Everyone said it was impossible. “There are no remote jobs.” “The market is dead.” “You need 10 years of experience.” “AI is very new” and so on.

I didn’t listen and did my own research on Is AI really taking our jobs and you should definitely check it out if you want to get out of this limiting belief.

In the next 30 days, I landed 27 interviews across 15+ companies, got 4 job offers, and accepted the one I actually wanted.

100% remote, flexible work hours, high paying in USD, best in class AI product so crazy work and even crazier team at searchatlas.com.

Here is the actual screenshot of my Job Hunting Excel Sheet (with no edits)

Now it looks like “too-good-to-be-true” but I had a process and my own platform, landbetterjobs.com, that has helped me throughout the process. And that’s exactly what I’m going to share here which is based on basic MATHS.

Let me walk you through each step. Exactly how I did it.

Step 1: Build a Profile That Gets Noticed

Here’s what most people do. They open their old resume, change the date, and start applying. That’s a mistake.

Before you apply to a single job, you need to figure out one thing: what kind of role are you actually going for?

I’ve mentioned in detail about the process of finding product-market fit in my article - How I Landed a Remote AI PM Role in 2 weeks without sending my Resume

I wanted an AI Product Management role. So everything on my profile had to scream “this person knows AI and can ship products.”

The 3 things your resume must show upfront

Here’s a trick I’ve learned from being on both sides of the hiring table and by understanding What Recruitment Looks Like from Inside the Company?

When a recruiter opens your resume, they scan it for 6 seconds. That’s it.

In those 6 seconds, they need to see:

1. Years of experience — “5+ years” or “3 years” right at the top

2. Current designation and industry — “Product Manager at [SaaS company]”

3. Alignment with the target role — if you want an AI PM job, your summary should mention AI

If these three things don’t match what the recruiter is looking for, your resume goes straight to the “no” pile. I’ve written a detailed breakdown of why 80% of resumes fail even for brilliant candidates. Do check it out.

Show, don’t tell

This is the most important rule in profile building.

Don’t say you know AI. Show that you’ve built something with AI.

Side projects are actually more powerful than a resume in 2026. Companies like Perplexity, LinkedIn, and Google are literally saying “No resume. We want your work, not your job history.”

This is exactly how I landed my first AI PM role — without even sending my resume. I built two AI side projects in one week and that got me the interview.

If you want to learn something, just build it. - Naval Ravikant

You can copy this prompt into ChatGPT to figure out what roles suit your background best:

I also conduct bi-monthly webinars on profile building, resume making, and how to land your dream AI PM job. You can check the upcoming sessions on my Topmate.

Step 2: Find Jobs (and Apply Like Crazy)

Okay, so your profile is ready. Now what?

Now you apply. A lot.

Here’s the math that nobody wants to hear: for every 100 jobs you apply to, you’ll get 1 to 5 interviews. That’s the average conversion rate in product management.

Here’s what the average PM Job Application Funnel

Look at that funnel. This means you need to apply to hundreds of jobs to get a handful of interviews. There’s no shortcut here. Volume matters.

But here’s what also matters — speed. Research shows that candidates who apply within the first 24 hours of a job posting are 8x more likely to get a callback than those who apply after a week.

Where to find PM jobs every single day

This was actually the hardest part for me. I was spending 2-3 hours daily just finding jobs. Not applying - just finding them.

That’s why I built Land Better Jobs - the largest Product Management job board.

Every day, you get 50-100 new Product Management jobs pulled directly from 54+ ATS platforms for both India and USA. You can also track your applications and practice with the AI Mock Interview and Question Bank at landbetterjobs.com.

Now, coming back to my case, for getting 27 interviews, I had applied to 600+ jobs throughout the month so if you do the math it is around 4.5% conversion.

Here are the top sources of from where did I get the job.

You can also checkout my article on How to find startup jobs to know more.

Don’t self-reject

This is something I want you to really hear.

Apply even if you’re only 60-70% qualified.

Let the recruiter say no. Don’t say no to yourself before they even see your profile. Roles are merging in 2026. An engineer is now the perfect fit for a Product Engineer role. A generalist PM can transition into an AI PM role (I’m proof of that).

If you look at my interview tracker, some of the companies I applied to were a total stretch. And some of them gave me offers.

You might be rejected in many (or most) of them, but you need just one role, one company, and your work is done. So shoot your shots.

Step 3: Interview, Learn, Iterate

Okay, this is where most articles stop. “Apply to jobs and you’ll get one!” But that’s only half the story.

The real magic happens in what you do between interviews.

Let me show you exactly what I mean.

See what happened there?

In my very first interview at Pascals AI, I was asked about AI Agent Architecture. I had no idea what it was. I bombed it.

So what did I do?

I went to YouTube, searched the exact question I was asked, and studied it that night.

By the time my Tekion interview came around, I could explain AI architectures clearly. And I could also explain RAG systems — another question I had failed earlier at Covasant.

This is the feedback loop that most people miss.

Every interview is a free lesson. After every single call, I wrote down:

• What questions did they ask?

• What went well?

• What did I mess up?

• What should I study next?

And then I improved before the next one.

The basic HR questions like “Tell me about yourself” should be prepared at all times. But for technical and product-specific questions? I personally believe interviews are very specific to the company, and you should prepare for each interview when you get the call and until you get the callback, every effort should be on getting one.

The Math Behind This Whole Thing

Let me make this as simple as possible.

The more you apply → the more interviews you get.

The more interviews you do → the better you get at interviewing.

The better you get → the more you convert interviews into offers.

It’s not talent. It’s not luck. It’s pure math.

Apply to 100 jobs in week 1. Get 3-5 interviews. Bomb most of them. Learn everything. Apply to 100 more in week 2. Now you’re converting better. By week 3-4, you’re a machine.

That’s exactly what happened to me. My first 5 interviews? Mostly rejections. My last 10? Multiple offers.

What You Should Do Right Now

If you’re job hunting right now, here’s your action plan for this week:

1. Fix your resume today. Make sure those 3 things (years, designation, industry alignment) are in the first two lines. Use Google’s XYZ Formula for every bullet point and check how recruitment process works from inside.

2. Start applying TODAY. Sign up on landbetterjobs.com to get 50-100 fresh PM jobs daily. Or manually check LinkedIn, Wellfound, and YC every morning.

3. Track everything. We have added an application tracker on landbetterjobs.com to help you track and optimise your job hunting process.

4. Prepare and Iterate on interviews. You can use the AI mock interviewer and question bank from landbetterjobs.com or check this PM interview guide.

This explains my entire job hunting process and now it is all yours!

Try Land Better Jobs for FREE

If you want a deeper walk-through of the entire process of becoming AI PM ready - resume making, understanding the AI PM market, skills required, vibe coding, how to find jobs, and outreach strategies. I’m hosting a 2.5-hour masterclass on Saturday, August 1st at 12:00 PM IST. Register now.

Get your dream AI PM Masterclass

Feel free to reach out on LinkedIn and if you are looking for a product management mentorship, you can book a call with me or register for my Get Your Dream AI PM Masterclass on Topmate!

Good luck, and happy job hunting with landbetterjobs.com.

“AI just replaced an entire department 🚀”
or
“I’ve been applying for 4 months. 200 applications. 3 interviews. 0 offers.”

Both are real. Both are happening. And somehow neither tells you what’s actually going on.

As someone building in AI, working as an AI Product Manager, and mentoring people trying to break into the product space, I kept getting the same questions. Should I be scared? Is my role going to exist in 2 years? Am I wasting time upskilling if the whole market is freezing?

I didn’t have a clean answer. So I went and found one.

When I started, I had my own biases - obviously, I started with AI taking jobs, but what I found is not just surprising, but it also allows me to look at the job market with a very different perspective.

Refer to the comprehensive research here: Is AI Really Taking Our Jobs?

Here’s exactly what it’ll show you:

→ Why the big tech layoffs were not really about AI (the numbers will surprise you)
→ Which roles are genuinely shrinking - and which are booming
→ The one pattern in the data that concerns me the most
→ What’s coming in the next 3-5 years
→ What to actually do about all of this

Let’s get into it. 👇

First, Let’s Talk About Those Big Tech Layoffs

When most people say “AI is taking jobs,” they’re picturing the 2022-2023 tech layoff headlines. Amazon cut 45,000 people. Meta laid off 21,000. Google 12,000. Microsoft 10,000. It was brutal to read about - and even more brutal to live through if you were affected

But I looked up something that most of those headlines didn’t include: the actual headcount numbers for these companies, from 2018 all the way through 2024.

What I found completely changed how I saw the story.

Every single one of these companies employs significantly more people in 2024 than before the “AI era” began. Meta went from 25,000 people to 74,000. That’s +195%. Amazon went from 566,000 to 1.5 million. Combined, these five firms grew their headcount by 136% since 2018.

So... the companies that “laid people off because of AI” are actually bigger than ever?

Yes. Because the layoffs were not primarily about AI.

Here’s what actually happened:

During COVID (2019–2021), every tech company made the same mistake: they over-hired, assuming that pandemic-era demand was permanent. When it wasn't, they corrected. Those 2022–23 layoffs? They represented just ~7% of the net jobs these companies had added since 2018. It was a course-correction, not a revolution.

Meta’s “Year of Efficiency” sounds scary. But they cut 21,000 roles and then replaced them with different ones - AI engineers, infrastructure specialists, data scientists. It was a role swap, not a workforce reduction.

Okay, so big tech companies are still hiring. Does that mean AI isn’t affecting jobs at all? Not quite. Keep reading.

Something Interesting Is Happening With Productivity

Yes, headcounts are up. But here’s where it gets genuinely interesting.

Revenue is growing even faster than headcount. Which means each employee is generating more output than ever before. Let me show you what that looks like in the data

Meta used to generate $1.37 million in revenue per employee in 2018. By 2024? $2.44 million. That’s a 78% jump. Microsoft’s profit per employee went from $127K to $387K - a 205% increase.

This is what AI augmentation looks like in the real world. The same (or more) people, doing dramatically more. Developers are shipping features 2x faster. Marketers running campaigns that used to need a whole team. Analysts are turning a week of work into a day.

Industries most exposed to AI saw 3× higher revenue-per-employee growth (27%) compared to those least exposed (9%). AI is making workers more valuable, not just replacing them. - PwC Global AI Jobs Barometer, 2025

But here's the catch that should make us pay attention: just because companies are doing more with their people doesn't mean the gains are shared equally. Which brings me to the macro picture.

The Unemployment Numbers Will Surprise You

I know this is going to feel counterintuitive given everything you see in the news. But here’s what the actual economy-wide data says.

The US unemployment rate right now is 4.4%. That’s close to historic lows. Since ChatGPT launched in late 2022, total US employment has actually gone up by 2.5%. The Bureau of Labor Statistics is projecting 5.2 million net new jobs by 2034.

I went through the research from Brookings Institution, the Yale Budget Lab, and the Dallas Federal Reserve. All of them looked at the question, “Is AI displacing workers at scale right now?” And all of them landed in roughly the same place:

There's no measurable AI-linked unemployment spike in the macro data through 2026. Brookings found occupational patterns in high-AI sectors "remarkably steady." The Yale Budget Lab found no meaningful relationship between AI exposure and job losses at the economy level. LinkedIn's own data says the hiring slowdown is mostly driven by economic uncertainty and post-pandemic rebalancing - not AI.

So, the AI jobs apocalypse? Not in the current data.

But, and this is a big but - macro numbers can hide a lot. And when you zoom in, a different story emerges.

The Part That Actually Matters: Winners and Losers by Job Type

Here’s where it gets real.

The data doesn’t show “AI is destroying all jobs.” But it does show that AI is hitting specific types of jobs - and protecting others. The picture is less apocalyptic and more... reshuffling.

AI/ML engineers are seeing job postings grow 37.5% year over year. Healthcare is booming - nurse practitioners projected to grow 52%. Construction and trades? Basically untouched. Physical work is hard to automate.

On the other side, Customer service reps lost 80,000 US jobs between 2022 and 2024. Computer programmers are projected to decline 9.6% over the next decade. Bank tellers, medical transcriptionists, translators - all contracting.

But the most important finding in all of this?
It’s not just which jobs - it’s who’s in those jobs.

AI is behaving very differently depending on where you are in your career.

If you’re experienced - 5, 10, 15 years in - AI is basically a superpower. It handles the repetitive parts of your job while you focus on the complex, judgment-heavy stuff. PwC found that workers with AI skills command a 56% wage premium over equivalent non-AI roles. Senior engineers and data scientists are in insane demand.

But if you’re just starting out? AI is competing with you. Because entry-level jobs are full of exactly the kind of routine, codifiable work that AI does well. The stuff that used to be how you learned.

Stanford researchers and the Dallas Federal Reserve both found that employment in AI-exposed sectors is declining, specifically for workers under 25. Graduates from 2021-2023 are taking measurably longer to find first jobs. IBM froze 7,800 roles citing AI. Duolingo eliminated its contractor workforce. These are not layoffs - they are jobs that were never posted.

This is the part that keeps me up at night. The career ladder is being cut at the first rung.

The associate who was supposed to become a full-time. The junior coder was supposed to grow into the senior engineer. The customer service rep who was going to move into operations. That traditional “start somewhere and work your way up” path is quietly closing for a lot of people.

So What’s Actually Coming? The Forward Picture

Everything I’ve told you so far is the rearview mirror. The windshield looks different - and more urgent.

McKinsey’s November 2025 report found that 57% of US work hours are technically automatable with technology that exists today. Two years earlier, they said 30% “by 2030.” The timeline just collapsed by a decade.

Right now, there’s a massive gap between what AI can do and what companies are actually using it for. Most firms are at 9.2% AI adoption in production (US Census data, Q2 2025). That’s more than doubled from 2023, but still early days.

The risk window everyone should be watching is 2027-2032.

The World Economic Forum projects that by 2030, 92 million jobs will be displaced globally - but 170 million new ones will be created. Net positive on paper.

But here’s the part that matters more than the headline numbers:

The people who lose jobs and the people who get the new jobs are often not the same people.

The chatbot that replaces a customer service team doesn’t automatically retrain those workers to become AI engineers. That transition requires time, money, access, and opportunity - things that are not evenly distributed.

One More Thing: The Jevons Paradox (This Is Actually Hopeful)

I want to share one concept before the verdict because it genuinely changed how I think about all of this.

In 1865, an economist named William Stanley Jevons noticed something strange. As steam engines got more efficient - using less coal per unit of work - total coal consumption went up, not down. Because cheaper energy made more economic activity possible, people did more of everything.

This is called the Jevons Paradox. And I think it explains something really important about AI and jobs.

When AI makes knowledge work cheaper and faster, companies don't just do the same work with fewer people - they do more work. They build things they couldn't afford to build before. They launch products, enter new markets, take on projects that used to be impossible. Which creates demand for more humans.

