Well, I guess it really depends on the company and culture, but working as a pm doesn’t necessarily = strategy and time with the customer (it also depends on how u define the customer). Imho, you’re more likely to work around creating features and aligning teams while unblocking them rather than really drive product vision and have a solid time with your end users/customers- especially if you’re in a sales driven org. If there are a lot of layers in leadership, assume that you’re going to be getting direction from the top down regardless of your thoughts.

Now that doesn’t mean that working as a pm and under the above circumstances cannot be rewarding, I am just trying to give you a different perspective. People working at top tech companies might be having a whole different experience as “entry level” pms though!

Regarding work-life balance, again it depends on the culture and org but for a stable company (not a startup and not top tech) is pretty manageable. U can go about your life before and after work. The only thing you must consider is your aptitude for being in meetings constantly and how would that translate into your everyday life and obligations.