> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://blog.annabyang.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # From End-User to Product Manager - URL: https://blog.annabyang.com/from-end-user-to-product-manager/ - Published: 2022-01-13T15:33:18.000Z - Updated: 2026-03-13T08:25:22.000Z - Description: My unexpected journey into tech. - Author: Anna Burgess Yang - Tags: Personal Reflections I recently saw a tweet from SaaS growth consultant [Asia Orangio](https://twitter.com/AsiaOrangio?ref=blog.annabyang.com) with a list of routes into tech. ![](https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/800/1*a-Q6Si4lgH3kuyVZ7_ly4Q.png) Screenshot from Twitter I replied and added one more: my journey began as the end-user of a product. This is probably the least common route, but it has a nugget of advice for anyone looking to break into a new field: start with what you know. By digging in and [translating your skills ](https://annabyang.medium.com/communicating-the-value-of-soft-skills-f627085693d6?ref=blog.annabyang.com)to new roles, you can take your career to unexpected places. ## From End-User to Customer Success Every company has a tech stack. From the simplest apps to enterprise solutions, products are needed to get a job done. And chances are, no product perfectly fits every use case. Much later in my career, when I was evaluating solutions on behalf of my company, my rule of thumb was generally, “Does this do 80% of what we need it to do?” If so, we could change our process or use an additional app for the remaining 20%. End-users have insights that even the most sophisticated product analytics can’t detect. Analytics may tell a company *how* their product is being used, but not *why*. I began my career in banking in 2000 (though at the time, I didn’t know it would turn into a career). I was in high school and working as a drive-thru teller at a local bank. A few years later, there was a home loan refinancing cray, and I began to help with loan processing and loan review. As I began to work with loans more and more, I realized that the bank had a loan management software that was hardly being used. I began to poke around and could see its potential to replace some spreadsheets and improve internal processes. I developed a plan to implement the software throughout the bank, and soon the product was relied on for several loan functions. By the time I graduated from college, I had begun to consider a career in banking. Yet I couldn’t see myself as a loan officer. The bank owner said, “Well, you’re pretty good at that software stuff — why don’t you see if they’re hiring?” So I applied to the company behind the loan management system that the bank had been using. I got a job as an implementation/training specialist, helping other banks with their implementation. ## From Customer Success to Product Manager I was able to translate my own experience to a variety of scenarios: large banks, small banks, people who resisted change, power users. By comparison, the bank I had worked for was a simple implementation. Within a few years, I was handling the most complex clients and projects at the company. Even though every implementation was unique, after a while, I was no longer challenged. I knew what questions to ask, how to persuade reluctant teams, and how to come up with “out-of-the-box” recommendations when the product didn’t do *exactly* what the bank needed. I began to envision a new role for myself, sitting at the intersection of the customers and the development group. Informally, I was already giving feedback on new product development, acting as the “voice” of the customer and interpreting enhancement requests. I thought I could make the case that this should be a dedicated role. As it turned out, most software companies have a formal role: a product manager. But, this small company frequently lacked anything that resembled “industry standard.” After doing some research, I proposed the role of product manager, emphasized the skills I had that could contribute to the role (like ninja-level organizational skills), outlined the responsibilities, and came up with a transition plan. I was the product manager for the remainder of my tenure with the company. I learned the software development lifecycle, how to plan and [scope projects](https://blog.annabyang.com/freelancer-project-scope/), and enough about database structure and SQL to hold my own in conversations with analysts and developers. Even though time passed and I eventually became more removed from my days as an end-user, I still had a firm grasp of *how* users worked within banks. I could see their pain points and also understood what was occurring “outside” of the product that impacted their usage. And if there was something I couldn’t figure out? I asked a customer. But I often prefaced these conversations with, “I used to work at a bank. I know where you’re coming from.” ## From Product Manager to … well, anything After 15 years at the software company, I was ready for a change. And not simply finding another role as a product manager elsewhere: a complete career pivot (hello, [Great Resignation](https://www.workbetter.media/p/redefining-ambition?ref=blog.annabyang.com)). I went back to my roots as an English major and found myself in content marketing and journalism. I struggled at first to get interviews. I lacked the experience and many of the skills that employers were looking for. Then I realized that I was positioning myself wrong — *I* was too focused on what I “didn’t have.” Instead, I needed to focus on the [skills I’d gained as a product manager](https://blog.annabyang.com/value-of-soft-skills/) that would lend well to any career: the ability to distill complex topics, creative thinking, and decision making. Customizing the hell out of my cover letter with each application— translating my PM skills to the job description — had a huge impact on getting an initial interview. I made it easier for hiring managers to see what I brought to the table, landing me in jobs where I’ve been very happy. PS: Product management skills have also [served me well as a parent](https://blog.annabyang.com/project-manager-meets-parent-manager/). Wrangling a household requires some next-level organizational skills. --- *Check out my* [*free eBook*](https://products.annabyang.com/l/ebook-manage-time-content?ref=blog.annabyang.com) *— a guide for creators looking to better manage their time and content across multiple platforms.*