This is almost certainly why every major tech company’s headcount keeps growing even as its revenue per employee skyrockets. The productivity gains are real - but they’re fueling growth, not replacement.

The critical question - and nobody knows the answer yet - is whether Jevons holds at AI’s speed. Whether demand for human work expands fast enough to absorb the people being displaced. History says yes, eventually. But “eventually” has always taken 20–30 years. AI might compress that into 5–10. That’s the gap that needs managing.

The Honest Verdict: Where We Actually Are

Here’s the summary that I wish had existed when I started this research. Both the doom crowd and the “nothing to worry about” crowd are cherry-picking from the same data.

Here’s how I’d summarize it:

• At the macro level: No AI job apocalypse in the current data. Unemployment is near historic lows. Total employment is growing. This is real and should reduce panic.

• At the sector level: Specific roles are being hit - customer service, basic programming, translation. The disruption is real, just concentrated.

• At the experience level: The clearest and most concerning signal. Entry-level workers are being squeezed - not through layoffs, but through jobs that were never created in the first place.

• Going forward: 57% of US work is technically automatable today. Agentic AI (2027–2030) will automate whole workflows, not just tasks. The structural risk is real and approaching.

• Net outcome: Probably more jobs created than destroyed. But the people who get the new jobs are often not the ones who lost the old ones. That mismatch is the actual problem.

AI isn’t taking our jobs. It’s reshuffling them.

And like all reshuffles, some people are winning big, some are being left behind quietly, and the people in the middle are anxious and uncertain — for good reason.

The real story isn’t one apocalyptic headline. It’s a slow, structural transformation happening in the background - in the jobs never posted, the contracts quietly ended, the graduates who can’t get their first break.

What You Should Actually Do With This

If you’re early in your career: The Jevons Paradox is your friend - if you’re on the right side of it. Skills that work with AI - judgment, creativity, domain expertise, strategy, and emotional intelligence - are going up in value fast. AI fluency is going to be what Excel was in the 1990s: table stakes for basically every knowledge job. Start building that fluency now, not when you need it.

If you’re a manager or hiring: The traditional “hire juniors and train them up” model is being disrupted in ways that have long-term consequences. The question of how you build organizational knowledge and develop the next generation of experienced workers is becoming urgent in a way it wasn’t before.

And for everyone: the companies posting record profits on the back of AI productivity gains - those gains came from somewhere. How those gains get distributed between shareholders, workers, and society is going to be one of the defining economic and political conversations of this decade.

We’re not in a job apocalypse. But we are in the middle of something. And watching it clearly - with data, not hype - is the only way to navigate it well.

If you are exploring careers in AI, feel free to reach out on LinkedIn and Twitter.
If you are looking for a product management mentorship, you can book a call with me or check out landbetterjobs.com - AI Career Copilot to land you better jobs in product management in 30 days or less.

Good luck, and happy job hunting!

Most candidates experience hiring from the outside.

You see a job post.
You tweak your resume.
You apply.
You wait.

But recruitment does not start where candidates think it does.

It starts much earlier, inside the company, long before a JD ever reaches LinkedIn.

Let’s walk through the hiring process exactly as it happens internally and then break down what each step means for you as a candidate.

Step 1: A team has a requirement

Every hiring process starts with a team feeling the need for an additional person.

This requirement usually comes from one of three scenarios.

1. New project launch
   When a company is launching a new product, feature, or initiative, it needs someone to own or execute it.

2. Overload of existing employees
   When the current team is stretched too thin and delivery quality or timelines start suffering.

3. Creating or scaling a new division
   When a company wants to build or scale a function and needs someone dedicated to running it.

What this means for you as a candidate

Hiring is problem-driven, not resume-driven.

Companies are not hiring “talent.”
They are hiring solutions to very specific problems.

If your resume does not clearly signal that you have solved similar problems before, it becomes invisible.

Hence, the key to creating a better converting resume is to go niche and focus on what kind of problems you have solved in your past experiences.

Step 2: The hiring manager goes to HR with the requirement

Once the need is clear, the hiring manager approaches HR.

This is not a detailed document. Because humans do not generally communicate in a structured way, they are all humans afterall.
So, it is usually a short, rough brief.

It typically includes only 4 to 5 things.

1. Approximate years of experience
   For example, junior (1-3yrs) for execution, mid-level (5-7 yrs) for management, senior, or leadership for leading a team.

2. Existing job designation
   If the role is for a Product Manager, they usually want someone who has already been a PM so that company can invest as less time as possible in training the candidate and least time in getting started with the work.

3. Existing work industry
   While not always mandatory, many teams prefer candidates from similar industries because, in that case, the candidates will have a brief understanding of the type of problem the company is solving. E.g., someone from Fintech will prefer someone from Fintech because they can understand the regulations and other processes easily.

4. Specific skill or tool experience
   Because the role is urgent and more often than not, it is urgent, they look for people who already know the tools they use, or who will be using them when they are hired for the role. Hence, showcasing those skills or tools will increase your chances of getting shortlisted.

What this means for you as a candidate

This is the most important insight.

Hiring managers are not optimizing for potential.
They are optimizing for speed and risk reduction.

They want someone who looks familiar.

Your resume needs to reflect these exact 4 to 5 signals clearly and early, not buried under generic achievements.

Step 3: HR writes the job description

HR now converts this brief into a job description.

In most companies today, this is done using an LLM - ChatGPT, Claude, etc., or templates, or previous JDs with minor edits.

That is why most job descriptions look similar, with small variations.

The JD is not a unique expression of the role.
It is a standardized output of a limited internal brief.

What this means for you as a candidate

Stop over-indexing on the wording of job descriptions.

Instead, reverse-engineer them.

Ask yourself:
What experience level are they actually hiring for?
What existing role do they expect this person to have done before?
What industry familiarity are they implicitly expecting?
What tools are non-negotiable?

Then reflect those answers directly in your resume upfront to make it easier for the recruiter to find the similarities and give you a call-back.

Step 4: The job gets posted publicly

Only now does the role get posted on LinkedIn and other hiring platforms.

By this stage, the company already has a strong internal picture of the ideal candidate.

The public posting is distribution, not discovery.

What this means for you as a candidate

Applying early matters as much as applying aligned.

Also, where to find these opportunities early on? LinkedIn hiring posts.

I have built landbetterjobs.com Job Search AI Agent to give you access to the most recent LinkedIn hiring posts, refreshed every 24 hours.

And you can reach out to these people with personalised outreach messages based on your resume and profile. Check out the Land Better Jobs Search Agent here.

If your resume does not match the internal mental model, applying faster will not help, and hence you should build your resume in a way to highlight these 4-5 skills upfront - customised for each role.

Step 5: The team is also asked to post and share

In most cases, the hiring team and the team having the requirement are encouraged to share the role internally and on LinkedIn.

This activates referrals.

Referrals are preferred because they reduce uncertainty and screening effort.

What this means for you as a candidate

Direct applications are the weakest signal.

Referrals and direct reach-outs are stronger because they bypass early filters, and also give you an advantage against those 10k Easy Apply applications.

Your entire objective here should be to reach the hiring manager in whichever possible way - ask for referrals, email the product head or hiring manager, and reach out to people on LinkedIn to share your profile.

Here is one of the most effective template of asking for referrals.

If you rely only on job portals, you are competing at the noisiest and least favorable stage.

Step 6: Responses are managed offline

Most shortlisting decisions happen outside the job portal.

Through referrals, direct messages, or internal conversations.

This is why many candidates never hear back despite applying to hundreds of roles.

What this means for you as a candidate

Your objective should not be to apply more.

Your objective should be to get closer to the hiring manager in whichever way possible.

This can be done through:
Referrals from people already in the company

1. Go to the Company’s LinkedIn Profile > Connection work here

2. Go to the Company’s LinkedIn Profile > Company > People > Product or Hiring

Direct emails or LinkedIn messages to hiring managers

Some of the hiring posts mention the email to send the profile. Send
Resumes that clearly mirror the 4 to 5 internal criteria

How to leverage this as a candidate

Here is the practical takeaway.

Do not write resumes to impress everyone.
Write resumes to match a specific internal hiring brief.

Do not treat job applications as a numbers game.
Treat them as a targeting problem.

Do not assume JDs represent the full truth.
They represent a compressed internal assumption.

Once you understand how recruitment actually works inside a company,
you stop playing a guessing game.

And once you stop guessing,
your odds improve dramatically.

Conclusion

Understanding the process from the inside out will maximise your chances of getting shortlisted. If you want to understand how the entire process works for Getting Your Dream AI Product Management Job.

You can register for the 2-hour Masterclass that will cover resume making, understanding the AI Product Management Market, and skills required to become one, and ultimately, how to find jobs and outreach.

Register here - https://topmate.io/anjalisharma/1907951

Good luck and Happy Job Hunting!

In case of any queries, feel free to reach out over LinkedIn and Twitter.
If you are looking for a product management mentorship, you can book a call with me or register for my Get Your Dream AI PM Masterclass on Topmate!

And welcome to the 1500+ family of Great Question subscribers.

This one is personal.

Last year has been intense in every possible way. Personal. Professional. Identity-level. Letting go of things I genuinely loved.

So, I want to share how, in 90 days, I was able to change the course of my life.

The Trigger

It all started in June.

I had just relocated to a new city with my family and was working remotely at a US-based startup. The company had already reached product market fit. I was their first product manager. And very quickly, it became clear to both sides that my role was not really needed at that stage of the company.

By the end of June, we had an honest conversation and mutually agreed that there was not much scope for my role there. Around the same time, a lot was happening in my personal life, too. Life was clearly asking me to let go.

At that moment, I had two options.
Either look for another job.
Or start something of our own.

There was just one problem.
I was not coming from a hardcore coding background.

I was a product manager who had expertise in research and building a plan, but for implementing those plans, I have always needed a developer.

I had one developer friend who initially agreed to help and then completely ghosted us. (Till date. xD)

So, for the next 15 days, I reached out to almost every developer in my network. What I learned instead was how many different ways people can say no. Over texts. Calls. And even in person.

I genuinely thought this might be the end.

The Action

And then YouTube happened (goldmine of knowledge).

Somewhere deep in the algorithm, I stumbled upon a concept called Vibe Coding. The idea that you could build products without writing traditional code. That is when we discovered Lovable, Cursor, and went all in on learning.

More importantly, it was the possibilities that had expanded for me as a product manager that I can now built independently.

Four to five days later, Neuwriter was born - An AI Copywriter trained on Neuromarketing Principles to write like a human.

No developer.
No code.
No long ideation-to-launch cycle.

In fact, I launched faster than I ever could have with a traditional dev setup.

Not finding a developer turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

I launched Neuwriter and spent around two weeks doing continuous promotion. And that is when reality hit. It felt like just another wrapper. Something that might not scale meaningfully.

Even though Neuwriter did not work from a revenue perspective, it gave me something far more valuable.

I learned end-to-end product building. From idea to launch.

The Results

Because of Neuwriter, I got my next role as an AI Product Manager within two weeks without sending my resume.

I was also approached to join as a GenAI Product Mentor at AcceleratorX.

Around the same time, I became active on social media again. And honestly, the results surprised even me.

The newsletter you are reading right now grew by 726 percent in 90 days. From 186 subscribers to over 1500.

On LinkedIn, impressions went from almost zero to 25 lakh. Over 8 lakh unique members reached.

Followers grew from zero activity to 16,000 in 90 days.

On Topmate, because I was now leading by example, mentorship demand exploded.
500+ bookings.
Top 0.1 percent ranking.
Highest earning months

From zero to 900 views per week with a 14 percent conversion rate.

I was also featured on Times Square in New York for my mentorship initiative

Most importantly, I now understand the process of building, launching, and validating ideas. Which meant I could repeat it. Build fast. Fail fast. Move on faster.

The Power of Keep Going

After joining my new remote role as an AI Product Manager, I finally had time to reflect on why Neuwriter did not work. The answer was simple. It was just another wrapper.

So I built MarketLens - AI Competitor Analyst in four days. Shipped it. Validated it. And quickly realized it was a highly competitive market with thin margins.

I moved on again.

Next came Ship Idea Academy. AI PM courses for product managers. While building this and mentoring 400+ aspirants, I finally saw the real gap in the market. Here’s the full research on PM job market and challenges.

Then LinkedIn did its magic again.
A connection forwarded a post about the SheBuilds Hackathon by Lovable.

That is the power of increasing your luck surface area.

I applied.
Over 20,000 people applied.
Only 200 got selected.

I’ve written about the entire Lovable Hackathon process below

For the hackathon, each participant received 1000 Lovable credits.

I thought, why not build something truly actionable. Something that helps product managers land better jobs.

48 hours and 350 credits later, Land Better Jobs was born.

That is my current mission.
Helping aspiring product managers land better jobs.

If you are an aspiring PM, check out landbetterjobs.com. You can build and score your resume, discover jobs, generate personalized outreach messages, and prepare for interviews using AI mock interviews and an interview prep hub.

The Results?

In the next 90 days, landbetterjobs.com has reached 25k+ traffic and 950+ users coming organically to the platform (mostly via LinkedIn).

I’ve become the top 1% builder from India on Lovable.

I’ve also built a Chrome Extension to manage your Social Links and Resume and access it with just one click on any web page that helps you focus on what matters the most - apply more and focus on the process of interviewing.

The extension is published on the Chrome Web Store, and you can access it for FREE with this link - Click here to download the free Land Better Jobs Extension.

We are still improving it every day. And I am grateful that all of this came together at exactly the right time.

The Key Lessons of 2025

Obstacle is the way

When I look back, everything that happened was triggered by moving on from my job and not finding a single developer to build my product vision.

That is when I remembered Marcus Aurelius:

I am currently reading The Obstacle Is the Way, and I highly recommend it.

If I had stayed in my old job, I would probably never have explored the depth of what is happening in AI today.
If we had found a developer, we might still be building Neuwriter and so on.

The Power of Keep Going

There is only one way to figure things out. Keep going.

Whenever I feel low, Steve Jobs 2005 Commencement Address keeps me going.

If you keep going and treat obstacles as the way, you will be shocked by your progress if you just start today and give yourself 30, 60, or 90 days.

This applies to every aspect of life - work, personal relationships, health, or anything else you want to achieve in life.

Final Thoughts

What happens next, I do not know.

Like most of you, I have also my set of New Year resolutions to write more and keep going towards my aspirations and take care of my health and spread as much love as possible to the world out there but let’s see where it goes.

As of now, I know, I will continue working on LandBetterJobs.com and will keep sharing the learnings with you all throughout the process.

I hope this story inspires you to start something you have been putting off.

Happy New Year to all of you.
May you find the courage to start.
And may you give yourself 90 days before judging the outcome.

I am really excited to see what all you build, and if you need any help, feel free to reach out over LinkedIn or book a 1:1 call with me on Topmate.

