How can product managers stay organized while self-employed?

Apply product management kind of problem solving in self employed scenarios as well- - Working backwards from Goal- Give an ambitious yet realistic timeline to yourself - Be curious for newer info- meet people on how they manage routine- use the learnings- iterate for what works for you - Use simple tools that need very less data entry- I have 4 notes with checkboxes in Google Keep- 1 Imp & Urgent, Not Imp but Urgent, Imp but not urgent (Easy to miss in short run, needs focussed dedicated consistently), Not Urgent Not Imp - Keep an activity beyond work that breaks the monotony, fosters creativity and keeps you energised.

Product managers who are self-employed can enhance organization by implementing a robust task management system, such as Trello or Asana, to track and prioritize project-related activities. Maintaining a detailed calendar with deadlines and milestones ensures a clear overview of project timelines. Regularly reviewing and updating a comprehensive to-do list helps in staying focused and meeting objectives efficiently. For instance, a product manager working on a software launch could use these tools to break down tasks, set deadlines, and monitor progress, ensuring a systematic approach to the project.

Saying no is the most important part here. As a PM, you have to do it to succeed. But it can also be the reason you get fired. It’s very important to say no with tact and still bring that person along for other things you build so they see your impact.

In my experience, using a tool like Asana and maintaining it carefully helps keep a clear track of all the tasks at hand. This further helps in taking prioritisation calls transparently for all stakeholders and work out alternate prioritisation, if needed. The biggest skill to build is to say no, and such a practice helps you say no without guilt and build trust with stakeholders.

Self-employed product managers can stay organized by setting clear goals, creating a schedule, and using project management tools like Trello or Asana. Prioritize tasks based on urgency and importance, employ time blocking, and maintain a to-do list for effective task management. Stay connected with clients and stakeholders through regular communication, and establish a dedicated workspace to enhance focus. Utilize cloud storage for accessibility, stay informed about industry trends, and set boundaries to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Regularly review and reflect on your progress to identify areas for improvement in organizational skills.

Embrace agile project management methodologies by breaking down your project into smaller, manageable iterations. Conduct regular sprint reviews with your team and stakeholders to gather feedback and adjust your course as needed.

Less is always more. Prioritize ruthlessness and focus on top five items. Focus on those before you pick more up. When our attention and focus is divided, it is difficult to succeed. It is also difficult to manage stakeholders and their priorities. With a small targeted list of priorities, it is easier to align milestones and expectations across customers and other stakeholders.

My advice for keeping product managers organized while being self-employed is as follows: Let’s assume you have the tech part down – there are lots of apps that can help. Check Google or with your colleagues to see what is popular in your specific industry. Product management is an extremely detail-focused discipline and it can become tedious if your brain does not disconnect from time. Assuming you are working at home, be sure you have work/life balance. Do not fall into the trap of thinking more screen time is more work - sometimes it can be but if you get in a rut or start to burnout - you will be much worse off. Enjoy some fresh air, family and friends and you will be on your way to product management greatness!

- In my experience, being in the shoes of User/Client sub-consciously kept me organized An example, other stakeholders always push you as per their needs but pushing them back with Data and Client perspective always kept me organized.

In addition to being savvy with emerging tools & trends I would see the below as differentiating Parameters Being Versatile- Ability to Learn, unlearn & relearn Being cognizant of urgent important tasks, leverage the most productive time accordingly Having clarity of near & far term Objective

Don't be afraid to Over-communicate - with the team, clients, or any stakeholders. Keep people posted about the team's goals and priorities through daily status emails, weekly business review meetings, and monthly steering committee meetings. Extend these meetings to relevant audiences well in advance and set clear expectations for the outcomes of the meetings. Use the platform to showcase the team's effort, and progress, and align as a group on mitigation plans for delayed items. Make everyone part of the goal and priority setting at their capacity to gain overall consensus towards the right progress. Don't fail to document the same in the preferred collaborative tool.

