Let’s be real: most companies are terrible at onboarding. And it’s worse when it is about onboarding Product Managers. It's a role with tentacles in everything, yet most people in the company don't really get it. The result? Wasted time, wasted money, and frustrated talent. But it doesn't have to be this way.

We are Product People. A consulting product management agency on a mission to help companies build amazing products, faster. We have a team of over 40 full-time Product Managers who act as interim product managers for companies, onboarding somewhere new every 3 to 9 months. That's about 100 onboarding's a year, from startups to public companies. If you are interested to learn more, feel free to check us out.

We've learned a thing or two about hitting the ground running.

Below is our playbook on how to onboard a product manager fast and start adding real value in just two weeks. And for you Product Leaders out there, this is how you can set your new hires up for success instead of scaring them away.

Prefer to watch? Check out the slides and the recording of the talk by Mirela Mus, the founder of Product People, on this topic.

‍

Why Is Product Manager Onboarding So Darn Hard?

Onboarding is just the process of getting a new hire the skills and know-how to be an effective team member. But for PMs, it’s a beast. Michael Watkins' classic book, "The First 90 Days," has a great visual for this.

The graph shows it can take a new hire six months just to get to the "break-even point"—where they're contributing more value than they're consuming. Six months! For a product manager, that’s an eternity. We need to do better.

The challenge is that a product manager’s job is uniquely complex, a reality that any good product manager training program must address because:

• It touches everything: Business, tech, sales, marketing, operations… you name it.
• Product managers "spend" everyone else's time: Their decisions direct the entire team's effort.
• They're information hubs: Good product managers make sure information flows smoothly; bad ones create bottlenecks.
• Domain knowledge can be critical: You can't just wing it in specialized fields like FinTech or HealthTech.

Onboarding is officially "done" when the product manager starts creating net value. The real question is, how do you measure that? We look at three things: the outcomes they drive (better metrics, happier users), the processes they improve, and the speed at which they do it. This is how we gear for success as interim product managers.

‍

How to Add Value in 2 Weeks: The Realistic Game Plan For a Good Product Onboarding Process

"It came down to PEOPLE and PROBLEMS.” - Iain M. Banks, Use of Weapons

Forget the fantasy of joining a company and having a business-altering epiphany on day one like in the movies. The realistic, battle-tested path to making an impact fast comes down to mastering two things: People and Problems.

This is the core of our product manager training for our own team, and it works.

‍

Step 1: Master the People Puzzle, the First Step of the Product Onboarding Process

Your first week isn't about the product backlog; it's about the people. You need to build your own personal user manual for the organization.

• Map Your Stakeholders: Figure out who's who in the zoo. Who are your key partners? Who are the decision-makers? And, just as importantly, who are the potential troublemakers or political opponents? Knowing this early helps you manage them proactively.

• Be Loud and Visible (in a good way): Don't wait for people to come to you. Get on Slack and email and introduce yourself. Send a broad message: “Hey everyone! I’m [Your Name], the [Interim Product Manager/ Product Manager] for [Your Team/Product]. My main focus is [Your Main Quest]. Please send anything related to [Your Topic] my way. I’ll do my best to get up to speed and be useful ASAP!”
• Become the 💩☂️ “Umbrella”: When things go wrong that affect your team's mission, step up and shield them—even if you didn't cause the mess. Your job is to absorb the heat so the team can keep building. This is how you earn trust, fast.
• Share the Spotlight: Announce updates and wins often, and always give credit to the team. If a team member wants to present their own work, let them! You're the conductor, not the lead violin.

‍

Step 2: Decode the Problems (and Opportunities) to Effectively Onboard as a Product Manager

Once you have a handle on the people, it's time to figure out what you’re actually here to solve. We use a gaming analogy for this.

• Find Your Main Quest: This is the #1 reason you were hired. In our consulting product management work, this is the first thing we clarify. What is the single most important problem you are here to solve? You MUST be aligned on this with your boss (your "Champion"). Ask them, "How will you know I've been successful in 3 months?" Then, gut-check that with their boss and peers. Misalignment is common and deadly if not surfaced early.
• Identify the Side Quests: These are smaller projects or process improvements. They're nice-to-haves. Only tackle these after you've made progress on your Main Quest, or if they're quick wins that build political capital.
• Understand the Product Context: Get to the bottom of the "why."
  • What's the core Job To Be Done your product solves?
  • Why do customers choose your competitors?
  • What are the functional and emotional drivers for your users?
• Learn the Company Context: This is about the unwritten rules.
  • Process: How do things actually get done around here? Is it a rigid process-driven culture or more of a "get it done" vibe?
  • Culture: What’s the "vibe"? What are the old horror stories or "third rail" topics you shouldn't touch?

Understanding these contexts prevents you from making naive or irrational decisions. Sometimes, the business doesn't need you to reinvent the wheel. Sometimes, your job is just to make sure the product can pass the butter. And that's okay.

‍

Wrapping Up: How to Ace Your Product Manager Training

By focusing intensely on understanding the key People and core Problems in your first week, you can master the onboarding process and add value as a new product manager by week two. Don't worry about missing out on side topics or company fun—if you onboard effectively, you'll free up your time for all that stuff later.

Becoming a successful product manager—or even interim product manager for that matter—is about quickly becoming the go-to person who understands the landscape and knows how to get things done. Follow this playbook, and you'll be well on your way.

Explore our case studies to see how Interim Product Managers, at Product People, accelerate through onboarding and deliver value faster.

‍

FAQ

‍