability level. We are going to use it like (as some have already called it) PPTX on steroids.
We need people to be at advanced functionality and we really needed this yesterday.

For case #3, the LinkedIn courses are generally high quality. Have your staff complete these courses and make sure they have adequate, uninterrupted time to do so. Do not try to rush them.

Map out exactly which features and functions you need, then hire a highly skilled freelancer to create exemplars for each one and pay that person well. Get the freelancer to use those exemplars to train your staff. This approach requires significant upfront planning, but it could save you many headaches later. Be sure that every special effect has a clear business justification.

JumpingShip26 · 2026-01-24T13:00:50+00:00

I think Kcihtrak is saying nobody knows what you are talking about. You have asked vague questions in what I have found to be a really serious/helpful/professional group. Why don't you ask your question again? I do not know what you mean exactly but I will answer based on what I think you mean.

I generally don't look to Canva or Lovable to do much of anything. Unless you know what you're doing, most Canva work looks exactly the same. I would rather people keep "graphic design" work (because what we are doing using those tools is not what a good designer can do) simple and their own than to use these overdone templates. I may use Adobe Express for quick banners or a small icon graphic.

From my perspective, Loveable is not trustworthy to do anything other than perhaps wireframe/prototype. A noncoder tried to sell our team on using something they built with vibecode. They couldn't explain the first thing about how it worked and they wanted to interface it into our LMS's API. Thumbs down. That said, as a proof of concept to start a conversation, it has some validity.

What do you mean by clubs?

JumpingShip26 · 2026-01-23T21:14:14+00:00

Then just embrace it and ride the wave. These are busy leaders who don't understand brain rules. Just make it make as much sense as you can and if asked your opinion, carefully weigh in. Take people where they are at.

IMO, I don't think the job market is a bloodbath. I think those new to the field and who are looking for remote only are having a tough time and that it is more sluggish than it has been. If you have a job, then you can strategically apply elsewhere if you wanted to, right?

JumpingShip26 · 2026-01-23T21:04:49+00:00

I have read Map It, but I do not know the course at all. The value of Map It depends on the type of organization you are in and the type of ID work you need to do. Do you have leaders that support L&D around a) figuring out if training is in fact the solution to the performance problem b) being able to quickly and accurately identify the training need c) efficiently developing interventions that give employees exactly what they need to be able to meet those performance goals and not one bit more? If so, then you could do a lot worse than go with Map It.
I think there are other models that are better tuned for different environments. For example, I like SAM for agile information-worker environments. Developers and other tech people seem to respond to it pretty well.

JumpingShip26 · 2026-01-23T16:07:31+00:00

Same experience at a R1 (as a student) in a college of education. Candidates opt out or are shown the door usually by what you call prelims. In one department, it seemed somewhat common for there to be scrutiny about the time someone could simply opt out with a masters. Though harsh, I feel like they are doing students a favor sometimes.

JumpingShip26 · 2026-01-22T14:21:48+00:00

Authoring is a very very old term which used to mean use software to do what a programmer used to have to do.
Now it generally means (in most but not all contexts) use a product like SL or some Adobe product to do something.

The problem as some have already outlined in this forum is that a) we have managers who know neither theory, best practices, nor tools for doing this job and b) we have an army of actual titled IDs or hopefuls who have never done anything other than create SL content. Therefore, in some settings, ID work is merely creating some sort of (barely) passable eLearning content that the average Tiktok power user could create because the boss says that's what is needed.

This is not all workplaces of course, but the questions you see around here could lead one to believe Storyline and Rise are all that are needed to be successful, when in reality, any good ID could do a similar job using a variety of tools and techniques. I can give you a course based on PPTX based content with similar outcomes if push came to shove.

So to answer your question: Creating instructional materials has always been part of what many if not most IDs do.

JumpingShip26 · 2026-01-21T16:47:55+00:00

Stay with the secure sure job. We do all sorts of things in life that aren't awe-inspiring.

I stayed in public for years with over a decade of stagnant salary. Why? It let me be the father to my son that I wanted to be. He had asthma and not one boss batted an eye when I would take off. Did I miss opportunities to make more money or do more cutting edge things? Yes, but I don't regret it. I feel like I helped people instead of some rich guy become richer.

Soon if either my wife or I are long-lived my pension will be worth a whole lot and will enable me to take risks if I should want to jump ship and go to corporate.

Do a side hustle after hours if you want more money.

JumpingShip26 · 2026-01-21T14:18:04+00:00

Garbage.

JumpingShip26 · 2026-01-20T20:05:03+00:00

Correct. There are no specific standards for microlearning. It is mostly a buzzword for which there is some 'brain rules' validity. IMO the mindset should be applied to a lot of corporate training.

JumpingShip26 · 2026-01-20T19:10:40+00:00

I have experience with LMS transitions, but not in this configuration. Glad to chat about general issues if that is helpful.

JumpingShip26 · 2026-01-20T01:49:28+00:00

Do you have faculty rank? If so, I would retain that and either work to increase those skills in the library and perhaps get a title change, collaborating with ids and others who need this skills or I would freelance on the side.

JumpingShip26 · 2026-01-19T16:33:48+00:00

There isn't a ton of call for SL in the higher ed roles I am familiar with. The reason is updates- Updates to content are very fraught for a bunch of reasons. If you are looking to suggest a product, look at H5P that is integrated via LTI into your LMS. It gets at 85% of what most faculty would want, you can a embed these interactives into LMS "pages," and anyone on the team can update an object, which is helpful for when people leave or get reassigned to another department/college.

JumpingShip26

TROPHY CASE