A thriving self-employed product manager maintains a structured routine for a balanced work-life integration while leveraging efficient tools like Notion and JIRA for task planning and tracking. Staying connected within professional networks and actively pursuing continuous learning through engagement with industry peers and staying informed about emerging trends enhances both productivity and ongoing skill development, ensuring a competitive edge in the dynamic field of product management.

Nurture a network of remote professionals and like-minded individuals. Engage in virtual communities, attend online networking events, and seek mentorship from experienced remote workers.

Preplan your week like a sprint before the week starts and consciously block your calendar for deep focus-time work and treat it sacredly. Setup templates for all recurring events/tasks, helps you save time and helps set others expectations

Establish a routine which fulfils your expectations, & not just a routine which will make you more stressed. Don’t just copy others, set your own standards & boundaries.

People often underestimate the most crucial aspect of working from the office: the dedicated working environment with the subtle peer pressure that encourages focus on work during the hours spent among colleagues in that particular place. When working from home, it is essential to establish proper workplace hygiene, set specific working hours, and designate a workspace solely dedicated to work. What helps me is blocking hours in the calendar that are dedicated to actual work and having a specific place where I carry out that work. While it may be tempting to spend the entire day lying in bed, it is ultimately counter-productive. Accountability is important, and if you are self-employed, you should hold yourself accountable.

Do not forget to create and maintain a team spirit, respect and be a model for your colleagues. Smile at your desk and keep personal problems in the other room

Commence the day by adhering to a morning regimen that encompasses the evaluation of key tasks for the day, perusing emails, and establishing precise objectives. Allocate dedicated time intervals for activities such as market analysis, product creation, and client interaction. Establish a regular and unchanging end-of-day procedure to conclude duties and prepare for the following day. Refrain from reviewing work-related emails or messages beyond these designated hours. Inform clients and colleagues of your designated working hours and expected timeframes for responding. Establish a designated area within your home specifically for business, in order to physically separate your professional responsibilities from your personal life.

Make sure your schedule/availability is predictable and aligns with your customers’ team(s). It may be tempting to run errands, because as a freelancer everyone tells you that you are “master of your own time”, but a “sorry, can I call you later, I’m at the supermarket” is not an expected answer.

Three routines that are valuable to me: 1. Friday reflection & week planning to 2-3 objectives for the next week. Hit the ground running on Monday! ☕️ 2. Midday workout calendar block. Ideal workout times are different for everyone but this time is the easiest for me to get done + I get an energy boost for the afternoon. 🏋🏼 3. Daily huddles/scrums - ideally this is with a team you're collaborating with but there's enough accountability value that I can do this with my dog on a set schedule 🐶

Life's unpredictable, so being flexible with your schedule is key. Stay connected with your network for support and new opportunities. Use tech smartly – tools that streamline your workflow are a game-changer. Remember, your well-being's important. Regular breaks, exercise, and hobbies aren’t luxuries, they're necessities.

Rules and boundaries is like a game plan for your work. Think about what's okay and not okay in your work as a product manager. It's like making rules for a game: What are the dos and don'ts? Share these with yourself and others involved in accomplishing the results. Stick to them, just like following rules in a game! This keeps everything organized and fair, making your work smoother and more enjoyable.

The right system can transform your daily work from reacting to acting. Using football as an analogy, your systems will be your goalkeeper and defense, enabling you to act as a forward. What I've learned over time, especially for more complex systems like finance, invoicing, and CRM, is not to rush into selecting and purchasing tools. Instead, try implementing your desired system in a spreadsheet first. This approach helps you better understand the process and which tool reflects the optimal system. Additionally, avoid over-engineered, and over-reliance on spreadsheets, that's a sign to switch to a specialized tool.

Enhance your time management by automating time-tracking and invoicing processes. This automation minimizes administrative burdens, allowing you to focus more on your core responsibilities and client interactions.

Having tools to process all values steps is crucial to increase efficiency and enhance quality outcomes over the period of time.

Finding the right tools to remain productive is key. If you're on a tight budget, try to see which tools offer free plans that you can leverage as an individual. Popular tools like Notion, Calendly, and GDrive are always easy and free to use making it perfect for any self-employed PM.