Muchhhh loveee,
Anjali <3

That’s the power of putting yourself out there. You increase your surface area for luck, opportunities, and unexpected doors opening.

Out of curiosity, I checked the website shebuilds.lovable.app and registered almost instantly. And honestly, I’m so glad I did.

Here’s a full breakdown of everything I experienced along the way - the application, the event, the questions, the sessions, the project, and what it really feels like to build something from scratch in 48 hours.

What is Lovable SheBuilds Buildathon?

SheBuilds on Lovable is a 48-hour online buildathon designed to empower women to create impactful projects using Lovable’s AI-powered development platform. You can participate solo or in a team, get unlimited build credits, guidance from mentors, and support from a very active community.

If you want to learn more about vibe coding or Lovable - Read what are the best tools to build apps without writing a single line of code.

Who can apply to Lovable SheBuilds Buildathon?

Women (18+), including:
• First-time founders
• Students
• Makers
• Anyone with an idea they want to bring to life
• No technical or prior experience required

What are the event details of Lovable SheBuilds Lovable Buildathon?

Format - Fully virtual
Participants - 215 women/teams
Build Duration - 48 hours (December 15–17, 2025) - for Season 2
Categories - B2B, B2C, Social Impact
Resources You Get - Lovable platform (with unlimited credits), Season 01 Alumni, Lovable Team, Exclusive webinars, SheBuilds Discord community

Tip: Create your Discord account early - all communication happens there.

What are the prizes and rewards for winning SheBuilds Buildathon?

Though there are no explicit monetary rewards for winning the Lovable SheBuilds Buildathon, you get the following things as rewards:

Personal Mentorship - By Elena Verna (Growth team at Lovable)

5K Credits + $50 AI/Cloud Credits - Keep building on Lovable

Direct Build Support - By Whitney Menarcheck (Community)

Visibility - Spotlight across channels

How to find an idea on what to build for the Lovable SheBuilds Buildathon?

The objective of the Lovable SheBuilds buildathon is to build a brand new product (that you have not built before) from scratch in 48 hours using Lovable. So you have to start with a Product Idea before getting into the application process.

There are 3 app categories - B2B, B2C, and others.

Pro tip: If you do not have an idea and you are trying to optimise for selection, choosing a B2B idea will be less competitive than B2C as submissions for B2C apps are almost 2x more than B2B and others combined.

Check the app category stats below from Season 1. Source.

In the end, each category will have a separate winner.
If you already have an idea, you can just go ahead and choose the right category.

The following are the top motivation themes from Season 1. Source.

My journey to find an idea

I have been a Product Mentor all along, and after mentoring 500+ aspiring product managers on Topmate and other mentorship platforms, I have a better understanding of the problems Product Managers face to land a job.

So I analysed all the queries I’ve got as of now across Topmate, LinkedIn, and other mentorship platforms to launch research-landbetterjobs.lovable.app

Understanding the problem has given me a fair understanding of what I wanted to build for the Lovable SheBuilds Buildathon - landbetterjobs.com was born!

What is the Application Process of Lovable SheBuilds Buildathon?

You need to submit a form from their website with the following details:

1. Personal Details: Name, email account (associated with a Lovable account), location, timezone, Discord username, LinkedIn URL

2. Technical Skills: This question has been removed in S2

3. Portfolio Website (preferably a Lovable Link) - this question has also been removed from the S2 application, but if you want to build a portfolio using Lovable, check out how to build a portfolio website in 5 mins without coding. Here’s my portfolio website built using Lovable - anjalisharma.lovable.app

4. Project Related Questions:

   1. Project Category - B2B, B2C, and others

   2. Participation type - Individual or Team

   3. Why do you want to participate?

   4. What would you like to build?

Here are my exact answers to the following questions:

In season 2, the project-related questions have changed a bit, as shown below.

But the essence is the same - what do you want to build, why do you want to build this and how Shebuilds can contribute to your journey.

Pro tip: Try to be honest with the application and think from the lens of impact rather than writing something to get shortlisted as you might not be able to change your idea after being selected for the Lovable SheBuilds Buildathon.

Season 1 Application overview

Nearly 3000 applications were submitted, and in response to that, the Lovable team accepted 200 winners (which was supposed to be 60 originally).

Check out full stats here - shebuilds-stats.lovable.app

And I was one of them, wohooooo!

That’s how I got selected for the Lovable SheBuilds Buildathon out of 3000 applications, and I was excited to build landbetterjobs.com.

What happened during the Lovable SheBuilds Buildathon

Within the tenure of the buildathon, multiple sessions were conducted:
1. SheBuilds on Lovable Q&A - Had the first Q&A with the Lovable team and loved the energy all along!

2. SheBuilds on Lovable Kickoff - officially started the 48-hour buildathon

3. SheBuilds on Lovable: Your app is definitely lovable, but is it usable? - helpful usability and design feedback on the app before it heads to the judges

4. SheBuilds on Lovable: Handling Application Integration in Lovable

5. SheBuilds on Lovable: Mid-point check-in

6. SheBuilds on Lovable: Inside Product: Live AMA with Gabrielle Bufrem, product executive coach, designed for hackathon builders.

7. SheBuilds on Lovable: Turning Your Lovable Build into a Business

8. SheBuilds on Lovable: SheBuilds wrap-up

Along with that, amazing Whitney was available almost all the time on Discord channel to solve any real-time bugs or issues while building.

What did I build for the Lovable SheBuilds Buildathon in 48 hours?

LandBetterJobs.com: AI Career Copilot for PMs

Land Better Jobs is an AI Career Copilot built to help Product Managers land better roles faster through personalised resume optimisation, hidden job discovery, recruiter outreach, and AI-powered interview preparation.

Here are the list of technologies I’ve used:

1. Lovable for Frontend

2. Backend - Lovable Inbuilt Database

3. AI - Lovable AI for this project + Gemini Wrapper

4. Job Hunter AI Agent - Cursor

5. Mock Interviewer - VAPI for voice AI Agent

The build process was amazing, and I was surprised by what all can be done in 48 hours if we just stay focused on our vision of building great products.

After 48 hours, we need to submit the project on the participant portal.

What is the project submission process of Lovable SheBuilds Buildathon?

The following were the questions for the submission form:

And here are my exact answers:

Why this?

After analysing 199+ real PM career queries across LinkedIn, Topmate, and mentorship calls, I discovered that most professionals aren’t struggling because of a lack of skill — they’re struggling because the process is fragmented.
👉 Check out the full research here:

https://research-landbetterjobs.lovable.app/

That’s why I built Land Better Jobs — an AI Career Copilot designed to guide users through every stage of their career journey.

I’ve divided it into three core parts:

1. Build Profile – Create an AI-optimised resume, improve resume score, and get LinkedIn optimisation insights.

2. Job Search – Discover hidden job opportunities, reach out to recruiters with hyper-personalised messages, and generate custom outreach templates for any role.

3. Interview Preparation – Prepare with an AI Voice Agent for mock interviews, get instant feedback, and use the Interview Hub for company-specific JDs and curated question banks.

Land Better Jobs directly addresses the biggest gap in the PM job market — providing an end-to-end, structured, and hyper-personalised AI-driven solution that helps professionals land better roles faster.

Why you?

I work as an AI Product Manager and Product Mentor and have personally mentored over 500 aspiring PMs. Having recently landed a remote AI PM role myself, I’ve experienced both sides of the journey — as a mentor guiding others and as a candidate navigating the modern job search.

Through hundreds of mentorship sessions and community interactions, I realised that while advice and frameworks exist, the resources to apply them effectively are scattered or outdated.
With Land Better Jobs, I’m bridging that gap — combining real-world insights with practical tools so professionals can finally access an all-in-one system to evaluate, prepare, and land better Product Management jobs without needing an MBA.

Why now?

AI is fundamentally reshaping Product Management. Roles are evolving, new skills are emerging, and hiring standards are shifting fast. At the same time, layoffs are on the rise — driving more professionals to seek clarity, confidence, and smarter tools to stand out.

This is the right moment for Land Better Jobs — an AI Career Copilot that helps users evaluate roles, tailor resumes, and optimise their outreach using data-backed, personalised insights. It’s built for the reality of today’s job market — where visibility, timing, and personalisation make all the difference.

Anything else you’d like to share?

Land Better Jobs is more than just a project — it’s the foundation for a scalable AI Career Copilot ecosystem.

The current focus is on Product Management, but the long-term vision is to expand into other roles like Design, Marketing, and Data — helping professionals across industries build profiles, find hidden jobs, and prepare for interviews using AI-driven personalisation.

It’s already validated through 199+ user insights, 500+ mentorship interactions, and early prototypes built on Lovable. With each iteration, the goal is to turn real career pain points into actionable, AI-powered solutions — making job searching smarter, faster, and more human.

2-min video pitch

Here’s the showcase video - https://www.loom.com/share/1a5e316fc1714569a8f4500a5b24240e

Finally Submitted landbetterjobs.com - AI Career Copilot for Product Managers

By the time the application was done, we had all won already! Everyone has done something new, out of their comfort zone, which made them super proud.

And then finally, the winners were announced. You can check the entire showcase here - https://shebuilds-s1.lovable.app/showcase

Key Takeaways:

1. I have always been a fan of Lovable until I got this amazing community of empowering women empower women and the fanbase got even bigger!

2. Focus on the learning and networking more than the winning part

3. Do not build the entire empire at first; start small and then scale

4. It would feel extremely powerful and overwhelming at the same time, to build and launch something in 48 hours, but stay there, you’ll figure it out

5. Patience will be the superpower of vibe coding, more than any other skill

And most importantly, do not forget to have fun!

Landbetterjobs.com was born in 48 hours, and the process was crazy.
As of now, it has helped more than 1000+ PMs land a better job using resume review and evaluation tools, job hunter AI Agent and Mock Interviewer.

I am really excited to see what all you build, and if you need any help with Lovable or the application, feel free to reach out over LinkedIn or book a 1:1 call with me on Topmate.

Good luck, and do apply to the new season of Lovable Shebuilds Buildathon!

Let’s build the future together!

What I found shocked me.

Three skills are equally critical (48% demand each): Product Vision & Roadmapping, Data-Driven Decision Making, and Communication Excellence.

But here’s what’s more important than that: The market is undergoing a fundamental transformation, and most PMs don’t realize it yet.

Top 20 Most In-Demand PM Skills

The analysis reveals that Data-Driven Decision Making, Product Vision & Roadmapping, and Communication Excellence are the three most critical skills at 48% frequency across all job postings. These three skills form the foundation of modern product management, regardless of company stage or sector.

The Three Tiers of PM Skills (And Where You Should Focus)

After analyzing these postings and categorizing 250+ skills into 10 categories, a clear hierarchy emerged:

Tier 1: Table Stakes (35-48% demand)

These are the skills every PM company asks for. They’re non-negotiable table stakes:

• Product Vision & Roadmapping (48%)

• Data-Driven Decision Making (48%)

• Communication Excellence (48%)

• Data Analysis (46%)

• Stakeholder Management (46%)

• Customer-Centric Thinking (46%)

• Product Strategy (45%)

• Prioritization Skills (45%)

If you’re weak in any of these, you’ll struggle to get past phone screens. Most PM candidates have some level of these skills. That’s why they’re commoditized.

Tier 2: Competitive Advantage (30-42% demand)

These skills separate good PMs from great ones:

• Cross-Functional Leadership (44%)

• Technical Understanding (42%)

• Feature Prioritization (42%)

• Market Analysis (42%)

• Agile/Scrum Methodologies (42%)

• Written Communication (38%)

• AI/Machine Learning Knowledge (38%)

• Execution Discipline (40%)

Master these, and you’re in the top 20% of candidates. Most companies want someone who has at least 3-4 of these at a high level.

Tier 3: The Future (6-25% demand, growing 50-200%)

These are the skills that will define PM roles in 2026+:

• Agentic AI Frameworks (8% today → 25%+ in 2026) ← Fastest growing, 200%+ expansion expected

• Prompt Engineering & LLM Fine-tuning (6% today → 15%+ in 2026) ← Second fastest

• Product-Led Growth (22% today → 35%+ in 2026) ← Accelerating

• Marketplace Economics (18% today → 25%+ in 2026) ← Rising for India startups

• Ethical AI & Responsible AI (15% today → 30%+ in 2026) ← Regulatory pressure

Here’s the thing: Most PMs are optimizing for Tier 1 skills. But the real opportunity is in Tier 3.

Skill Demand by Company Type

Different company stages prioritize different skills. Series B-D startups emphasize execution speed and strategic thinking, while FAANG companies require deep technical understanding and advanced analytics. Mid-size companies value leadership and organizational navigation, and SaaS companies focus heavily on customer obsession and financial acumen.

The AI Shock: What’s Actually Happening

Let me be direct: AI is not coming to product management. AI is already here, and the market is rewarding PMs who understand it.

From my analysis:

• 38% of PM job postings explicitly mention AI/ML knowledge as required or strongly preferred

• Companies hiring: Google, Meta, Databricks, Uber, Adobe, Freshworks, Razorpay

• The pattern: Every “new product” being built has AI at its core

But here’s where it gets interesting:

Agentic AI (multi-agent systems, orchestrated AI workflows) is exploding. Currently mentioned in only 8% of postings, but that’s because so few PMs have hands-on experience with it. The companies that are hiring for it? Databricks, Freshworks, forward-thinking AI startups.

By 2026, I predict Agentic AI knowledge will be 25%+ of postings. And unlike broad “AI knowledge,” hands-on experience with frameworks like n8n, Crew.ai, or LangChain will be extremely valuable.

Why? Because orchestrating multiple AI agents requires product thinking.

You need to:

• Design agent workflows that make sense

• Understand failure modes and reliability

• Think about cost optimization across multiple LLM calls

• Design UX for AI-generated outputs

• Measure impact when the output is non-deterministic

Most PMs have no framework for this. That’s why it’s a golden opportunity.

What Companies Actually Want (vs. What They Say They Want)

Job posting: “7+ years PM experience required”
What they actually want: Someone who can ship products and move metrics

Job posting: “SQL required”
What they actually want: Someone who makes data-driven decisions (SQL is just one way to prove it)

Job posting: “FAANG experience preferred”
What they actually want: Someone who’s dealt with organizational complexity and scale

Job posting: “AI/ML knowledge required”
What they actually want: Someone who can evaluate AI tradeoffs and isn’t scared of the technology

Here’s what I noticed: Companies don’t hire for resume requirements. They hire for capability.

The best candidates I’ve seen don’t check every box. They’re exceptional at 3-4 critical skills and understand their weaknesses.

Skills Evolution: Current vs Future Demand

The Skills They Should Care About (But Often Don’t)

After analyzing these postings, I noticed what companies aren’t asking for—and that’s telling:

Marketing skills. Most PM job postings don’t mention this. But the best product PMs I know understand go-to-market strategy. If you can talk about positioning, messaging, and launch strategy? You’re ahead of 70% of candidates.

