Why Product Managers Need a Vision for Their Career (Even If It’s Blurry)
You wouldn’t build a product without a roadmap.
So why build a career without a vision?
Yet that’s exactly what so many Product Managers do.
We stay heads-down, ship features, make smart decisions in the moment, but forget to zoom out and ask:
Where is this actually leading me?
The Problem: Career Drift
Product Managers are wired to solve problems. But in our own careers? We tend to react instead of lead.
You’re solving immediate needs, making yourself indispensable, saying yes to everything, aiming for impact. But without a vision, even those wins can start to feel hollow. You hit your goals and still wonder, "Is this it?"
This is what I call career drift. It happens when you’re optimizing for the short-term without considering the long game.
What Vision Actually Looks Like
Forget the 10-year plan. Your career vision doesn’t need to be rigid. It’s more like a flashlight than a lighthouse: something that helps you see a few steps ahead.
Ask yourself:
What kind of problems do I want to be known for solving?
What would future-me be proud of?
What would it look like to stay here one year too long?
When you answer these questions honestly, you start spotting the decisions that don’t align. That visibility alone is powerful.
Vision Creates Leverage
Once you’ve got even a loose sense of direction, everything else gets easier:
You’ll know which skills to build.
You’ll advocate for projects that align.
You’ll stop defaulting to "shoulds" and focus on "wants."
Vision doesn’t make you inflexible. It gives your career a center of gravity.
Don’t Wait for Burnout
So many of the PMs I coach come to me after they’ve reached a breaking point. They crushed their job, but feel stuck, misaligned, or invisible. When we dig deeper, the pattern is clear: no clear vision.
Real talk: You deserve a career that feels energizing, not just impressive. That starts with vision.
Inside my SHINE coaching program, this is exactly what we work on. Because career clarity isn’t fluff, it’s a strategy.
If you’re tired of drifting, let’s talk about how to reconnect with the future you actually want.
→ Learn more about the SHINE career coaching program for Product Managers