Utilizing tools appropriately is instrumental in minimizing costs and efforts. Consider exploring freeware initially to gain valuable exposure to their functionality. It is crucial that any additional tools beyond the ones mentioned are accessible to skilled individuals. Unfortunately, I've observed instances where misuse of tools has impeded workflow instead of enhancing it. Some individuals lack the necessary skills, while others resist adapting due to a generation gap. It is imperative to use computers and software to streamline processes, reduce efforts, and facilitate the automation of reporting, sharing and Authenticating.

The most valuable resource anyone has is Time. The best tool to manage your time and work? It’s the one that works best for you! I have some colleagues that swear by Onenote, others use Todoist or Google Keep and some just quickly jot it down on their paper pads. What works best for me? Something simple, like Windows notepad or Apple notes. The goal in this case isn’t to get detailed and track everything to completion. The goal is plan the tasks for each day, so that nothing gets missed and your mind is calm since it’s down on paper now, so you can’t forget it. So if the current tool doesn’t work for you, just try a new one. The best one is the one you like the most!

Self-employed product managers can boost efficiency with- Project Management: Platforms like Trello, Asana, or Jira aid in planning and team collaboration. Communication: Slack or Microsoft Teams ensures seamless interaction with team and clients. File Sharing: Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 facilitates document collaboration and centralized storage. Time Tracking: Toggl or Clockify monitors work hours, enhancing productivity. Roadmapping: Aha! or ProductPlan visualizes and communicates product strategies effectively. Feedback: Tools like SurveySparrow or UserVoice refine product development through customer insights. By integrating these, self-employed product managers streamline workflows and maintain a structured remote work approach.

I have seen many people getting lost in tools. The goal should be to utilize tools to make your life easy, not let tools take over and dictate your workflow. When you feel things are the other way around, take a step back, look at objectives, and take back control. Thinking about problems & solutions should be the focus.

There are tools that work like like our superpowers! I use Clickup to help organize my projects and tasks, like a digital to-do list. Slack is a useful tool for communication – sharing texts, images, links, videos, status update, but for work. To track time and tasks, I use Toggl, a cool timer. And then there are Google Drive - I store most of my work. These tools make your work smoother and team collaboration super easy.

What I find useful when working directly with a client is having your entire work displayed. Utilizing cloud-based solutions allows you not only to demonstrate the work live but also saves you time on regurgitating information to present it to the external client. It also forces you to consider how transparent your results will be. Removing as much friction as possible will ultimately prove to be extremely effective. The only thing you have to keep in mind is to keep it simple. Find what works for you and your client, and stick to that to avoid being sucked into productivity purgatory, where choosing the right tool comes at the expense of doing the actual job.

Networking. Networking. Networking. Networking is key to success in any professional field, but it's especially true as a self-employed product manager. Try to attend workshops or webinars to meet people and connect with them. Networking is not a one step process. After your initial connection, make sure to follow-up with them and keep the relationship alive.

Keep learning. Be passionate. Stay connected and Listen. With social media, we assumed it will be easier than ever to network online and share ideas.

The best product manager - is a very curious person who has a vide range of knowledge. You never know when this or that information will be useful. So, keep exploring the world

Learning comes in many forms. Don't limit yourself only to content from research papers, YouTube videos, or podcasts. Start networking with people in your domain via product management meet-ups, in-person/virtual webinars with panel of people from interesting companies, build connections with people participating in such events as well because they will eventually become your co-passengers in this journey. Never stop networking and building relationships with people. You have to walk together to go further.

Networking and open minded spirit. Networking is not something that you need to develop when you are looking a new position. Networking is creating new connections, discovering new visions, other way of dealing, new inspiring businesses!! Open minded spirit is enhancing your vision of the world and of the influencing environment. Help you to gain height and perspective

I follow a LinkedIn guru, and one of the best advice he gave is "YOUR NETWORK IS YOUR NET WORTH." Networking is key to success in any professional field, but it's especially true as a self-employed product manager.

