Product Management can Change Your Life

(here's how it changed mine)

If I told you that your life is a product, you’d probably be really upset; the natural assumption being, in today’s world, we’re often reduced to the numbers and data we represent.

But if you gave me a chance to explain myself, I’d tell you that I think your life is product in terms of what you can build, rather than what you can be sold for.

Let’s walk through it a little more.

A year and a half ago, if you had told me that a career in product management would change my entire approach to life, I would have laughed. At the time, it was just a job—a skill set I wanted to develop, a career path that made sense.

But now? I see it differently.

Because somewhere between launching products, writing user stories, and sitting through a million stakeholder meetings, I started to notice something: the same principles that make a product successful are the ones that build a successful life.

The way we approach problems, set goals, iterate, adapt, and execute — I started realizing that the strategies for building successful products could also help me build a more purposeful, fulfilling life.

Life is Just Another Product

The longer I tested this theory, the more I realized the truth in. A shift that came from integrating my personal and work lives (in a way that was healthy, of course) gave me the space to reflect on what I actually learnt from both.

Truth is, we’re all building something. Some of us are building businesses, others are building careers, relationships, creative pursuits, or personal growth journeys. But no matter what it is, the foundations are the same: Strategy. Adaptability. Execution. Learning from failure.

Once I started treating my lifestyle like a product—one that could be shaped, tested, and improved—it changed everything.

And so, I wanted to write about what I’ve learnt from my corporate life and how it’s helped my personal one. With that - here are five lessons that I’ve learnt about life, through my job in product management.

Lesson 1: Garbage In, Garbage Out

One of the most fundamental lessons I’ve learned in product management is this: what you put in is what you get out.

➡️If you start with poor quality data or unclear requirements, no matter how much effort you put in, the outcome will be compromised.

The same is true of life. If you spend your day feeding your mind with unhealthy and “garbage” inputs (e.g: negativity, shallow media, or mindless scrolling) you are bound to feel drained, uninspired and unfocused.

On the flip side, if you give yourself brain food and choose habits that uplift your mood, make you smarter and more emotionally intelligent, productivity and health is bound to follow.

Just as in product management, the quality of your inputs—whether it’s the information you consume, the people you engage with, or the habits you build—sets the tone for the results you achieve.

It’s simple, really.If you are what you eat, and all you eat is “garbage,” then all you’ll get is “garbage” too.🤷🏻‍♀️

Lesson 2: Iterate Relentlessly

Every time I set out to build a new product, I feel an intense attachment to what I create and the first draft.

On one hand, this is good. It means that I’m passionate and that I care about what I’m building. On the flip side, being attached to the first iteration of a product is the quickest way to failure.

The first version of anything—whether it’s a product, a plan, or a life goal—is rarely the best version. A product requires updates, multiple iterations, feasibility checks, stakeholder alignment etc etc etc… to get it right.

So does life.

It’s rare for plans to go as expected, and even rarer for our first idea to the be the best one we have. As a PM, you build, test, learn, and iterate. The same holds true for life.

If something isn’t working, change it. If a goal feels too big, break it down. If your first plan doesn’t get you where you want to be, make a new one.

The only real mistake? Thinking you have to get it right the first time.

Lesson 3: Be Ambitious, But Stay Realistic

Being a PM is humbling.

You come up with an incredible concept—something innovative, exciting, game-changing. You map it out. You build a vision. And then… reality hits.

The second you take it to your developers, a million issues come up. There are integration constraints, limited resources, too many features. Suddenly, you realize that no matter how good your idea is, it has to work within the constraints of your environment.

At first, that felt frustrating. But over time, I realized: this is a good thing.

Because boundaries force you to be strategic. To focus on execution instead of just ideas. To figure out what you can realistically build now while keeping the big picture in mind.

And in life? The same principle applies.

⭐Dream big. But when it comes to action, be realistic. Instead of saying, I want to build a business in a year, ask, What can I do this month? Instead of thinking, I need to change my entire life, ask, What’s one small shift I can make today?

Success isn’t about giant leaps. It’s about making the right moves within the constraints you have.

Lesson 4: Work in Sprints

Every PM knows that long-term roadmaps are great—but sprints are where real progress happens.

This is one of the most powerful strategies I’ve adopted as a PM.

Instead of focusing on long, drawn-out timelines, sprints break the work into shorter, more manageable chunks. This method helps keep things moving forward, and it’s easier to track progress.

Here’s how it works:

⭐Set Short-Term Goals: Whether it's two weeks or a month, set a specific goal for that period. It keeps you focused and driven.

⭐Track Progress: At the end of each sprint, assess what you’ve accomplished. Celebrate the wins, and learn from any setbacks.

⭐Iterate Quickly: If something’s not working, adjust fast and keep going. The sprint method encourages adaptability.

I’ve applied this to my personal life as well. Instead of focusing on overwhelming long-term goals, I set clear, achievable objectives within shorter timeframes. This helps me avoid burnout and see quicker results, which fuels my motivation.

Sprints give you the momentum to keep pushing forward, while also allowing room for adjustment. It’s all about progress, not perfection.

Whatever you’re working on—whether it’s a career move, a creative project, or a personal goal—stop thinking in years. Start thinking in sprints.

Lesson 5: Listen to Everything—But Filter Ruthlessly

When you’re building a product, everyone has an opinion.

I’ve learnt, however, that the answer isn’t to ignore everyone, but to know who / what to listen to. So, you learn to listen—but you also learn to filter. To take in what’s valuable and let go of what isn’t.

Here’s how this applies to your personal life: there’s always someone offering advice or feedback—whether it's about your career, your goals, or your relationships. While feedback is important, not all of it will serve your journey.

I’ve learned to listen with intention, taking in what aligns with my goals, and filtering out the rest.

In a world full of noise, being able to focus on what truly matters—and letting go of what doesn’t—is one of the most valuable skills you can develop.

Because everyone will have an opinion on what you should be doing. Some will be helpful. Some will be noise. The key is knowing which is which.

Listen carefully. But only keep what actually serves you.

The Takeaway

Ultimately, my mindset and thinking has evolved the more I’ve pushed myself to find meaning in the things I do and create.

A career in product management has scratched the itch of building a technical skillset but has gone far beyond that too. It’s helped me stay grounded, focused, and adaptable, especially when things don’t go as planned.

At the end of the day, life is just another product—a mix of strategy, execution, iteration, and adaptation. And if you approach it the same way you’d approach building something great, you might be surprised at how much easier everything gets.