Writing ability. Companies say “communication excellence,” but they don’t test for it rigorously. If your cover letter is exceptionally clear and compelling? It stands out. Your application itself becomes proof of communication skill.

Customer empathy. Companies say “customer-centric,” but they rarely dig deep. If you can tell stories about how you researched customers and what you learned? That’s rare. Most PMs talk about features, not customer problems.

Failure stories. Every PM has failed at something. The ones who can articulate what they learned? They get hired more often. Most candidates hide failures. That’s the wrong move.

The One Skill That’s Underrated

After analyzing 50+ postings and talking to 20+ hiring PMs, one skill keeps coming up that’s not listed in many job descriptions:

Narrative ability. The ability to tell a story.

Not storytelling in the marketing sense. I mean the ability to take a complex, messy product problem and tell a coherent story about it.

“We measured conversion at 2%. We hypothesized the issue was friction in signup. We talked to 15 users. We found the real issue was trust—new users didn’t understand our credibility. We changed our messaging from ‘fastest’ to ‘trusted by 50k+ companies.’ Conversion went to 3.5%. Here’s why this is better than just optimizing the form.”

That’s narrative ability.

Most PMs can do step 1. Few can do the full loop. The ones who can? They get hired. They get promoted. They get funded when they start companies.

It’s the skill nobody talks about but everyone values.

What I Didn’t Expect to Find

Three findings surprised me:

1. Communication Skills Are The Bottleneck

I expected technical skills (SQL, analytics, AI) to be the gap. They’re not. The gap is communication.

Companies said: “We can teach SQL. We can teach product frameworks. We can’t teach someone to write clearly or present confidently.”

The implication: If you’re excellent at writing and speaking, you’re immediately top 10%.

2. Remote Work Is Changing What Companies Want

50% of the postings I analyzed mention “remote-first” or “async-first” as core to how teams operate.

This means: You need async writing skills more than real-time presentation skills. You need to be exceptional at documentation, written briefs, and asynchronous updates.

Most PMs optimize for real-time skills (meetings, in-person pitches). But the market is shifting.

3. The Startup Sector Is Saturated; The Scale-Up Sector Is Hot

Series A-B startups? Lots of competition. Everyone wants to work at the hot startup.

Series C-E startups? Much less competition for PM roles. But much higher demand.

Similarly, FAANG companies are easier to get interviews at than you’d think, because fewer PM candidates consider them (intimidation factor). Their internal transfer rates are high, so they need external hires.

The sweet spot right now? Series C-D companies ($50M-$500M valuation, 200-1000 employees). High salary, good equity upside, reasonable prestige, and much less candidate competition.

The Salary Reality (And What You Should Negotiate)

After analyzing postings across companies:

Your leverage points for higher salary:

1. AI/ML expertise = 15-20% premium

2. Agentic AI hands-on experience = additional 10-15% premium

3. 0-to-1 startup experience = 10-15% premium

4. Quantified impact (35x, 2x, 50% improvements) = 10-15% premium

If you have all four? You’re negotiating at the top of the band.

The Bottom Line

The PM job market in 2025 is changing faster than it has in years.

The old playbook - get into FAANG, get a brand name, become a PM—still works. But it’s not the only path anymore. And honestly? It’s not even the most interesting path.

The interesting opportunity is in specialized skills. Agentic AI. Marketplace economics. Product-led growth. These are emerging as significant competitive advantages because:

1. Few PMs have hands-on experience

2. Demand is accelerating

3. Salary premiums are being offered

4. It’s early - you can become a recognized expert relatively quickly

That’s why we have built Landbetterjobs.com - AI Career Copilot for Product Managers to land better jobs in 30 days or less by using AI to personalise resume for each job posting, use Job Hunter AI agent to find hidden jobs, send personalised outreach messages for better conversion and prepare for interviews using the Interview Hub and Mock Interviewer.

Check out LandBetterJobs.com and get your free resume score with insights!

If you want a 1:1 mentorship session, I am hosting a 2-hour Get Your Dream AI PM Job Masterclass. Click here to register for the Masterclass.'

One More Thing

I realize I’ve made this sound like a race. It’s not.

Yes, the market is changing. Yes, there are real opportunities right now in AI specialization. Yes, salary leverage exists if you have the right skills.

But the best career move is still the same as it was five years ago: Do excellent work, build relationships, and be someone people want to work with.

Everything else is just optimization on top of that foundation.

What’s your biggest challenge right now in the job market? Hit reply. I read every response.

I hope you will be able to get a sense of what skills to target and what to expect to land an AI Product Management role. I’ve personally landed an AI PM role in 2 weeks without sending my resume. Read here:

In case of any queries, feel free to reach out over LinkedIn and Twitter.
If you are looking for a product management mentorship, you can book a call with me or register for my Get Your Dream AI PM Masterclass on Topmate!

Good luck, and happy job hunting!

That’s why so many people look for startup jobs.

But let’s be clear - startup jobs aren’t for everyone.

Why (and Why Not) to Work at a Startup

The Perks

• Remote-first culture → Many early-stage startups don’t care where you live. You get flexibility, global opportunities, and freedom from the 9-5 commute grind.

• Learn 10x faster → You’ll wear multiple hats, pick up new skills, and grow way beyond a narrow corporate role.

• Your impact shows → You’ll directly shape the product and company, not just be another cog in a big org.

• Network goldmine → You’ll work closely with founders, early employees, and sometimes even investors.

• Upside potential → If you join early and the company grows, your equity can be life-changing.

The Trade-offs

• Long hours, unpredictable work. There’s no “staying in your lane.”

• No fancy perks. Forget corporate cafeterias, business-class travel, or unlimited PTO.

• Job security? Not guaranteed. If funding runs out, so might your role.

Startups are a risk-reward game. But if you thrive in fast-moving, messy environments, it’s an incredible place to grow.

If you’re still excited (good sign!), here’s the map to finding startup jobs that most people don’t know about.

Why You’re Not Getting Calls (and How to Fix It)

Most candidates aren’t getting callbacks because they’re:

1. not applying to enough jobs out there,

2. applying to the wrong portals,

3. too late for the posting,

4. sending generic resumes and profiles

5. not using perfect outreach strategies

We’ll fix pointers 1, 2, and 3 here.
And we’ll cover 4 & 5 in my live masterclass - click here to register.

Smart Ways to Discover Startup Roles

1. Start here

Most platforms allow free job postings, so the number of openings will naturally appear higher on most platforms.

However, you can start with the platforms mentioned below to get a broad view of available job roles and active companies. Once you identify the right opportunities, reach out directly to the respective founders or hiring managers through email or LinkedIn messages for higher conversion.

Land Better Jobs - Largest PM Job Board

If you don’t have all the time in this world - choose landbetterjobs.com, a platform that will give you direct postings from 175k+ company career sites across 54 ATS platforms, enriched with AI and LinkedIn data. 50–100 fresh PM jobs, every single day. Enough to get you interviews in a week.

Y Combinator Job Board

Startup roles at companies incubated by YCombinator (a startup accelerator which has launched 4,000 companies - including Airbnb, Coinbase, Cruise, DoorDash, Dropbox, Instacart, Quora, PagerDuty, Reddit, Stripe, and Twitch).

LinkedIn

And please, no easy apply. To a great extent, not even LinkedIn jobs but the best jobs are there on the feed by searching with keywords or hashtags like #product #hiring, and by following target companies.

2. Prioritize Paid Job Boards (Skin in the Game)

If a company pays to post, it’s a sign they’re serious about hiring from that portal. Hence, check the platforms that require employers to pay to post the job.
Below are some of them:

WellFound (ex-AngelList)

WellFound, formerly AngelList, is a global hiring platform where startups post open roles at their companies. It offers a relatively comprehensive list of roles at startups from around the world, with diverse filters to choose the right job.

Startup Jobs

Startup jobs provides curated startup listings from multiple startups.

WeWorkRemotely

While focused on remote jobs, WeWorkRemotely is a frequent choice for startups. The platform requires payment for job postings and is used by early-stage companies to access global talent.

Other job boards where recruiters pay to post a job are Built In, FlexJobs, CrunchBoard, CutShort, Instahyre, and EarlyJobs.

3. Follow the Money (New Funding = New Hiring)

Startups that have just raised funding are mostly actively building teams, since nearly 80% of capital goes into hiring. The best way to tap this is by tracking VC portfolios or funding news on platforms like Crunchbase, Dealroom, or Tracxn, and reaching out with a personalized portfolio within weeks of the raise for maximum conversion.

The following are some of the top VC portfolio job boards:

VentureLoop

Focused on venture-backed startups, VentureLoop requires payment from employers for each job posted, making it a dedicated resource for startup recruitment.

Andreessen-Horowitz’s a16z job board

It is a top venture capital company based in San Francisco, US. Andreessen Horowitz invests in both early-stage startups and established growth companies, with investments spanning the healthcare, consumer, cryptocurrency, gaming, fintech, education, and IT.

Sequoia Capital portfolio job board

Startup roles at companies funded by Sequoia Capital (a top venture capital firm based in San Francisco, US), which specialises in seed stage, early stage, and growth stage investments in private companies across technology sectors.

Accel portfolio job board

Startup roles at companies funded by Accel (a top venture capital company based in San Francisco, US), which invests in technology companies across sectors and makes investments at the seed, early and growth-stages of a company.

Entrepreneur First

Entrepreneur First is an international talent investor that supports individuals in building technology companies. As of now, it had more than 3,000 people go through its programme to create more than 300 companies worth over $10 billion.

Pro tip: Make a short list of 25 recently funded startups. Warm them up on LinkedIn/X, then apply and reach out directly to the PM lead or founder.

Turn on saved searches + email alerts for titles like “Product Manager,” “AI Product Manager,” “PM - AI/ML,” “Founding PM,” “Product Lead, GenAI.”

4. Follow the unconventional Route

There are a lot of job boards that regularly post or comment on job postings:

1. The Fintech PM - premium job board, comments, and shares job postings

2. Soul in Product - premium job board, comments, and share job postings

3. Product Hope - WhatsApp channel posting ~30 jobs/day

4. Follow influencers who share/repost job postings on LinkedIn

Pro tip: Interact with hiring post (like, send message to the recruiter, etc.) to personalise your LinkedIn algorithm to get more hiring posts to your feed.

4. Go Where Founders Hang Out (Unposted Roles)

A surprising number of roles are filled before they’re posted.

• Slack/Discord communities (AI builders, PM groups, founder circles)

• Product Hunt, Indie Hackers, GitHub discussions

• Alumni/angel groups, city-specific WhatsApp/Telegram founder pods

Pro tip: Be helpful first (feedback, intros, a quick teardown). Then let them know you’re exploring PM roles.

Want Me to Show You the Exact System (Live)?

I’m running a Get Your Dream AI PM Job Masterclass on 18th Oct, 12:00 PM IST.

You’ll get:

• My actual resume & cover letter that worked

• Resume & LinkedIn playbook (ATS-friendly + keyword strategy)

• Portfolio fast-track (what to include, what to skip)

• Outreach scripts that get replies

• Live Q&A + templates you can reuse

👉 Register here: https://topmate.io/anjalisharma/1757539

I personally landed a remote AI PM startup role via WellFound - I’ll break down the whole process live. Read here.

I hope you will find your dream job with the help of these platforms.

In case of any queries, feel free to reach out over LinkedIn and Twitter.
If you are looking for a product management mentorship, you can book a call with me through Topmate!

Good luck, and happy job hunting!

Recruiters spend 6-8 seconds scanning an application. In that tiny window, they decide whether you’re shortlisted or ignored.

The truth? Most resumes fail because they’re not designed to sell you.

The Top Mistakes That Kill a Resume

1. Too generic → copy-pasting responsibilities instead of tailoring to the role.

2. Buzzword overload → “strategic thinker,” “results-oriented,” “innovator.”

3. No numbers → activity-focused instead of impact-focused.

4. Weak formatting → messy layouts that bury achievements.

5. One-size-fits-all → sending the same resume everywhere.

The Resume Framework Top Recruiters Love

Google’s XYZ Formula (Game-Changer)

One of the simplest frameworks that recruiters love comes straight from Google, which says, for writing any experience pointer in your resume, follow this structure:

Accomplished [X] as measured by [Y], by doing [Z].

For example:
❌ “Responsible for managing product launches”
✅ “Launched 3 new product features (X), increasing adoption by 42% (Y), by leading a cross-functional team of 8 (Z).”

This formula forces you to highlight impact with evidence, not just activity and gives proper context to the recruiter about your role.

How to implement this formula for your resume

Step 1 - Upload your resume to ChatGPT
Step 2 - Copy and paste the following prompt

Transform the pointers of my resume into Google’s XYZ Formula

Step 3 - Review the pointers and add them to your resume

You’ll immediately see how much stronger your resume pointers feel.

Elements of a good AI Product Resume

After reviewing thousands of resumes and working with numerous successful AI PMs…

Here are the top 7 elements that make the difference between a resume that lands in the "maybe" pile and one that triggers an immediate interview request:

I’ll cover these sections in detail in my Get Your AI Product Management Masterclass on 20th September, 2025. Sign up today to get access.

Why Branding & Outreach Matter Beyond the Resume

In 2025, your resume gets you noticed, but your personal brand and outreach get you remembered.

Read how I’ve got a remote AI Product Management job in 2 weeks without sending my resume.

Here’s the complete breakdown:

• 🌍 Portfolio Website → A simple showcase of your projects and thought process. Recruiters rarely forget candidates who send these. Check out my article on How to build a personal portfolio website in 5 minutes.

• 💼 LinkedIn Profile → More than an online CV — it’s your credibility signal. Optimize headline, “About” section, and featured projects.

• 💌 Recruiter Outreach → Most people hesitate here, but this is where magic happens. The how matters: short, specific, and personalized messages stand out.

A lazy “Hi, I’m looking for opportunities” won’t get replies.
A sharp note like “I noticed your team launched X feature - here’s how I’ve solved similar problems” almost always sparks interest.

Even this is the exact message that has got me my recent AI PM job:

Be very clear and direct with your offerings and the value you’re going to bring to the table and if you are a match, recruiters generally respond.

🚀 The 2025 Job Search Playbook

If I were starting over today, I’d do this in 5 steps:

1. Audit my resume with the XYZ formula → no fluff, only impact.

2. Polish my LinkedIn → aligned with resume, but more personal.

3. Create a simple portfolio website → even a one-pager makes a big impression.

4. Craft recruiter outreach → specific, value-driven, and memorable.

5. Build visibility → posts, case studies, or projects that demonstrate expertise.

This is the exact playbook I’ve seen accelerate job searches from months to weeks.