Networking is crucial. The more people know you, the more likely you are to get hired; the more work you have on display, the more accountable you become. However, what people often omit in the constant cycle of learning, networking, attending webinars, and taking courses is that it's not only important to receive but also to give. Offering free mentorships, writing articles, blog posts, delivering speeches at events, and more are essential. When you give something out for free, you not only demonstrate your work and expertise but also naturally grow your network. Additionally, you systemize the information as you have to think through what you want to say and how to make yourself understood.

Forget cat cafes and nap pods, the real perks of being a self-employed product manager are endless learning and a social life bigger than a Kardashian family reunion.

Every day is a new day and there are always new perspectives in dynamic market environments. you can never keep a firm stance through your past experience. A failed attempt in a previous scenario could be a brilliant option for today's situation or vice versa. Therefore, careful review of every incident with an open mind and without and biases is very important to enhance your perspective.

As product managers we are often over exposed to information. During your up-skilling time or down-time you should take it easy and focus on the things that you are really passionate about. Trying to learn all the new trends and tools and listen to all the available podcasts about product management may not be the best strategy and may lead to exhaustion. Invest your time wisely and keep it fun!

Work-life balance? More like life-work fiesta! Don't let self-employment burn you out. Balance projects with playtime, nourish your mind and body, and celebrate wins. Remember, you're the boss, not the hamster on the wheel. Enjoy the freedom, flaunt your flexibility, and let your personal life spice up your product magic. Now go forth and conquer, with a healthy dose of chill, of course!

I believe its critical to balance work and life but I believe in today age and time work and life are somewhat intertwined in a way that they’re not separable like they used to 5 or 10 years ago. Specially if you’re perusing self employment product management career. You just have to learn to live your life and see life through that lens to be successful rather than separating and striking a distinct balance between the two.

As a self-employed PM, finding a balance is probably THE most critical component to staying sane while navigating the structure of progress through the chaos of growth. Regardless of how, finding areas where separation is key, and others where integration actually works better. One example for me, is my chrome browser. I find having a separate chrome user account for work allows me to use certain extensions, apps, bookmarks, etc in one (or more) session, while a separate chrome window uses my personal account and config. Maybe it’s completely in my head, but the separation of browser sessions allows me to have an integrated workspace that I can pop into personal items at an opportune time, or briefly pop into work mode if/when desired.

As a part of setting boundaries, I believe it is vital to have dedicated work hours and stick to them. Overworking may be helpful in the short-term but is detrimental in the long-term. According to Parkinson's law, work expands to fill the time allocated to it. Therefore, without strict working hours, you inevitably risk spending more time on the same tasks. Concerning health, all your habits compound. When working from the office, you engage in little chats, stand up more throughout the day, and eat at more or less the same time. It is easy to overlook all this when working from home. These factors can compound and lead to health issues in the future. Thus, it is vital to maintain a healthy diet, exercise, and a social life.

- You should always have "Focus time" slots - just to filter all the information you've already received. - Let your eyes rest - take 5 minutes brakes every 2 hours. - Do some physical activities. - Spent at least a couple of hours completely been dedicated to your family. All that is very important. But don't forget: if you promised something at work - you should keep your promise.

Time management plays a great role here. Deep work should not be shallow work else the shallow work ends up taking 3-5x the time you could have put in deep work. Remember that fires will burn and let them burn. There will always be a problem, a bug or something to fix. Prioritize your health because without that well... You are dead.

Own your calendar. Define your checkin and checkout times. Exceptions apply. I strongly suggest to have a dedicated business phone that can stay at home during pto, family time or sickness. I draw much energy from hobbies that have nothing to do with my job and whereabouts.

Using tools such as Notion, Miro etc help streamline tasks and building solutions faster. Such integration streamlines workflows, ensuring agile responses to client needs while maintaining a cohesive team dynamic. This adaptability extends beyond tools—it’s about embracing the ever-evolving modern work culture. As self-employed professionals, this adaptable mindset is becoming increasingly pivotal for product managers. If you essentially cannot manage the change then you do not acquire the client's trust who is expecting you to bring in the bigger changes in their products.

