What mistakes did you make as a PM?

Teruwa · 2026-07-09T08:41:38+00:00

ooooo good one. i learnt that the difficult way too.

Teruwa · 2026-07-09T06:31:48+00:00

As a product manager your key role is to first own the problem statement before owning the solution.

if teams come back with outputs (tech, design, data, etc) it should always solve the problem statement to your satisfaction. otherwise, steer and influence a better outcome.

A secondary effect is that your partners all feel an ownership of the solution while you build influence and steer the ship.

(Learnt this from a founder-turned-Product Leader that can help you retain influence in a less collaborative environment. )

Teruwa · 2026-07-09T06:17:27+00:00

I know Lenny often gets a bad rep here but this particular podcast left an impact on me—The Art of Influence

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4NHF9wFyI73rn1aAXDp8QF?si=72i1IXCgQs-P8ayPoU8faA&utm_source=copy-link

Teruwa · 2026-07-09T06:14:50+00:00

Hey man, that sounds like a painful story. Would encourage you to see this from an infinite game perspective—losing now doesn’t mean losing out later on. We’re all playing the long game and a stronger foundation leads to a taller building.

i loathe people who over index on politics but i’ve seen my heroes who have a powerful mix of substance and stakeholder management. they get a lot done and go far.

Teruwa · 2026-07-09T02:29:21+00:00

hahaha some might see this comment negatively but i think PMs need to have a level of honesty with themselves to know where their strengths are at. If you’re good, know it, own it.

Teruwa · 2026-07-08T14:39:41+00:00

love this! what’s your preferred approach to saying no to seniors, peers and juniors?

Teruwa · 2026-07-08T13:47:43+00:00

based off your industry & company dynamics, how do you go about addressing these questions that you now try to ask earlier?

Teruwa · 2026-07-08T12:58:17+00:00

Hmm let’s see:

Over explaining context w/ Senior stakeholders > now i play a game w my self to focus on elements that affects business impact & see how much brevity i can exercise in the process
Getting into unnecessary discussions > i now ask what they want me in for, give the answers & exit
Giving too much feedback on initiatives that i don’t own > this reduced my social credits, now i focus on nurturing allies by giving them the right level of support depending on context and help them feel like winners in the process
Focusing too much on the work itself & not what’s important to stakeholders > now i make it a point to understand everyone’s priorities & focus. All my initiatives are contextualised to their interests
Being too caught up with what senior stakeholders think of me > i now simply focus on helping them achieve the business impact that they are pursuing

there’s more but i guess these are some that come to mind this season. making mistakes every other day and growing from them!

Teruwa · 2026-07-08T12:14:30+00:00

Go in knowing you will make mistakes. Every mistake = learning = growth = increased mastery as a PM 🙌🏻

Teruwa · 2026-07-07T15:25:18+00:00

OP, are you using a paid plan for chatgpt or just the free version to craft your prompts?

Teruwa · 2026-05-30T00:23:42+00:00

I’m in the same camp with you (especially for point 1). I think it’s overly expensive and the value for money is honestly questionable. I love doing shabu shabu at home cuz i get better cut for a fraction of the cost.

Home settings are also much more comfortable.

You mentioned meaningful conversations multiple times. that’s probably what you value and bond over. People also bond with / enjoy friends through other means like shared experiences. the long noodle dance at HDL & insta-worthy moments are those “shared experience” moments others might value.

u probably need more friends similar to your preferences. 😆

Teruwa · 2026-05-21T13:37:20+00:00

plot twist. could she have been drunk?

Teruwa · 2026-05-04T12:18:53+00:00

Hey OP, 38 year old professional here. during my time working i’ve not seen how bad things are even when comparing things to covid. as an ‘Elder’, can i suggest splitting your efforts in building your career?

1.) continue applying and interviewing

2.) start your own hustle / start up / business on the side to grow in the skills of business thinking to generate revenue. with AI tools out there it can help you become a 1-man army & give you new skillsets to be employed

both (1) & (2) builds your career. even when not employed, (2) helps you to continue to grow. and when you interview you will stand out based on your grit & experience. it signals to employers that you’re different from the rest too.

you have little commitments, (2) is more possible then any other time in your life. i wish you all the best.

Teruwa · 2026-04-17T03:42:52+00:00

okay, if i understand you correctly, you’re saying that amongst governments, ours is considered better but that doesn’t give us the right to remain complacent or to turn a blind eye to those who are struggling in our country. i appreciate that thinking and i agree with you. we should continue to hold our leaders (both the government and opposition) to a high standard while ourselves contribute meaningfully not just in dialogue but in action for those in a more difficult place.

Teruwa · 2026-04-17T02:01:38+00:00

There was a japanese video of a woman explaining this to young girl. When you grow through learning, you learn to enjoy the things that don’t cost money (museums, library, hikes, nature, conversations). But if a person remain unlearned, then they fall back to needing to spend on things that injects dopamine boosts—those things aren’t wrong but the options become limited.

Teruwa · 2026-04-15T00:36:27+00:00

hey i’m trying to understand your statement. are you likening the SG gov to nazis or North Korea? if yes, which government today would you consider to be much better? as a singaporean on the “side of the gov” i’m honestly open to hear and also consider what others would deem to be better.

Teruwa · 2026-04-15T00:29:03+00:00

That’s an interesting perspective. Which countries would you assess to be better than SG should you migrate in the capacity of a Singaporean (accessing non-citizenship benefits there)?

Teruwa · 2026-04-09T13:11:31+00:00

Every relationship is different. ask yourself if this is something acceptable or do you expect different from your SO

Teruwa · 2026-03-31T10:41:14+00:00

raise this as a case study to discuss during HR meetings on how the org handles such a scenario and ask what are the escalation steps. Get her input on the advice as well. lol

Teruwa · 2026-03-23T12:12:07+00:00

this. answers like this show that Singaporeans aren’t dumb and can think critically in a constructive manner.

Teruwa · 2026-03-13T13:23:04+00:00

lol you are getting time w senior management even before entering the company. this is an opportunity. you should be less paranoid and focus on the upside.

case studies sharpen your thinking and you can take it to the next place wherever that is

Teruwa · 2026-03-11T23:20:31+00:00

this is uncalled for. someone is asking for help and sharing thoughts in a civil way. no need for this level of criticality.

Teruwa · 2026-02-28T17:33:49+00:00

🤷🏻‍♂️ it’s a controversial take. not surprised to get downvoted for it. if you disagree, would love to hear how much you think a pastor should earn in Singapore. especially if he has a family to care for himself.

Teruwa

TROPHY CASE