From Engineer to Product Manager: My Strategic Career Move

Three years ago, I was a software engineer feeling stuck in endless debugging cycles. As an INTJ, I craved strategic thinking and long-term planning, but my role was purely tactical. The turning point came during a project retrospective. While my colleagues discussed technical fixes, I found myself sketching out a complete product roadmap on my notepad. My manager noticed and asked me to present it to the team. That presentation changed everything. I realized I wanted to shape products, not just build them. The transition wasn't easy – I had to learn stakeholder management, which challenged my preference for working independently. But I approached it systematically, treating each skill like a problem to solve. Now, as a Senior Product Manager, I spend my days doing what energizes me: analyzing market trends, creating strategic plans, and turning complex problems into clear solutions. The key was recognizing that my INTJ traits weren't limitations – they were exactly what product management needed. For other INTJs considering a career change: trust your strategic instincts. Don't let others convince you that your preference for big-picture thinking is impractical. Sometimes the best career moves come from following your natural patterns, not fighting them.