🎤 Going Deeper: Live Masterclass

I’ve received so many requests on resumes, profiles, and outreach that I decided to host a live masterclass where I’ll break down everything end-to-end:

Masterclass: Get Your Dream AI Product Job
📅 Saturday, Oct 4 | 12:00 PM IST
🎟️ Only 20 seats open

Here’s what I’ll cover:
📄 My actual resume & cover letter that worked
📝 A resume playbook with formats, sections & mistakes to avoid
🌐 How to build a portfolio website recruiters remember
💌 Recruiter outreach scripts (what to say, how to follow up, how to stand out)
🚀 Hacks to land PM interviews faster
🔑 Personalized resume review + suggestions

👉 Sign up here: https://topmate.io/anjalisharma/1739006

I will be sharing my actual resume, cover letter, relevant sections for resume, outreach techniques, job boards, and frameworks to accelerate your job search for AI product management.

And the best part, I’ll be personally reviewing all the resumes and will be sharing actionable insights!

I hope to see you there!

Even if you don’t attend the masterclass, I hope this article has helped you in your AI product management resume-making journey.

I am more than happy to connect over LinkedIn, Twitter, or if you are looking for a AI PM mentorship, you can book a call with me through Topmate!

Good luck, and keep asking great questions!

And because it’s the most effective way of putting yourself out there, no surprise - there are 100+ websites out there that specialise in creating portfolios. The average subscription? Around $10/month.

But here’s the fun part: in this article, I’ll show you how to build a stunning portfolio website in just 5 minutes - without writing a single line of code. And yes, it’s absolutely FREE for anyone to follow along.

Step 1 - Gather your resume + LinkedIn profile

Let’s start simple.

You already have your resume, right? Perfect.

Now for LinkedIn - head over to your profile, click on the last CTA (the "More" button), and hit Save to PDF. That’s it! You’ll now have your entire LinkedIn profile saved neatly as a PDF file.

Step 2 - Use ChatGPT with this prompt

Open ChatGPT and copy-paste this exact prompt:

Act as an expert designer with over a decade of experience in building stunning portfolios. I want to design a personal portfolio website for myself on Lovable. I will attach my resume and LinkedIn profile for you to get the information and context.

Here is my LinkedIn URL - <https://www.linkedin.com/in/anjalisharmaaa/>

Create an interactive, premium-looking personal portfolio website with all the relevant sections. Give the Lovable prompt for this website as an output.

A couple of quick tips to customise:

• If you’re looking for a specific role, just add a line like: “I am looking for Product Management roles.”

• Have a design reference in mind? Drop the URL in the prompt.

• Got extra links - like your blog, book, newsletter, mentorship page, or side projects? Add those too!

Finally, replace my LinkedIn URL with your own, attach your resume + LinkedIn PDF, and you’re good to go.

Step 3 – Build your website on Lovable

Now comes the exciting part.

Lovable is a platform where you can build apps and websites simply by writing prompts. If you’re curious about these kinds of platforms, check out my detailed guide on Vibe Coding and the best tools to build apps without touching code.

Here’s what to do:

1. Go to Lovable.dev (you can get 10 free credits if you sign up using this link - https://lovable.dev/invite/78cc2a67-c03c-49f1-a18e-691c0165f5bf)

2. Sign in with your account

3. Paste the response you got from ChatGPT into the first text input window

💡 Pro tip: Free accounts get 5 credits per day - more than enough to create a clean, static portfolio site.

Once you hit enter, Lovable will start working its magic.

Give it a minute, and tadaaaa - your portfolio website is ready!

Making edits

Didn’t like something? Want to tweak a section? Just type your changes into the text box and hit enter again. For changing anything specific, you can click on the Edit option from the chatbox, mention your changes, and click Enter. Lovable updates it instantly.

Publishing your site

When you’re happy with the design, click on Publish (top right corner).

• You can edit your URL.

• If you have a custom domain, you can connect it - but that’s a premium feature.

• For now, stick with the free Lovable-generated link.

Click publish, copy the link, and you’re live. 🚀

That’s it - your portfolio is ready!

Here’s mine, check this out - https://anjalisharma.lovable.app/

Share the link on your socials, add it to your resume, or drop it directly with recruiters.

The best part? You’re not just showcasing your experience - you’re also flexing your vibe coding skills in the process.

And to give you some context, this is exactly how I,ve got my recent AI PM remote job (No resume, no cover letters - just my portfolio of side projects.)

👉 If you’re just starting out as an AI Product Manager, check out this article:

Do share your portfolios with me and with the world :)

I am more than happy to connect over LinkedIn, Twitter, or if you are looking for a product management mentorship, you can book a call with me through Topmate!

Good luck, and keep asking Great Questions!

Here’s my 3D figurine!

What is the AI 3D figurine trend?

The craze started with Google’s Gemini 2.5 Flash Image model, better known as Nano Banana. Google even shared examples themselves, and soon users everywhere began uploading their own photos.

The trick is simple: upload a picture, write a short prompt, and Gemini creates an image of you as a PVC figurine - complete with a clear acrylic base, a branded toy box, and even a computer screen showing a fake 3D modeling process.

How are people making these figurines?

People are mainly using Nano Banana inside Google AI Studio, because it creates the most realistic results and is free to try.

Here’s how you can do it:

1. Open Google AI Studio at aistudio.google.com

   

   Sign up with your email to get started.

2. Once you log in, you’ll land here (choose the “Try Nano Banana model” option from the list of What’s new options)

3. Upload a photo of yourself (a full-body picture works best) and paste this prompt in the prompt window

   “Create a 1/7 scale commercialized figurine of the characters in the picture, in a realistic style, in a real environment. The figurine is placed on a computer desk. The figurine has a round transparent acrylic base, with no text on the base. The content on the computer screen is a 3D modeling process of this figurine. Next to the computer screen is a toy packaging box, designed in a style reminiscent of high-quality collectible figures, printed with original artwork. The packaging features two-dimensional flat illustrations.”

4. Click generate and wait a few seconds.

Even with an old or low-quality photo, the AI usually manages to capture your look and turn it into a toy-like figure.

5. Tadaaaaa, your 3D figurine is ready!

Why is everyone doing it?

• The results look shockingly real.

• It’s completely free and easy.

• You can get creative - make couple figurines, special editions, or anime-style boxes or get more creative to edit the prompt based on your needs.

Final thoughts

The “Nano Banana” trend is a mix of fun and slightly creepy - but it shows how powerful AI image tools have become. What used to take 3D modeling and printing can now be done in seconds with just a selfie.

If you haven’t tried it yet, give it a go. You might be surprised by how realistic your “mini-me in a box” looks.

I am always amazed by the pace and speed of ever-evolving AI and the new trends catching up now and then. If you have an interesting project in mind or have any queries related to AI and specifically AI product management, feel free to reach out to me via LinkedIn or Twitter. If you are looking for an AI PM mentorship, you can book a call with me through Topmate!

Good luck, and keep asking great questions!

What is Vibe Coding?

Vibe Coding is a term coined by OpenAI's former co-founder, Andrej Karpathy, through one of his tweets on 2nd Feb, 2025, where you fully give in to the vibes, embrace exponentials, and forget that the code even exists.

Since then, the internet has not stopped talking about vibe coding, and here we are, planning to build apps without writing a single line of code through it. But before that, we need to understand the fundamental aspects of building a career in AI software development.

The Vibe Coding Landscape 2025

Vibe coding tools are revolutionizing software development by letting users describe what they want in natural language and having AI write the code. As of May 2025, the landscape includes 20+ major platforms ranging from no-code app builders to AI-powered IDEs, collectively representing a fundamental shift in how software gets built.

What are the best vibe coding tools in 2025 for Zero-Code App Builders?

1. Lovable

Website URL: https://lovable.dev/

You can get 10 free credits if you sign up with my link here - https://lovable.dev/invite/78cc2a67-c03c-49f1-a18e-691c0165f5bf

“Build full-stack apps without code, just vibes. Lovable turns your idea into a working MVP—zero tech headaches.”

• Pros: Truly no-code, stunning UI, fast MVP building

• Cons: Limited backend logic customization

• Tech Skills Needed: None

• Ideal For: Product Managers, Designers, Founders, Indie Hackers

2. Replit

Website URL: https://replit.com/

“More than just an online IDE—Replit lets you code in the cloud, build full apps, and even spin up AI agents without leaving your browser.”

• Pros: All-in-one dev environment, agent-building support, real-time collaboration

• Cons: Not no-code, requires programming skills

• Tech Skills Needed: Beginner to advanced coding

• Ideal For: Developers, AI hackers, technical founders, students

3. v0 (by Vercel)

Website URL: https://v0.app/

“Type what you want, and v0 gives you clean React components ready to plug in. It’s like an AI front-end co-pilot for developers.”

• Pros: Exports clean code, Vercel-native, fast UI prototyping

• Cons: Not for non-devs, no full app logic

• Tech Skills Needed: Basic React/Next.js

• Ideal For: Frontend developers, tech-savvy PMs, designers with dev handoff

4. Bolt.new

Website URL: https://bolt.new/

“Spin up full-stack apps right in your browser—Bolt is a playground for fast, code-lite prototyping.”

• Pros: Fast, browser-based, full-stack output

• Cons: Token-limited free plan, light coding helpful

• Tech Skills Needed: Low-code (HTML/JS familiarity helps)

• Ideal For: Technical PMs, startup builders, growth hackers

5. Base44

Website URL: https://base44.com/

“An AI-accelerated app builder that gets you from idea to structured backend in minutes—without the dev clutter.”

• Pros: Backend + logic builder, AI guidance

• Cons: Not beginner-friendly, still evolving

• Tech Skills Needed: Some understanding of data structures/APIs

• Ideal For: AI PMs, systems thinkers, backend-heavy use cases

6. Cursor

Website URL: https://cursor.com/

“It’s like having an AI engineer inside your code editor—Cursor helps you write, debug, and ship faster with superpowers.”

• Pros: World-class code assistance, local file support, real-time AI pairing

• Cons: Desktop-only, requires real coding knowledge

• Tech Skills Needed: Intermediate to advanced coding

• Ideal For: Developers, AI engineers, technical cofounders

Conclusion

I’ll cover what you can build and how you can build with these vibe coding apps in my next article, so stay tuned and do subscribe if you haven’t already!

Subscribe now

I hope this has helped you gain a fair understanding of the vibe coding tools available, so you can choose the best one for building your project.

If you have any queries, feel free to reach out to me via LinkedIn or Twitter. If you are looking for an AI PM mentorship, you can book a call with me through Topmate!

Good luck, and keep asking great questions!

The Rise of AI Product Managers

Contrary to most people’s fears about AI, the most immediate short-term impact has been a huge increase in demand for AI Product Managers.

Here are some of the AI job market trends:

1. Growth in AI-Related Job Postings (US, 2019-2025)

There has been significant and accelerated growth in AI job postings in the US, reaching over 35,000 postings in early 2025, a sharp increase from just 5,000 in 2019.

This rapid expansion illustrates the increasing demand for AI-related roles, including product management positions.

2. Rocketing Demand for AI Product Management Roles (Global, 2022-2025):

AI Product Management roles have nearly quadrupled worldwide since 2022, hitting almost 19,200 open positions globally as of August 2025.

The acceleration is driven by widespread industry adoption of artificial intelligence technologies across products and services.

3. US AI Product Manager Salaries vs. Non-AI Product Managers (2025):

AI Product Managers command significantly higher salaries than their non-AI counterparts across all percentiles.

The median salary for an AI PM is $156K/year, compared to $132K/year for non-AI PMs.

Top 10% of AI PMs exceed $250K/year, underscoring the premium for AI expertise.

4. AI Product Manager Salary Ranges in India (2025):

The median AI PM salary in India is ₹32.3 lakhs, but top performers in the field can expect to earn upwards of ₹94 lakhs, with the very highest reported salaries exceeding ₹1 crore.

This mirrors the global trend of high compensation for AI-savvy product leaders.

So, it’s pretty clear that while core product management and tech roles have been slow to grow, AI and AI product manager roles have continued to grow - fast.

In the overall tech landscape, AI represents 20% of open jobs. And we’re seeing something similar in PM.

But how to get there? Great Question!

Step by Step Guide to become AI Product Manager

I’ve recently came across the post by Product Growth on the same topic which covers the entire concept in detail here. Here’s their step-by-step guide.

Though this looked quite intimidating, I have simplified the steps to the following:

Step 1 - Familiarize yourself with the core first principles

AI in itself is a million different things.

You need to understand the basic concepts of what it is, how it works, and what it can do for you, and what other people are doing with it (which is now worth infinite possibilities).

So to get started, follow relevant news, trends, people, and channels to stay updated and create a bias for AI. Though there are many people in respective domains, these people have specifically helped me develop a fair understanding.

1. Aakash Gupta - Founder of Product Growth

2. Ansh Mehra - Founder of The Cutting Egde School

3. Dr. Nancy Li - Founder of PM Accelator - Website | LinkedIn

4. Starter Story - Everyday videos on what people are building with AI

5. Tina Huang - Founder of Lonely Octopus - Youtube

6. Seth’s Blog - Legendary Marketer

7. Zain Khan: Founder of Superhuman - AI news and updates

8. Allie K. Miller: Former Amazon AI creator

9. Ruben Hassid: AI comparisons and tutorials on the regular

10. Jeff Su: Google’s PMM making videos on AI productivity

Once you start personalising your content feed for such content, you’ll get more recommendations on similar content and people along the way.

Their posts will give you a pulse on the latest AI trends and debates.

By immersing yourself in this content, you'll start developing an intuition for AI's capabilities and limitations. This foundation will be crucial as you move forward in your AI PM journey.

As you scroll and absorb, pay attention to:

• Common terms: machine learning, deep learning, neural nets, NLP, etc.

• Where AI is being used: healthcare, marketing, writing, fraud detection

• Real products using AI to solve human problems

• Ethical dilemmas, failures, and bias in AI - super important if you’re planning to lead teams

You don’t have to go textbook-deep into everything. But if you can explain AI basics to your non-tech friend over coffee? You’re doing it right.

This stage isn’t about expertise. It’s about breadth over depth.

You’re sketching a mental map of the AI universe - and learning how to navigate it.

And that’s the first real step in becoming an AI Product Manager:

Having enough context to see opportunities where others only see buzzwords.

Step 2 - Take relevant courses

Now that you've reshaped your content diet, it's time to add some structure to your learning. Courses are like hiring a trainer at the gym.

They give you structure and accountability.

The key here is to focus on courses that blend AI knowledge with product thinking. You're not aiming to become the next AI researcher at DeepMind. Instead, you're building the skills to translate AI capabilities into user value.

Start with these foundational courses:

1. AI for Everyone by Andrew Ng on Coursera: This is your AI 101. It's designed for non-technical folks and gives you a bird's eye view of AI.

2. Elements of AI by the University of Helsinki: Free, interactive, and surprisingly fun. It covers everything from AI ethics to neural networks.

3. Machine Learning Crash Course by Google: Because who better to learn from than the tech giant that's betting big on AI?

