Bijan Shahrokhi 
Hey there! Want to land your dream product manager job? We’ve got you covered.
Check out our 2,500+ product manager interview questions database with answers from expert product managers.
Article Contents
When you join a startup as a product manager, you do so with all the excitement and passion in the world. You’re ready to help the company move its product to the top of the market and conquer its industry.
In addition to your excitement and passion, you build personal relationships with a small team of people who also believe in the vision of the company. You quickly become part of the culture.
Unfortunately, in the startup world, things don’t always go as planned. And for that reason, you may soon find yourself second-guessing your decision to join the company. You may wonder if it’s time to leave your startup for a product manager position at a more established organization.
Before you make a rash decision, it’s important to pinpoint the issue. Doing so allows you to plan your path forward with confidence. Here are five problems you could be facing.
1. Is there a problem in the organization?
If it’s an organizational problem, the first thing you must do is determine if there’s a plan for the company to address it. Bring up your concerns to the right people to get their thoughts. For example, if there’s only a handful of people in your company, you may find yourself addressing the issue directly with the founder or CEO.
Do others feel the same way as you? What’s the plan for addressing the problem? Does the company have the financial resources to hire top talent? Will they devote the time and money necessary to train existing employees?
Remember this: actions speak louder than words. You need to be confident that the company as a whole is willing to address the problem.
2. Is the problem related to the product itself?
Many problems could be related to the product itself. Maybe it’s not getting the right engagement from your target audience. Maybe there’s little to no traction. Perhaps there’s a concern on the technical, UX, or marketing side.
Once you know that the issue is related to the product, make sure the right person is aware of it and willing to create an actionable plan for finding a solution. If you don’t believe the right person is on staff, consider if the company is willing to bring on additional talent.
3. Do you believe in the leadership team?
You join a startup largely because you believe in the leadership team and the problem they’re trying to solve. However, your early excitement and passion may run dry should you lose faith.
Ask yourself these two questions:
- Is the leadership team able to see the opportunity in front of them?
- Is the leadership team able to take steps to capture the opportunity?
It’s one thing to identify an opportunity but another thing entirely to capture it. If the leadership team — in your estimation — is unable to capture the opportunity, see if there’s a plan in place to bring additional talent into the company.
When you lose faith and confidence in the leadership team, you’ll find it difficult to remain upbeat about the future.
4. What is your appetite for risk?
You know what you’re getting into when you join a startup. You know that it’s riskier than joining an established company as a product manager. But what you may not realize early on is that your confidence could one day begin to wane.
Ask yourself these questions ask you calculate your risk appetite:
- Do you have a family that depends on you for financial security? Do you plan on starting a family in the near future?
- How important is financial stability to you?
- Are you intrigued by the financial upside of working at a startup, such as equity in the company?
- Do you still believe in the project?
The more of these questions you answer, the easier it becomes to calculate your risk appetite. You can then use this to decide if you’re fully invested in sticking around or should begin your search for a new PM job.
5. Are you still excited about your position, the company, and its direction?
Let’s face it: the second you lose your passion for your position, company, and/or direction is the second that your performance will plateau. And when that happens, you’re holding back yourself and your employer.
Take as much time as necessary to determine how you feel about your current situation. Do you still feel good about the company and the direction it’s heading? Are you confident that you’re the best product manager for the product?
Examine the stage of the company and how it aligns with your current situation and future goals. For example, if you like faster-growing startups, it may be time to move on if the company has yet to figure out product market fit.
Conversely, if you enjoy the ambiguity, challenges, and grind of an early-stage startup, then you may be in the right place.
Final thoughts
All of these questions — along with your answers — must be taken into consideration as you attempt to determine if you should leave your PM job at a startup or stay where you are for the foreseeable future.
Remember, there’s no reason to rush your decision. It may take several days (or longer) of answering these questions and comparing the pros and cons of each path.
Should you decide to move on from your current product manager position, be sure that you have a plan in place for landing another job. This reduces the likelihood of a gap between leaving your current position and securing a new one.
At PM Exercises, we can help you prepare for upcoming product manager interviews. We have a database of 2500+ product manager interview questions. We also have a prep course, mock interview matching service, and more.
If you’re seeking more advice and guidance related to leaving your current PM job, here are some additional blog posts to read:
- How to Responsibly Leave a Product Manager Job
- Is It Better to Join a Startup or a Large Tech Company?
- How Long Should You Stay at Your Product Manager Job?
