Thank you for expressing interest in joining DAML! This is a living document that will contain all of the information you need to join as a Product Manager. As a recap, you'll need to complete the Practical track in order to officially onboard as a member, but we do offer an Introductory track for those who know they're interested in product management but don't have hands-on experience. Read below for more details on each of the tracks and what product management at DAML looks like!
As a product manager at DAML you'll have the opportunity to lead 1+ data science or software engineering teams. Though responsibilities will vary from team to team and day by day, here's a general guideline of what you can expect to do as a PM at DAML.
Product Managers are responsible for defining the scope and vision of DAML projects. You'll be conducting product research, working with clients to understand their goals, and developing a product strategy/roadmap that addresses the problem at hand. This means that you'll be responsible for deciding which features to build, how to build them, and how to improve on previous designs.
Throughout your time as a Product Manager, you'll work closely with your team of engineers and client(s). You'll be responsible for facilitating communication between the client and engineers, organizing your team, driving progress, and addressing issues that may appear. First, you'll work with your client to understand the problems they're facing and devise a solution that works for them. Then, you'll create a plan of action that prioritizes important features and outlines how the engineers should go about building and iterating on the solution. During the course of the project, you'll continue to adapt the plan as needed, manage conflicts, and boost morale/productivity among your team.
As a PM, you'll likely pick up odd jobs here and there related to your project, but in general, you'll be responsible for maintaining documentation, communicating with the division head, and leading product demos. You'll also attend and run meetings regularly.
As a reminder, there is an introductory track and a practical track. They are designed such that each track builds off of the previous one, but you are only required to complete the practical track (the last track) to onboard as a DAML member.
The introductory track is a good starting point for students of any year who lack significant hands-on experience (e.g. an internship) in software engineering, data science, hardware engineering, and/or product management. In order to be an effective product manager, it is critical that you are technically proficient, product-oriented, and a strong communicator. This track will help you develop all three skills through a mixture of lessons and mini projects.
The practical track is a good starting point for seniors and anyone who has had significant hands-on experience developing a product (either through an internship or coursework). This track is evaluative rather than educational, meaning that its main purpose is to prepare you to showcase what you know. As a PM, this track culminates in giving a presentation on a product of your choice.