These courses will give you a solid foundation. They'll help you understand the key concepts, the potential of AI, and its limitations. But don't stop there.

Next, dive into these intermediate courses:

1. AI Product Management Specialization on Coursera: This is the holy grail for aspiring AI PMs. It covers everything from AI strategy to ethics.

2. AI-900: Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals: Don't let the Microsoft branding fool you. This course offers practical insights into deploying AI solutions.

3. Andrej Karpath’s Neural Networks Zero to Hero course: The man is a legend and will help you build ChatGPT on your own

I’ve also joined AccelatorX as their GenAI product mentor.

As you work through these courses, keep your PM hat on. Always ask yourself: "How could this technology solve real user problems?" or "What new product opportunities does this create?"

Remember, your goal isn't to become an AI engineer. You're building the skills to lead AI product initiatives, to communicate effectively with both technical teams and business stakeholders.

For those who want to go the extra mile, consider these advanced options:

1. CS50's Introduction to Artificial Intelligence with Python by Harvard: It's challenging, but it'll give you a deeper understanding of AI algorithms.

2. Deep Learning Specialization by deeplearning.ai: This dives deep into neural networks. It's like taking a peek under the hood of modern AI.

3. Natural Language Processing Specialization by deeplearning.ai: With the rise of ChatGPT, understanding NLP is becoming crucial for PMs.

As you embark on this learning journey, here are some pro tips to maximize your efforts:

1. Apply what you learn to real-world scenarios. See a problem at work? Brainstorm how AI could solve it. Focus on building a side project using Vibe Coding tools to showcase your skills in the real world.

2. Join online AI communities. Participate in discussions on forums like r/MachineLearning or AI Stack Exchange.

3. Don't just passively consume. Try to explain AI concepts to non-technical friends or colleagues. Teaching reinforces learning.

4. Keep a learning journal. Jot down key concepts, product ideas, or questions you want to explore further.

5. Don't feel pressured to complete every course. Focus on understanding core concepts and their practical applications.

By the end of this step, you should be comfortable discussing AI technologies, their potential applications, and their limitations. You'll be able to see beyond the hype and identify real opportunities for AI to create value.

You can explore more courses here.

A word of caution: Don't fall into the certification trap. While certs are okay, they're mostly a marketing tactic—not a golden ticket to AI PM land. Focus on understanding and applying concepts rather than collecting digital badges.

By the end of this step, you should be able to hold your own in a conversation about AI without feeling like you're speaking Klingon. You'll understand the basics of how AI systems work, their current capabilities and limitations, and the ethical considerations surrounding their use.

And as most of these courses will (and should be hands on), by the end of the course, you’ll have a side project to showcase your skills.

Step 3 - Act as a Product Manager to get the AI PM job

This is the most important step, and I’ve written in detail about how I landed a remote AI PM job in 2 weeks using product market fit in my previous article.

I’ll cover the topics of vibe coding and building a side project using AI tools in my next article, so make sure you subscribe to Great Question to stay updated.

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I hope this has helped you to reach one step closer to your dream AI PM role.

If you have any queries, feel free to reach out to me via LinkedIn or Twitter. If you are looking for a AI PM mentorship, you can book a call with me through Topmate!

Good luck, and keep asking great questions!

I never sent my resume, email, or cover letter to the hiring manager.

Here’s how it happened.

Why I Started Looking

In June 2025, I was already working as a Founding PM at Emitrr. But it wasn’t in the AI space, and with the AI wave rising and my curiosity growing, I decided to look for an AI-focused PM role.

So I thought, how should I get started?

That’s when I reminded myself: I’m a Growth Product Manager. I solve problems.

So why not treat this like a growth challenge?

You are the Product. Product Market Fit is the Goal.

I flipped the traditional job hunt upside-down.

• The product? Me.

• The market? AI companies.

• The goal? Product-Market Fit between my skills and their needs.

Here’s the exact step-by-step process I followed:

Step 1 - Identifying Target Customers

Most people hit ‘Easy Apply’ on LinkedIn. It’s called “Easy” for a reason - everyone does it! Many companies use open job posts to build followers, and you’re up against thousands of candidates who are just casually applying.

So what should you do instead?

List out your skills, interests, and experience - no one knows them better than you! Decide on the industries or company types that excite you.

My story

My first role was in health tech, and I’ve always loved personal development. So, for my first switch, I filtered for startups in healthcare or personal growth, remote-only. That narrowed things down a lot.

For this second search, now that I had SaaS PM experience, I focused on AI product management roles, specifically in Marketing SaaS.

Once you define the who, you’ll find better-fit opportunities faster by making a shortlist of companies actively hiring in those spaces - either from Startup portal, funding news (most startups that have raised funds are hiring), LinkedIn, or so on.

Step 2 - Pain Point Discovery

Many job seekers focus on securing a fancy title. Instead, approach it like a product launch: what problems do these companies need solved by people in your role?

My story

I knew AI PMs need to build hands-on. I chose Marketing because I feel it’s the most effective AI use case, and I had relevant experience with Google Ads Online Marketing Challenge.

Step 3 - Develop Value Proposition

It’s not about applying everywhere for every role. Even inside “Product Management,” there are many flavors - generalist, technical, domain expert, and more. Find your best match.

Here’s the best article to figure that out by Product Coalition.

Now, for each role, the skills vary, and you need to find the best match for your profile. Some of the examples are below.

My story

I was a generalist PM before, but I wanted to become a domain-expert PM in AI. That clarity shaped how I positioned myself.

Step 4 - Build a Minimum Viable Product

Once you’ve figured out your role and the value you’ll be able to add, here’s the most interesting step - Build a Minimum Viable Product!

Traditionally, this meant a polished resume and cover letter. But in the AI era, where tools can auto-generate both in minutes, they’re no longer the differentiators they used to be.

This is why side projects are the new resume.

Is skipping the resume an exception?

Not anymore. With the rise of vibe coding and tool-based validation, companies like Perplexity, LinkedIn, Google, Lovable, and many others have started explicitly not asking for resumes in their PM hiring process.

That said, you still need your resume and cover letter – but think of them as hygiene factors, not game-changers. Their value has significantly reduced because they don’t showcase your real skills.

If you’re starting, I’ve created this step-by-step guide to ace off-campus placements.

I’ve also shared my exact resume and cover letter on Topmate that got me multiple remote product roles. They’re still useful, but not sufficient if you’re applying for cutting-edge roles like AI PMs.

My story

To prove I had the skills required for an AI PM role, I started building AI-native side projects relevant to Marketing:

1. Neuwriter.ai – An AI copywriter trained in neuromarketing principles

2. MarketLens – An AI-powered competitive analysis tool for B2B marketers

And yes, these were MVPs I built in just 1 week using the following Vibe Coding stack

Now, once you are done with the prototype, add these under the side projects sections to the resume and move on to the next step.

Step 5 - Test with real customers

In the job context, your users are hiring managers. Your MVP? Your resume, side projects, and cover letter.

Now, there are many ways to find effective jobs:
1. Startup jobs - Ycombinator, wellfound, LinkedIn feed, etc.

Checkout my detailed article on How to Find Startup jobs here:

Or you can leverage LinkedIn to apply for jobs (which is not easy to apply):

1. How to find jobs using LinkedIn (Not Just Easy Apply!) - using hashtags and LinkedIn filters

2. How to Reach Out Effectively on LinkedIn with a Personalized Note - using Add a Note while connecting (only available on Desktop)

3. Build your resume using Google’s XYZ Formula

4. Use LinkedIn as professional social media by interacting with hiring posts to get more hiring-related posts directly to your feed

5. How to find jobs through layoff posts

6. How to find recruiters through LinkedIn

And many more… understand which platform is most likely to be used by your target companies and build a profile for leverage.

My story

I have found this job posting using Wellfound.

After spotting the job, I reached out directly on LinkedIn with a personalized note.

Now here’s the twist – the salary range mentioned on the role was lower than my current job, and I had no prior AI experience.

But I applied anyway.

Why? Because if you demonstrate your worth during the process, you earn negotiation leverage. In my case, the team never even asked for a resume or cover letter. Just based on my profile, projects, and interviews, they agreed to my expectations and offered me the role.

The interview process

Round 1 - Introductory Call

In this round, I was asked to present my side projects - Neuwriter.ai and MarketLens, including the rationale behind choosing this problem statement and the tools I used, along with my AI understanding and prior product experience.

Because my side projects were aligned with the industry, I did not have to explicitly answer - “Why do you want to work for us” and related questions to justify my interest by taking a course to prove I could ship

Naval says it best: “If you want to learn something, just build it.”

Round 2 - Take-home assignment

I was given two tasks:

1. Improve onboarding flow to boost funnel conversions - I prototyped this in Mesha’s style using Lovable here - https://mesha-onboarding.lovable.app/

2. Identify new AI x Marketing opportunities - I mapped ideas by effort/reward quadrant, and I used my agent MarketLens to present deep competitive analysis and Mesha positioning.

Click here to check my full submitted assignment.

Round 3 - Product Sense and Cultural Round

In this round, I presented my thought process behind the assignment, and other cultural fit questions.

I also asked them, what pain points are driving this hire, what would success look like in 90 days and so on to understand my Product Market Fit for the role.

And that’s it.

Two weeks. No resume. No cold email. Just proof-of-work that got me the job!

Side Notes

While this was the full story of how I landed a remote AI PM role without ever sending my resume, the most important piece, one that isn’t visible on paper, is mindset.

I genuinely love working as a Product Manager, and I believe I deserve to be in roles that challenge and excite me, not just because I want them, but because I know I bring value to the team I join. If I’m rejected, it simply means the fit wasn’t right. But if I get the opportunity, I'll show up with everything I’ve got to create a win-win.

That belief in my skills and the way I’ve built my LinkedIn presence are two of the most amazing unfair advantages I have had all along.

Bonus tip: Apply, apply, and apply!

Keep your imposter syndrome aside and apply even when you are not 100% qualified for the job. Let the recruiter decide acceptance or rejection, DO NOT SELF-REJECT.

You might be rejected in many (or most) of them, but you need just one role in one company and your work is done! So, if you find a relevant role, shoot your shots!

I hope this helped you rethink how to land your dream role in AI product management.

I am more than happy to connect over LinkedIn, Twitter, or if you are looking for a mentorship, you can book a call with me through Topmate!

Good luck, and happy job hunting!

Well, you might ask why is it important so let’s begin with that…

Did you know that the average person makes around 35,000 decisions every single day? That's right, from the moment you wake up and decide whether to hit the snooze button or rise and shine, to choosing what to wear, what to eat, and even what to binge-watch on Netflix. It's like you're a decision-making superstar, juggling choices left and right!

But here's the kicker: those seemingly small decisions can have a huge impact on your life, both in the short term and the long run. Ever heard of the butterfly effect? It's the idea that a butterfly flapping its wings in Brazil can set off a chain of events that leads to a tornado in Texas. Similarly, your everyday decisions, no matter how trivial they seem, can set off a ripple effect that shapes your life's trajectory.

So, grab your popcorn (or blue lays, if you're feeling virtuous), because we're diving headfirst into the hilarious and enlightening world of decision-making.

Step 1: Know Your Values

I get a lot of people who ask me what they should do in a given situation—that is, they want me to make a decision for them.

Should they stay in a relationship or leave and find a new one? Should they go back to school to get a better job or start their own business? Should they stop communicating with a toxic friend or family member or try to repair things?

The problem is there is no obvious yes/no answer to these situations. Ultimately, they all boil down to the person’s individual values—or what they prioritize. Is family hugely important to them? Or does their career matter more? Do they enjoy their job? Or are they passionate about another field?

So the first thing you need to do before seeking any outside advice or anything like that is figuring out your priorities. What is at the top of your own little personal hierarchy?

Every single action leads to consequences and it’s way easier to deal with the consequences when the journey is aligned with your values!

For example, if you're standing at a fork in the road, one path leads to a cozy job with your favorite snuggie, and the other path offers a rollercoaster of adventure. If your value is "adventure," guess which path you'd be strutting down? That's right, the one with the wind in your hair and an adrenaline rush in your heart!

Step 2: Know Your Biases

Ah, biases. Our brain's way of playing matchmaker between logic and chaos.

CONFIRMATION BIAS

This is the tendency to seek out information that confirms our existing beliefs while ignoring or downplaying information that contradicts them. For example, if you believe that all politicians are corrupt, you may only seek out news stories that support that belief, while ignoring evidence to the contrary. This can lead you to make decisions based on incomplete or inaccurate information.

SUNK COST FALLACY

This is the tendency to continue investing time, money, or other resources into something, even if it’s not working out, simply because we’ve already invested so much. For example, if you’ve spent a lot of money on a car that keeps breaking down, you may keep sinking money into repairs rather than cutting your losses and buying a new car. This can lead to wasted resources and missed opportunities.

A much sadder and all-too-common example of the sunk cost fallacy is in relationships. A lot of people stay in bad relationships because they’ve been in them for so long and they feel like leaving would mean they’ve “wasted” all those years.

BIAS OF OVERCONFIDENCE

This is the tendency to overestimate our own abilities and underestimate the complexity of a situation. For example, if you’re confident that you can fix a leaky pipe in your house, you may not realize that the problem is more complicated than you initially thought. This can lead to mistakes, wasted time and money, and potentially dangerous situations.

Don't fret; we all have biases. Think of them as your quirky roommates. But remember, self-awareness is the ultimate weapon against these sneaky decision-saboteurs. Embrace diverse perspectives and admit when you're wrong to figure out where it’s coming from and this will help in your rational decision making!

All of this will make you aware of your own self so that you can take a good decision well as there’s no benefit in taking a good decision badly - it is equivalent to a bad decision!

Step 3: Gather Optimal Information

The difference between maximizers and satisficers is like the difference between trying to find the perfect parking spot at the mall on Black Friday and parking three miles away and walking.

So which approach is better? Well, again, it depends on your goals and values.

If your goal is to make the absolute best decision possible, then the maximizing approach may be the way to go. This approach can be useful in certain contexts, like investing or business, where small differences in outcomes can have a big impact.

However, if your goal is simply to make a good decision and move on with your life, then the satisficing approach may be more efficient and less stressful. Satisficers are more likely to avoid decision fatigue and analysis paralysis, and they tend to be more satisfied with their choices overall.

Of course, there are trade-offs to both approaches. Maximizers may have a higher chance of finding the “perfect” option, but they also risk spending too much time and energy on decision-making, which can lead to burnout and indecision. Satisficers, on the other hand, may miss out on some potentially great opportunities by settling for something that is merely “good enough.”

Ultimately, the decision between maximizing and satisficing depends on your own personal goals, values, and priorities. If you’re someone who values efficiency and simplicity, then satisficing may be the way to go. But if you’re someone who prioritizes excellence and optimization, then maximizing may be more aligned with your values.

