May 9

Be careful out there, PM’s

If you’ve been on “tech Twitter” lately, you may notice that the last few days have almost felt like the first few weeks of the pandemic – when company after company started announcing layoffs. Just this past week alone, companies like Cameo, Main Street, and On Deck have all announced major cuts. It’s not just early-stage startups, either. Even companies like Netflix are going through a “reorganization” right now.

So now what? What do you do when you’re a tech worker in a world where tech companies are in “right-sizing” mode? A few things come to mind…

  1. Buckle down. Now isn’t the time to get too distracted at work. I know that may be difficult, all things considered. But get those wins under your belt. Show your company why they hired you in the first place. Let them see your worth. You’re a valuable asset to your organization and they should feel that right now.
     
  2. Help your friends out. Even if you don’t end up getting affected by layoffs, you will likely have friends at other companies that do. Go out of your way to help those friends. Introduce them to others who have open roles. You shouldn’t be doing it for transactional reasons, but because it’s the right thing to do. And you know how karma works… doing good deeds now will help you later.
     
  3. Keep your eyes open. Look, your company isn’t your family (despite what your CEO likes to say right before they ask you to work a weekend). If you love your job and your company is thriving… then you’re in a great spot. But if things are a little murky, then keep your eyes open in case an opportunity pops up from a company that is thriving.

Be careful out there, Product Managers. And if anything happens – we’re here to help. Our Slack is always active with PM’s helping other PM’s… and our Job Board has plenty of open roles. We’ve got your back!

Mike Belsito

About the author

Mike Belsito is a startup product and business developer who loves creating something from nothing. Mike is the Co-Founder of Product Collective which organizes INDUSTRY, one of the largest product management summits anywhere in the world. For his leadership at Product Collective, Mike was named one of the Top 40 influencers in the field of Product Management. Mike also serves as a Faculty member of Case Western Reserve University in the department of Design and Innovation, and is Co-Host of one of the top startup podcasts online, Rocketship.FM. Prior to Product Collective, Mike spent the past 12 years in startup companies as an early employee, Co-Founder, and Executive. Mike's businesses and products have been featured in national media outlets such as the New York Times, The Atlantic, CNN, NPR, and elsewhere. Mike is also the Author of Startup Seed Funding for the Rest of us, one of the top startup books on Amazon.


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