My first 90 days in my new role

I’m so excited to have just completed my first 90 days as a Senior Product Manager in the Product and Engineering organization at Groupon. I think we can all agree that anytime you start a new role, there can be a steep learning curve. It takes time to learn the business and connect the dots. So far I’ve loved every bit of my new role. It’s fast-paced, challenging, and I’m excited about the product I am working on! (More to come on that soon) Most importantly, my team is extremely intelligent, collaborative, and such a pleasure to work with. Below are three key areas I have focused on in my first 90 days:

1. Getting familiar with the business and product: Get your hands on documents, presentations, Confluence pages, (you get the idea) to familiarize yourself on the state of the business and where it’s headed. Additionally, sitting in on meetings is helpful too, even though you’ll likely be a fly on the wall at first. If you own a specific product or set of products, try and get in the weeds on that specific product to learn it inside and out. Use it as if you were the customer who it’s meant for, especially as a PM where customer empathy is a key aspect of the job. Remember, this will take time so be patient with yourself.
   
2. Taking notes and keeping a running list of questions: The first few weeks, it was like drinking out of a fire hose. Lots of information and a lot to absorb. I don’t think anyone can truly remember or retain all of the info that you learn in the beginning, so I would jot down notes (sometimes the old school way) and also keep a running list of questions. When I would have one-on-ones with my boss and other team members, I could bring these up then. Also, keep in mind that these questions can also question the status quo. It’s okay to ask why things were done X way or if they team has ever thought about doing it Y way instead of how it is currently done. It can be really beneficial for a business to have a fresh set of eyes and perspective! If your manager or team does not encourage this, then that is a big red flag to me.
   
3. Setting up meetings with the right people: As a Product Manager and likely with other roles, you often work with various teammates and stakeholders. I made a list of all the people I would work with on a regular basis and set up quick 15 minute intros. In the beginning, there won’t be much of an agenda, but I think it’s important to place a name with a face and build that relationship early on. As I got more familiar with the work and got a feel for the team dynamic, I set up regular syncs where it made sense. 

There is still a lot to learn and I couldn’t be more excited for the next 90 days and beyond!