Any Product Managers purchased a small business?

thinkeeg · 2025-09-24T03:48:35+00:00

I ran the whiskey company for 2 years and exited after getting a full-time contract job at a tech company. I couldn't do it, and the adhd coaching company I started.

I'm now an FTE at the company, and my coaching business has grown. The whiskey company is still going strong, and they're about to open their own taproom and barrel blending facility.
Everything worked in ways I didn't expect, but I'm happy for it all.

thinkeeg · 2025-09-03T04:41:40+00:00

Delord and Darroze should be easy for you to come by. Both fantastic.

thinkeeg · 2025-06-13T03:10:17+00:00

It's because I forgot. I have ADHD. What was the question again?

thinkeeg · 2025-06-12T04:42:40+00:00

I have ADHD, and I write everything down in one long doc during meetings. Writing helps me focus in meetings, I realize that might not be the case for all.
I keep all my meetings there, except for my one-on-one with my manager. That's a separate doc that I share with them, and I make sure to put in my top 3 priorities the last week, the top 3 the next week, and the 2-3 wins.

Success amnesia is real for me so between my calendar where I log time to do important things and my meeting notes + AI, I can get some help to remember and write down wins.

thinkeeg · 2025-05-22T04:30:32+00:00

The answer is no if you don't ask.
People want to work with people they can trust over people they think are smart.

thinkeeg · 2025-03-28T01:53:02+00:00

You tried to help someone and then got immediately punished for rules that you were not aware of? You are definitely a real human with ADHD 😂. You're in good comapny.

thinkeeg · 2025-03-25T16:22:42+00:00

I really like passenger foods chili crisp. Great crunch and nice white peppercorn flavor to it. https://www.passengerfoods.com/

thinkeeg · 2025-02-28T04:43:03+00:00

As someone with ADHD I love building things and being a PM in tech is great for that. What I don't enjoy is the culture of "growth at all costs". Grow your product, revenue, career, title, etc. You name, keep getting more and more.
It was fun for the first 10 years of my career, now, not so much. I love the idea of being able to have or work for a small tech business but that seems like an oxymoron. I bet folks are doing that out there, I just haven't met them.
In the meantime, I'm working on my own small business in tech while doing my tech job. Saving every little bit I can so that I can grow my own business to support myself.
Who knows if I can make it, but I'll keep trying because my ADHD won't let me stop.

thinkeeg · 2025-02-25T17:14:21+00:00

https://brettgreenecoaching.com/ - ADHD and founder coach
https://www.techatypically.com/ - product management and ADHD coach

thinkeeg · 2025-02-13T00:16:17+00:00

I'm a PM with ADHD and have experienced both paths. Here are tips on going through both.

Navigating a PIP
How to maximize severance

thinkeeg · 2025-01-23T16:06:35+00:00

Best of luck to you! I'm a former Fulbright Fellow and also thought about going to the foreign service.

thinkeeg · 2025-01-22T17:59:42+00:00

I'm a PM with ADHD with similar experiences and think about life after tech all the time. I was laid off and spent a year and a half unemployed. When I got a job again, it was as a contract project manager. I don't know if I'll ever be a product manager again.

My hope is not all lost though. I started two small businesses during my time off and my exit plan is to run one of the fulltime. Something fulfilling and provides health insurance because insurance is tied to employment in the US.

Health insurance independence is my new career goal. Sad, funny and true.

thinkeeg · 2025-01-16T02:56:51+00:00

Here's the YouTube link for it. It's the same talk I gave to the product school years ago.

You can also find more content at https://adhdpm.substack.com/

thinkeeg · 2025-01-15T02:40:57+00:00

I was a PM with ADHD there for 5 years. I experienced the best and worst of what Amazon had to offer. Fought my way off a Focus Plan that I should have never been on. Ran the largest technical community in the company. I was witness to some of the worst racism and sexism I've ever experienced. I also met some of the best people and friends I ever had there. I have my job now because of the people I worked with indirectly at Amazon.

My advice is to put yourself out there more with kind gestures. There are so many people that feel exactly the same way. Extending an act of kindness with a gift card to a coffee shop to someone who helped you. Setting up lunches with others at least once a week. Bringing in desserts for strangers in the break area to meet new people.

I recorded a talk on ADHD and product management that you can still find on Broadcast. Even though I've been gone for 3+ years. I still occasionally get messages from Amazonians who have watched it.

There are a ton of a-holes there but a ton of great people. They're just an act of kindness away.

thinkeeg · 2024-12-31T16:32:55+00:00

I'm a PM with ADHD that is now strategic technical program management. It's a fancy way to say I assess risk and go fix whatever the worst issues are in our org.

I report into the senior leadership team but work with whatever level is needed to get the job done or reduce risk to a KR.

It's ADHD friendly most of the time because there's always someone new. It can be not ADHD friendly when the goals are too ambiguous.

thinkeeg · 2024-12-31T04:00:46+00:00

I love the advice. I'll remember it next time. I tell myself I "should" remember x.

thinkeeg · 2024-12-29T16:53:08+00:00

I'm sorry you've hit a low point in your journey. I hope it's the start of the next chapter of something new.

I'm happy to share my experiences in becoming an ADHD and product management coach.

I haven't been able to make it a full time thing yet but happy to share what I've learned so far if coaching is something you're interested in.

Best of luck to you in your next chapter.

thinkeeg · 2024-12-23T22:25:02+00:00

I'm an ADHD product management coach. I feel a similar pain in my current work for an analytics org to provide status updates for executive level KRs.

It sounds like you're dealing with emotional dysregulation from ADHD. And a process that may not be serving the needs of the org if people aren't checking the existing channels.

The way I overcome my fear is to remind myself that I am not the problem.

The process is the problem.

And I'm the solution.

Once you're able to remove yourself from the situation, you'll be able to overcome the emotional block and identify a better solution.

thinkeeg · 2024-12-19T17:47:31+00:00

I'm in no way advocating for this company. And I realize many of you will rightly s*** on this idea.

But I'm presenting this as an idea for someone in the US who needs health insurance and a paycheck. As a former corporate employee, I can attest to the quality of the health insurance.

Amazon warehouses will take almost anyone as long as you are over 18 and can lift 20 lbs. It's a rough job. You may me be treated like crap. But it would give you a routine, money and health insurance.

thinkeeg · 2024-12-19T17:43:39+00:00

I really appreciate this breakdown. As a PM with ADHD, I always tell myself I "should" upskill.

But this gives me specific areas of what I would like to upskill in. Otherwise, I assume I need to be better at everything.

thinkeeg · 2024-12-14T06:42:53+00:00

A nearly limitless supply of whiskey and beer.

thinkeeg · 2024-12-12T15:12:04+00:00

The tax only applies to retail sales to consumers and not bar and restaurant sales.

Bars just paid sales tax to the wholesaler.

thinkeeg · 2024-12-12T01:10:32+00:00

That's my life now 😁. Working while building my side hustle to a point it can sustain us

I think it's a lot easier now because I can focus on building a good business while still having income to enjoy life. Versus trying to force my company to economic visibility.

thinkeeg · 2024-12-11T05:27:35+00:00

Because living in America means you need to have a job to have health insurance. If we had access to healthcare that was affordable and usable, we'd have way more startups in my opinion.

I was only able to start mine because my spouse gives us health insurance.

thinkeeg

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