ThoughtbotMariia Sus3 min readintro
From In-House PM to Consulting PM: What I Didn't Expect
Summary
The author describes how moving from an in‑house PM role to a consulting one stripped away direct access and authority, forcing a shift toward influence, context‑gathering, and enabling the client team rather than executing decisions herself.
- You must explicitly identify who owns information and formally request it, since you no longer have direct access to internal teams or data.
- Influence replaces authority: build trust, present reasoned recommendations, and let the client own decisions.
- Slow approvals often hide multi‑layered processes or overloaded teams—uncover this context before judging speed.
- Stop doing everything yourself; facilitate discussions, surface risks, and help the client make better decisions.
Product managers and consultants should read this to understand how to adapt their influence and decision‑making style when moving from internal to client‑facing roles.
5/10