The key to making good decisions is not necessarily finding the best option, but rather finding the option that aligns with your own goals and values. And sometimes, that means parking three miles away and walking.

So, are you a Maximizing gourmet or a Satisficing speed-eater? The key? Balance.

Step 4: Treat Your Emotions Like You'd Treat a Dog

Meet your brain's furry sidekick: Emotions. They're like your dog, wagging their tail and demanding ice cream for breakfast. But remember, you're the owner, not the other way around. Train your inner mind to fetch logical decisions instead of chewed-up shoes.

Our emotions are kind of like our dog that’s living inside our heads. We have this part of ourselves that just wants to eat, sleep, and play, but has no conception of future consequences or risks.

That’s the part of ourselves we need to train.

Our emotions are important. But they’re also kind of dumb. They’re not able to think through consequences or consider multiple factors when acting.

Thankfully, our brains evolved logic and the ability to consider the past and the future and all that great stuff. That’s what makes us humans. And not dogs.

The problem is, our “dog brain” is actually what controls our behavior. You can intellectually know that eating ice cream for breakfast is a bad idea, but if your dog brain wants fucking ice cream for breakfast, then that’s ultimately where your body is going to go.

It’s only by training your dog brain with your people brain, “No, bad Mark, ice cream for breakfast is bad, go eat something else that feels good and is healthy,” that your dog brain gradually learns.

Step 5: Write It Down - Pen and Paper Therapy

Imagine your mind as a cluttered room with thoughts bouncing off the walls like wild kangaroos. Writing things down is like taming those kangaroos and putting them in neat rows. Suddenly, that messy room becomes a serene yoga studio where you can stretch your decision-making muscles.

Feeling overwhelmed? Grab a pen and paper, like the wise decision-making yogi you are. Jot down pros, cons, regrets, and your secret intentions - it's like getting a massage for your brain! And who knows, amidst all those scribbles, you might find a zen-like clarity you never knew existed.

Problems arise when our intentions a) aren’t very clear to us and/or b) conflict with our core values.

For example, are you buying that car because you would genuinely benefit from owning it, or because you’re trying to impress the people around you?

Are you trying to start a business because you enjoy the challenges and ups and downs of making your own way, or are you jealous of your friends that have successful businesses and feel like you don’t quite measure up to them?

If you identify some ulterior motives when weighing a decision, stop and ask yourself if your intentions align with who you want to be. And if you’re asking yourself, “Well shit, I’ve never thought about who I want to be. What should I do?”

Then I think you should take out a fresh piece of paper and start writing that down.

Step 6: Trust Your Gut - The Intuition Tango

Ah, the gut feeling - your inner compass or your mind's quirky dance partner? Imagine you're on a dance floor, twirling with your intuition. Sometimes, it leads you gracefully through complicated decisions; other times, it stumbles and steps on your metaphorical toes.

The key is to deal with both intuition and logic by giving importance to both and using your values to change the direction of your path!

On one hand, listening to our intuition can help us make quick and effective decisions. On the other hand, it can lead us down the wrong path if we’re not careful.

So, how do we know when to trust our gut, and when to question it?

First, it’s important to understand what we mean by “trusting your gut.” When we talk about trusting our intuition or instincts, we’re referring to that gut feeling we get—that sense that something is right or wrong, even if we can’t quite put our finger on why.

So, should we always trust our gut? The short answer is no. While our intuition can be a powerful tool, it’s not always reliable. Our intuition can be influenced by all the things I’ve already covered, like biases and emotions and all other factors that may not accurately reflect the situation at hand.

That being said, there are times when trusting your gut can be the right move. For example, if you’re facing a situation where there isn’t a clear “right” answer—like choosing between two good job offers—your intuition can help guide you toward the option that feels most aligned with your values and goals.

So, how do we know when to trust our gut? The key is to use our intuition as one piece of information in the decision-making process, rather than relying solely on it.

If you’ve done everything else up to this point—you’ve made your values clear, you’ve acknowledged your biases, you’ve taken the time to gather as much information as possible, you’ve written it all down and considered the long-term consequences of your decisions—then ask yourself how your gut feeling fits into the bigger picture.

If your gut feeling aligns with the other information you’ve gathered, it may be worth listening to. But if your intuition is in direct conflict with other factors, it’s worth taking a step back and questioning why you’re feeling the way you are.

In the end, trusting your gut is a balancing act between intuition and logic.

If they're in sync, let them sweep you off your feet. But if they're doing the cha-cha in opposite directions, take a pause, have a cup of tea, and figure out why your dance routine's gone haywire.

Step 7: Take Action - Launching Decisions Like a Pro

Imagine your decisions as rockets, ready to launch into the great unknown.

Taking action isn't just pushing the big red button; it's aiming for the stars with confidence and a sprinkle of cosmic luck.

Sure, no decision is perfect. But think of every action you take as a new adventure, like riding rollercoasters at a theme park. Each twist and turn leads to another decision, propelling you forward into a realm of chance and excitement.

So there you have it, decision-making dynamos! Follow these 7 steps and you'll be making choices that align with your values, kick biases to the curb, and trust your gut like a seasoned decision-sherpa. Remember, life's a journey of decisions and discoveries. Now, go forth and decide your own destiny, one quirky choice at a time! 🚀

Now, here's the exciting part, my first book The Side Hustle Revolution: An Ultimate Business Building Guide from Ideation to Launch is now available on Amazon, Notionpress, and Flipkart.

Until next time, feel free to reach out on Linkedin or Twitter for any other queries. Until then, stay curious and keep asking great questions. Good luck :)

Much love, Anjali <3

Ever feel like you're living in a whirlwind of busyness, working hard, but somehow getting minimal returns? Well, you're not alone! We are all caught in the frenzy of endless to-do lists and never-ending tasks, leaving us feeling like we're trapped in a time warp!

You call it Multitasking (well, I call it the same xD), but Multitasking is the Serial Killer of Smart Work and Productivity!

With Multitasking, you’re just increasing your working hard ability without actually getting any productive outputs!

Hard work vs Smart work

So, you might be wondering, what's the deal with hard work versus smart work? We've all been told to work harder, grind it out, and give it our all. But let's be real, just putting in more hours doesn't necessarily mean we're getting more done. That's where smart work comes into play!

Smart work is like the ninja version of productivity. It's about focusing on what truly matters, ruthlessly eliminating time-wasting activities, and maximizing the impact of your efforts. Picture this – you could spend hours scrolling through social media, or you could dedicate that time to a focused task that propels you closer to your goals. See the difference?

So how to work Smart to get maximum returns over working hard?

Well, Great Question, let’s figure it out…

The hack to work Smart is to first of all define what working smart looks like to you. And how do you define that? With proper prioritization!

Let's dive into the world of "Four Thousand Weeks" by Oliver Burkeman, where he reveals the game-changing 3-3-3 Framework that can turn the tables on our productivity struggles!

Step 1. Define your focus Area

Check out your to-do list and if you do not have one, list down all the activities you do every single day. Then, ask yourself (my favorite), the Focusing Question by the One Thing!

Defining your One Thing also helps in focusing on your most important task by removing the Barrier as mentioned in my previous article: How to learn anything in 20 hours!

Step 2. Identify your Urgent Shorter Tasks

Now, from the list you have created, figure out the short and urgent to-dos. It can be anything which takes a few minutes and need your attention, starting from household taks to meetings, giving feedback or as basic as ordering something online.

It is more like getting done with the smaller-wins while still getting the day to day work done that’s necessary to be done!

Step 3. Identify your Life Admin Tasks

We understand that life has its own daily demands and there are regular tasks which you just cannot avoid. Act as your life Admin and identify those items from your daily work items list.

It can be anything starting from yoga or exercising, your non-negotiable family time and your self-development processes like journaling, meditating, etc. This area will make sure that your day is functional and in sync with your life needs.

3-3-3 Framework for a Productive Day

Now that you have classified your daily tasks, here’s the 3-3-3 Framework. It's simple, really. Each day, you set three key intentions:

1. Three hours of focused work on your most important project: Remember, it's not about cramming your entire to-do list into those hours. It's about zeroing in on what will move the needle the most. Say goodbye to that overwhelming feeling of drowning in tasks!

2. Three shorter tasks that need attention: We all have those pesky to-dos that linger, haunting us like a ghost. Well, fear no more! With the 3-3-3 Framework, you'll knock out three of those little rascals each day. It's like winning a mini-battle!

3. Three maintenance activities: Life has its own set of daily demands, like emails, errands, and adulting stuff. But hey, it's all part of the adventure! So, dedicate some time to these "life admin" tasks, and you'll sail through the day with ease.

Now, you might be thinking, "Three hours of focused work? I can't possibly do that!" But hey, this framework is all about being kind to yourself. It's not about being a productivity machine 24/7. It's about setting realistic goals and creating a rhythm that works for you. Try to work on this task when you’re most productive, it can be mornings or late nights but do this work when the work gets done!

And guess what? This isn't a strict, suffocating schedule. It's more like a flexible guide that gives your day some structure without suffocating your soul. You're free to dance to the beat of your productivity, my friend!

Here's the magic twist – the 3-3-3 Framework is like "active patience." It's about doing less each day to achieve more in the long run. You'll feel like you're making steady progress without the pressure of running a marathon every single day.

So, let's raise a toast to Oliver Burkeman and his Four Thousand Weeks wisdom! With the 3-3-3 Framework, we're stepping into a world of smart work, balanced productivity, and reclaiming our time like a boss!

Now, go forth and conquer your days with a wink and a grin. Embrace the 3-3-3 magic, and you'll become the master of your precious weeks. Remember, it's not about counting the weeks, but making the weeks count!

Now, here's the exciting part, my first book The Side Hustle Revolution: An Ultimate Business Building Guide from Ideation to Launch is now available on Amazon, Notionpress, and Flipkart.

Until next time, feel free to reach out on Linkedin or Twitter for any other queries. Until then, stay curious and keep asking great questions. Good luck :)

Much love, Anjali <3

Hey there, fellow hustlers!

I couldn't be more thrilled to share this exciting news with all of you. *Drumroll, please!* My first book, The Side Hustle Revolution: An Ultimate Business Building Guide from Ideation to Launch, has officially hit the market and is trending at #1 at Amazon Hot New Releases under Entrepreneurship!

For years, writing a book has been at the top of my bucket list, and today, I'm overjoyed to call myself a published author. This labor of love is the result of countless hours of research, personal experiences, and a burning desire to empower aspiring entrepreneurs like you.

So, who is The Side Hustle Revolution for?

Well, it's for all the dreamers out there who are ready to break free from the monotony of corporate life and embark on an exhilarating journey toward success. If you've ever yearned for the freedom to create, the thrill of independence, and the possibility of financial abundance, then this book is your ticket to making those dreams a reality.

But what sets The Side Hustle Revolution apart from other business guides?

Allow me to explain. This book isn't your typical dry, textbook-style read. Instead, it's a captivating, entertaining, and often hilarious companion that will keep you engaged from start to finish. Through relatable stories, practical wisdom, and a touch of humor, I've crafted a guide that will not only inform but also inspire you to take action.

Now, here's the exciting part: The Side Hustle Revolution is now available on Amazon, Notionpress, and Flipkart.

That's right, my friends. You can get your hands on this game-changing guide with just a few clicks. And here's a little insider tip: The book is already making waves in the Amazon Bestseller category. We're trending at #6 in Entrepreneurship and #40 in the Business Entrepreneur category. Can you believe it?

But enough about rankings, let's talk about the book itself.

The Side Hustle Revolution is a comprehensive roadmap that will guide you through every step of the entrepreneurial journey. From identifying your passion and uncovering lucrative business opportunities to creating a winning product and scaling your venture, this book covers it all. It's packed with practical strategies, actionable insights, and real-world examples that will empower you to turn your side hustle into a thriving business.

Trust me, every page is worth its weight in gold. And who knows, this might be the catalyst that propels you toward entrepreneurial greatness.

Remember, dreams are meant to be chased, not just dreamed. It's time to take that leap of faith, seize the opportunity, and make your mark in the world of entrepreneurship. I can't wait to witness the incredible things you'll achieve!

With gratitude and excitement, let the Side Hustle Revolution begins!!!

Anjali Sharma

Published Author, The Side Hustle Revolution

If you are a software developer, you’ll probably code at all organizations. The scale or languages or the way you function might differ but your work is defined pretty well as a PM, you are basically responsible to do everything (which no one else has agreed to do in the first place xD) and that’s why the PM Interview tests almost everything in a candidate.

So what does a typical interview process for a Product Manager looks like?

Great Question, let’s figure it out.

Part A: PM Skillset Toolkit

As Product Managers are responsible for creating new products or features that fulfill both customers’ needs and key business objectives, at the minimum, recruiters look for candidates who exhibit intuition for customer needs and can combine it with data insights to make informed product decisions.

In addition to these basic skills, other criteria include exceptional problem-solving skills, prioritization skills, leadership skills, strategic decision-making skills, and design thinking. Of course, you’re also expected to understand the organization you’re applying to and its products. 

Part B: Interview Process

At large tech companies (Google, Facebook, Amazon), the Product Manager interview process typically lasts 2-4 weeks. Most companies require four interview rounds: Phone screening (15 minutes), video interviews (45 minutes each), take-home assignment (3-6 hours to complete), and on-site interviews (45 minutes each). You should expect additional coding interviews at some companies

Round 1: Phone screening (15 minutes)

The purpose of this round is to filter out candidates who do not meet the minimum requirements of the job. Often, an HR team member will contact you for a 15-minute call, and ask questions pertaining to your background/ resume. The screener may also discuss job requirements and inquire about your expectations for the job. The phone screening will unfold more in a conversational manner than an interview manner.

Round 2: Video interviews (45 minutes each)

If you’re deemed a right fit, you’ll go through one or more rounds of video interviews that last around 45 minutes each, usually with your potential manager. The interviewer will often assess your skills and experiences against specific job requirements in this round. Questions for PMs will usually fall into the following categories: behavioral, technical, analytical, product sense, and strategy. 

Round 3: Take-home assignments (3-6 hours to complete)

If you successfully pass your video interviews, you’ll be given take-home assignments, consisting of 3-4 questions, which you’ll typically submit before the on-site interviews. A typical take-home assignment presents several product problems, sometimes associating data packs for highly data-oriented roles. There are three main types of problem-solving questions in take-home assignments: behavioral questions, product design/improvement questions (case-based), and analytical questions. 

Round 4: On-site interviews (45 minutes each)

Finally, you’ll go through on-site interviews – the most decisive part of the interview process. This is basically an interactive version of the take-home assignments, containing case-based problem-solving questions that evaluate your analytical problem-solving abilities. After all, what Product Managers do is essentially persistent problem-solving.

Product Question Classification

Following is the product question category breakdown.

I’ll cover each of these sections with examples of these questions with an approach to solving them in my upcoming articles.

