Why Product Small Talk?
Small Talk: Casual conversations that happen in the hallway, in the kitchen, between meetings, or during coffee breaks. These are the conversations that may not always make it into your performance review but serve as the building blocks for becoming more efficient and scalable in tech.
Hybrid and remote work have reduced the opportunities for small talk. I aim to bridge that gap with this newsletter by sharing my small talks with colleagues about tech, PM, and career development— in 5 minutes or less. Written by Wayne Chen, Principal Product Manager at Instacart.
My goal is to offer insights that help you learn, navigate, and succeed in tech and product management, making your career 30% more effective
By joining product small talk, you will get the following:
Free subscriber benefits
Weekly Small Talk: Real-world conversations I have with colleagues about tech, product growth, and career development.
Monthly FAQ: Every month, I’ll curate and answer the top five questions from readers on PM, tech, and career growth.
Premium subscriber benefits
Behind the Scenes: Step-by-step case studies and practical, real-world examples.
Unlimited DM for tech and career advice: Connect with me via DM or LinkedIn to discuss any questions you have about working and growing in tech.
Access to curated productivity tools, templates, and resources: Access the ChatGPT prompts I’ve created to help scale my efficiency by 20%. I will update regularly with more templates and resources.
Why am I writing this?
I transitioned into product management from a non-traditional background, having spent 5 years in financial services. After becoming a PM, I dedicated countless hours to reading books and articles on how to excel in tech and be a better PM.
I believe there’s always a quicker way to learn—by drawing from the experiences of other great people. The best insights often come from casual conversations with fellow product managers, cross-functional partners, or leaders. These happened during coffee chats, pre-meeting talks, casual lunches, or happy hours. I was fortunate to meet many great product managers and mentors who taught me what it takes to excel in tech. Through this newsletter, I aim to share the knowledge I’ve gained to help others jumpstart their tech careers.
Questions?
You can reach out to me on LinkedIn or reply directly to subscriber emails. I am always looking for ways to create more engaging content, so feel free to reach out if there is any topic you would like me to cover.
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