In general apply Product Management to what you do!! -use MoSCoW prioritization (Must have, Should have, Could have, Won’t have) to identify the high-impact activities/ projects -reflect on your progress regularly. What’s working? What’s not? Just as in product development, use feedback loops to adjust your approach -use project management and productivity tools like Trello, Asana, or Jira to keep track of your tasks, deadlines, and progress. -use Kanban (for simplicity) to manage your work -keep stakeholders updated -document your processes, ideas, and lessons learned. This can be valuable for future reference and for tracking your growth

One thing which changed the way I looked at work was clocking every minute of my time. Not to show it to anyone else but to understand where I put my most efforts and the output it generated. Majority of output was generated by only a few things which I did during the day. This led to a realisation that whatever we do, has to be very well thought of and this one habit will change the way we prioritise things around us. Ultimately impacting the quality of the output we generate.

This is such a great question especially after these Covid-19 periods when we had to work from home. Working from home necessitates discipline, strong routine such as getting dressed up like going to the office, creating an environment similar to an office setup and the most importantly to stick to clear time allotted to work and private life.

Flexibility is your friend. Don't be afraid to adjust your system as needed and find what works best for you. Experiment with different tools and techniques until you discover your organizational zen. Structure Your Schedule: Define "office hours": Carve out dedicated work time and stick to it, even if it's not 9-5. This creates boundaries and prevents work from bleeding into personal life. Prioritize: Know your "Big Rocks": Identify your most important goals and prioritize tasks that move you closer to them. Say no to projects that don't align.

Here's what works for me. I am working for an Organization but these principles apply for self-employed PMs as well: 1. Master the Art of Prioritization: Use Eisenhower Matrix 2. Time Blocking: Carve Your Day with Precision 3. The Pomodoro Technique: Sprints for Maximum Focus 4. Digital Detox: Declutter Your Digital Space 5. Task Automation: Let Tools Work for You 6. Effective Meeting Strategies: The Power of Stand-ups and Agenda Setting 7. Single-Tasking Mindset: Quality Over Quantity 8. Mind Mapping for Creativity and Clarity 9. Continuous Learning: The Power of Microlearning Breaks 10. End-of-Day Reflection: Unwind and Plan for Tomorrow Further details about these points can be seen in my newsletter.

Treat yourself as if you were a product you're building. If you hired yourself, how would you go about managing that product? Good checklist to keep in mind (but not limited to these points, depends on your flavour of product management): - what is your differentiating value prop? - who is the narrow target audience that has a need for what you offer? - what does your model of monetisation (what do you charge for, how often and how much)? - what is the channel where you'll most likely find your customers? - what network effects can you lean on? Write your best guesses about all of these, and start proving them right or wrong, learn, evolve, repeat. The most important thing you should do is to keep the momentum.

Setting the Priorities right and re-prioritising according to change. It is good to set the high priorities items straight and work towards it while keeping the other medium and low ones also on the radar. But in the current dynamics of life, situations are changing rapidly and as a PO you need to work towards managing the same which can also demand for you to look at the priorities and whether it’s still fulfilling the requirements. If not, then it is important to take a step back and look at the bigger picture and prioritise the deliverables again based on maximum value delivery. Do less delivering most value.

En mi experiencia como PM jamás dejé de ser creativo con el proceso. Hay que romper los pasos tradicionales y acciones repetitivas para dar lugar agregando valor al proceso con creatividad desafiando los límites de la posición tradicional. Lo mismo hice en Ventas y los resultados están a la vista. No soy ni fui ningún genio solo un apasionado de los procesos disruptivos!!

Retire and get away from the BS. Its not worth the aches and pains of being a CEO. Like this I have 83.5 words to go. So rewire enjoy life. Not everyone can become millionaires. I would rather stay a telephone lineman. Much happier