My PM Mock Interview with PM School

I’ve done a Product Manager Mock Interview with PM School solving for Whatsapp’s Engagement & Strategy Team here.

Click here to check out my Product Management Mock Interview on the above-mentioned problem statement.

Following is the classification of the entire video.

I hope this article and the mock interview be useful to solve guesstimates and strategy questions. I’ll see you in my next article with more categories of questions with examples for product management.

Feel free to reach out on Linkedin or Twitter for any other queries. Until then, stay curious and keep asking great questions. Good luck :)

Much love, Anjali <3

Today’s article is specifically for college students and involves the following sections:

• Microsoft Learn Student Ambassador Program — about, eligibility, timeline, and everything you need to know

• Why you should apply for this program — the perks and other benefits

• Complete step by step guide to the application process

So let’s get started.

What is Microsoft Learn Student Ambassador Program?

Microsoft Learn Student Ambassadors program, previously known as the Microsoft Student Partners program is a global group of on-campus enthusiasts who are eager to learn and grow through communities. The ambassadors are exposed to a high learning environment through the Microsoft platform and they might find themselves organizing and mentoring events for the upliftment of technical and career skills for the future thereby increasing the overall employability among communities.

What are the eligibility criteria?

You must be at least 16 years old and actively enrolled in an accredited higher education academic institution. Students are trained in related technologies so diverse background folks are also encouraged to apply.

What is the program timeline?

Applications are open throughout the year and are reviewed quarterly. So you can apply any time and the results will be declared in the next quarter. You can also reapply if your application has been rejected previously.

What are the perks of being an MLSA?

• Exposure to be in the talented pool all across the world(networking)

• Office 365 subscription

• Visual Studio Enterprise and Azure credits worth $150/month

• Linkedin Learning 6-month free subscription

• Free Microsoft training on the Microsoft Learn Platform

• Invitation to Microsoft regional, national, and sometimes international events including Microsoft Student Summit, Ignite, etc.

• Exclusive swags, badges, and accessories from Microsoft

• And the best part, you get a personal profile section on the official website to connect with anyone and showcase your portfolio.

If any of these excites you, let’s apply!

How to apply to become a Microsoft Learn Student Ambassador?

Step 1: Log in to the application portal

Visit http://studentambassadors.microsoft.com/ and click on “Apply Now”

Login with a new or an already existing Microsoft Account to get the application form.

Step 2: Fill in the Application Form Details

Fill in your personal information(Name, Region, Gender, etc.) and Academic Institution details as shown below.

Now comes the most important and interesting section, the Application Question.

You need to submit one video and two written responses of 2000 character limit for the three domains - Welcome, Guide, and Connect.

Select the area to submit the video where you’re most excited and where you have more things to show as a tangible asset e.g. event hosting images, community gatherings, etc, and the remaining ones can be left for written responses.

If you select the category Welcome for the video response, the remaining two categories will be applicable only to the written responses.

What’s a good written/video sample?

Though it is custom to individuals, try to keep these points in mind:

• Through these three areas(Welcome, Guide, and Connect), Microsoft is trying to see how good and excited you are about what you do. So, presenting your authentic and fresh ideas would be a plus. Try not to lie.

• Microsoft has no intention of judging you on your video editing skills. So try not to over-edit your video with effects and filters pushing the main content(i.e. your voice) to the background.

My submission video was just me in front of the camera speaking for 55 seconds about what excites me to join this program. I did not edit it at all.

• Though you can take references from youtube and other blogs about what applications have been selected, I do not recommend it in any case because when you see a sample, you subconsciously start to think in a certain direction which becomes a hindrance to your imagination and hence the responses.

• Do take care of the word and time limit for being on the safer side.

• Most importantly, within these answers, try to focus on how you can learn and help communities around you grow because, in a nutshell, MLSA is all about learning and growing together through communities.

Now, fill out the additional information section.

Step 3 - Review and Submit

Review your application and submit it when you are fully satisfied with your answers.

Just after submitting the application, you will get a confirmation via email and text message on the mobile you’ve verified in the initial application.

How does the further selection process work?

Each of the submissions will be reviewed manually by the team the candidates will be notified about the acceptance in the next quarter.

If you’re selected, Congratulations and welcome to the team :)

If you’re not, don’t worry, you can always edit the application and reapply for the next cohort.

So what’s next after getting selected?

If you’ve come this far, huge kudos!

You will be joining as an alpha MLSA and as you move ahead, you will be unlocking the further milestones of Beta and Gold according to your performances and commitment.

Personally, I have been part of many campus ambassador programs but this, by far is the most productive one in terms of learning opportunities and networking. If you’re a student, you should definitely give it a shot.

I hope this article has helped you. Feel free to reach out on Linkedin or Twitter for any other queries. Good luck :)

Much love, Anjali <3

Yes, it’s about quitting their present jobs. According to the survey by TalentLMS, 72% of corporate workers are thinking about quitting their present jobs.

Now, can you guess the second most common discussion?

It’s starting a business of their own. The Times of India has reported over 83% of Indian workforce prefers to be entrepreneurs.

After exploring these stats and my personal experiences, I’ve always had this question that if so many people wants to be entrueprenuers, why are they not pursuing it?

That’s when I came across the term - Wannabe Entreprenuers!

Who are wannabe entrepreneurs?

In other words, wannabe entrepreneurs are the people who tend to read voraciously on the subject, share the wisdoms from Steve Jobs and Warren Buffet, attend meetups for entrepreneurs, join committees, quote the latest gossip and news from the tech blogs, refer to entrepreneurial celebrities by their first names...and yet have lots of reasons why now is not right for them to start (no time, no money, no skills, no partner, no office, no whatever).

Personally, I don’t think they do it by choice but majorly because they don’t have a clear vision of what exactly do they want to do and WHY.

Many of us are also coming in the same category and hence my today’s article is about understanding how to take action for upgradation to actual successful entreprenuers for anyone who wants to start a business but somehow can never actually do it.

So what’s the difference between wannabe entreprenuers and actual successful entreprenuers?

Great Question, let’s figure it out…

1. Point of no-return

Dr. Benjamin Hardy, an Organizational Psychologist (PhD) has studied over 12,000 entrepreneurs on the subject by asking one common question to all - “Have you ever had a point of no-return experience?”

He has shared the results in his TED Talk that almost all the wannabe entreprenuers have said NO. Though, a lot of them hinted the idea that they hoped to have a point of no-return experience one day, someday.

Benjamin has extended the study to include all sorts of professional artists and authors and all the successful individuals have said yes to this question.

His further studies are about what created that point of no-return experience and what happened afterwards?

#1.1 - What created that point of no-return experience?

Despite being a subjective case-dependent question, most successful entrepreneurs have mentioned that making a non-reversible asset or financial investment in the goal has often created the point of no-return experience.

A 17-year old high school final year graduate has borrowed some money and pooled all his savings to order a shipment of 10,000 shoes with the idea of starting his shoe business. It was all fine in the phase of ideation but when the huge truck arrived at campus, he realised that he can’t go back from that point. That was his point of no-return.

#1.2 - What happened afterward?

The fact that the individuals standing on the point of no-return experiences cannot go back has most of the times worked as a blessing in disguide.

Keep going is the only way out.

But how to keep going? By changing their behaviors and actions to align with the goal. And how to do that - by changing their identity (The goldmine book Atomic Habits to the rescue again!)

Because they cannot undo any of their actions, they have to change their individual identities to align behaviors and processes to change the outcomes in their favor.

When that 17-year old saw a mountain of shoes stacked in a garrage, he had no other option than to align his identity with a person leading and running a shoe business. From that moment, he put himself in a position where he had to move forward and acted from that leadership role.

And that is what a point of no-return induces in an individual. They no longer associate themselves as who they used to be but what they have envisioned themself to be in the future.

2. The 100 percent rule

Another common trait that distinguishes wannabe entrepreneurs to successful entrepreneurs is their decision making ability and 100% commitment.

All the successful entrpreneuers are having the ability to remove the decision fatigue by eliminating addition choices, own their decisions once made and committing 100% towards changing their identities to align with the goals.

Clayton Christensen, the former famed Harvard Business School professor, had a powerful statement:

This quote makes a lot of sense in light of research on decision making and willpower to reach the goal. Take, for example, a diet. If you're only 98 percent committed to a diet, then that means you haven't yet made the decision. If you haven't made the decision, but are only partially committed, then you don't know what the outcome will be in future scenarios. Not knowing the outcome of your behavior can create problems in your confidence and identity that is the base to achieve your goals.

E.g. If you're only 98 percent committed to a diet, in every future situation you're in, you have to ask yourself, "Is this one of those times I'm going to eat outside the diet?" By asking this question, usually, you have to weigh back-and-forth in your mind what you're going to do. This whole "back-and-forth" decision-making process leads to decision fatigue or a loss of willpower hence your ability to act on your goal.

I’ve talked in detail about making a good decision well and taking non-reversible decisions in my previous article - Designing the Life of your choice.

3. Resilience

All the wannabe entrepreneurs can share 1000 reasons from the past of why they are not getting started but all the successful entrepreneurs need only one reason to get started and move ahead as the secret to getting ahead is getting started.

But getting started is only one step to the journey, staying in the game is another. Resilence is the skills which keeps you in the game as long as it takes to change the outcomes in your favor.

The best and most effective way of building resilience as a skill is to understand that you are the master and creator of your own universe so if somthing does not work out, you always have a choice of starting it over and building a new life.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the secret to move from the wannabe entrepreneur category to successful entrepreneur is to invest in your goal (either though assets, personal development or financials), develop your point of no-return and work on your identity to align your behaviours and actions towards your goals. Build resilence to stay in the game to reap the benefits. In Jack Ma’s words - Don’t die tomorrow!

I hope this article helps you to get through the process. Feel free to reach out to me on LinkedIn or Twitter to share your feedback.

Until then, stay curious and keep asking great questions.

Much love, Anjali <3

While many of us might have different options for experimentation but the best of all ways is to learn something new and try it out, by either prototyping conversations or prototyping experiences and then eliminating the things you don’t want (I’ve talked in detail about prototyping your careers in my last article How to Design the Life you want).

Now the big question becomes, if we have to learn a new skill, how long will it take?

The 10,000 hours rule

The most common and widely spread theory about learning something is the 10,000 hours rule by Malcolm Gladwell.

My very first reaction to this rule was NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

The problem with this process is “time”. 10,000 hours equates to practicing 6 hours per day, every day, for four or five years. That’s basically a full-time job!

First, I am not having 6 hours every day when my regular life and job are going on and second, I cannot spend 4-5 years learning just one skill to experiment if it’s the right thing for me or not.

I’ve got a lot of time, said no one ever!!!

Decoding the 10,000 hours rule!

Josh Kaufman, an author of the #1 International Bestseller has decoded the 10,000 hours rule in his TED talk that rule came out of studies only for expert-level performance. So basically, these 10,000 hours are not the start of a process, it’s the end. It’s the explanation of how long it takes to be in the top 1% of an ultra-competitive field.

But after the book Outliers, from where the concept got all the fame, the 10,000 hours rule has propagated in the wrong manner like a Chinese whisper as shown below.

Hence, the 10,000 rule is a myth when you just want to learn something for an experiment. So the question now is, if not 10,000 hours then how long does it take to reach this plateau?

In other words, how to learn a new skill faster?

Well, great question. Let’s find this out…

Josh Kaufman, has figured out a solution for this problem in his book - The First 20 Hours: Mastering the Toughest Part of Learning Anything.

The First 20 Hours!

Yes, it takes only 20 hours to reach the plateau where you are good enough at anything be it learning a new language, learning how to draw, sing, dance, or even do gymnastics(not at the Olympics though).

Well, that’s a relief because 20 hours is doable and sounds reasonable as well because 20 hours is basically 45 minutes of deliberate practice every day for a month.

But like any other rule, here’s a catch. It’s not just random 20 hours of fiddling around here and there, there are the 4 simple steps to rapid skill acquisition.

1. Deconstruct the Skill wrt your goal

The first step to literally anything is to get clarity. Decide exactly what your goal is when you’ll be done. You need to define what exactly the end results will look like.

To quote my favorite book, The 7 Habits of highly effective people by Stephen Covey - Start with the end in your mind.

After you’re done with defining your exact end goal, you need to list down all skills and deconstruct the sub-skills for the process.

The more you’ll be able to break upon a skill, the more likely you are to get a simpler sub-skill and the more you’ll be able to decide where to start from i.e. which skill to choose to start the process to get maximum results in the first 20 hours.

2. Learn Enough to Self-Correct (Research)

Researching is the most important part as you want to get the process right.

It’s a common practice to download 5 Udemy courses and get 15 books and think that I am going to program software when I am done with all of these books and courses but trust me, that’s not learning, that’s PROCRASTINATION.

So, stay out of this rattrap and get to learn just enough to self-edit when you practice.

Make researching a part of your learning process.

3. Remove the practice barriers

This is the most common yet most difficult step which you might have heard of in all aspects of life. You need to get the work done in able to get the results. There is no easy way out.

And we all know what’s the biggest barrier to practice - our attention span!

In an era where the attention span is decreasing day by day, consciously remove the practice barriers - phones, TV, social gatherings and set a priority list in life.

The best way to deal with this is the concept introduced in the excellent book, THE One Thing by Gary Keller which shares the Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by asking the Focusing Question (as mentioned below) and time-blocking to get the maximum results your priority. I highly recommend this book and here’s a quick summary.

So make learning the skill your “one thing”, use your willpower and remove all the barriers to practice which comes your way.

4. Commit to the 20 hours in advance

Though this sounds like an obvious step, most skills come with a frustration barrier where you are close enough to learn something but you are also frustrated enough when you’re not seeing your progress or early success.

Nobody wants to look stupid and the feeling of stupidity when you know something but you don’t know enough is the barrier to us when we actually sit down and practice to finish our first 20 hours.

The best way to do this is to make learning the skill a habit. Atomic Habits is the best resource if you’re looking for creating a habit. Here’s my summary of the book. Having an accountability partner also helps in the process of starting, maintaining, and finishing your 20 hours!

Hence, end the process of practicing for at least 20 hours by fighting with your inner judgemental demons. Do not leave it halfway. Stay in the game to actually reap the rewards!

Conclusion

I know you might be thinking that it’s all easy in theory but it’s even more fun to practice. If you follow the process with self-discipline, you’ll learn any new skill in the first 20 hours and then you’ll be able to refine the skill as you practice even further.

The best part, if you don’t enjoy the first 20 hours, you can always go back to the start of the process, pick something new and experiment with the process. It’s a win-win.

I hope this article will help you decide your goal and pick up a skill, deconstruct it, learn enough to self-correct, remove the practice barriers and stay in the game for at least 20 hours to change the outcomes or switch to something else. Simple!

Feel free to reach out to me on LinkedIn or Twitter to share your feedback.

Love, Anjali <3