Micro-Interview: Hayato Kuroshima, Product Manager | freee 株式会社
💬 "a PM is akin to a movie director"
EDITOR’S NOTE:
Hayato Kuroshima is a Product Manager at freee., a market leader among cloud-based accounting and HR software providers in Japan.
Hayato-san is based in Japan but travels to Bulgaria frequently with his Bulgarian wife.
In under 500 words, he shares:
How he got into product management…
How he starts his mornings for maximum productivity…
Some of his sources of learning…
And more…
Enjoy!
“How did you get into product management?”
My initial career involved working as an IT consultant at Hitachi, where I helped to deliver IT systems for clients. During these projects, I encountered the Agile Methodology and discovered the joy of collaborating with a team to create products and solve problems. I realized that I didn't want to deliver a product for a client and move on; I wanted to provide value to users through our products continuously. This led me to transition to my current company.
With no prior PM experience, I initially joined a Business Development role and transitioned to PM within about six months. I was anxious about changing jobs and needed to be able to start directly from the product management position I was aiming for. However, it turned out to be a good decision. I feel truly fortunate to have been able to do now what I strived to do from the beginning.
“How do you start your mornings at work?”
I begin my mornings by checking emails and Slack messages. Since mornings are when I'm most focused, I avoid meetings during this time and instead focus on tasks that require concentration, such as document creation and strategic thinking.
“What do you know about product management now that you wish you’d known when you first started?”
One thing I've learned, which was shared with me by colleagues, is that a PM is akin to a movie director.
Similarly, the job involves coordinating various talents, including engineers, designers, and business stakeholders, to deliver user value.
Additionally, I've realized that a PM's work is even more enjoyable than I initially anticipated!
“What did your biggest product failure teach you?”
My biggest lesson from a major project failure was that sometimes, in product management, you must take the initiative rather than rely solely on others.
I learned not to hesitate to push boundaries while still respecting others' feelings.
“What’s the #1 thing that has helped you shorten your product management learning curve?”
Reflecting on past experiences and translating them into actionable insights has been crucial. By conducting retrospectives with the team, we can collectively learn from failures and agree on actionable steps for the future.
A mindset focused on achieving results as a team rather than solely as an individual PM is essential.
“How do you stay updated on the best practices in product management?”
I stay updated by listening to podcasts regularly, with Lenny's Podcast being my favorite. I deepen my knowledge on topics of interest by reading the books recommended by the podcast guests, which I find intriguing, or by watching some of their previous appearances in other media.
Regarding reading material, I follow John Cutler's newsletters and explore topics on Mind the Product that interest me. While catching up with various resources is useful, the most significant learning comes from consulting experienced PMs when facing challenges and resolving real-world issues.
Famous books on product management like "INSPIRED" and "Escaping the Build Trap" have been translated into Japanese, but other well-known books haven't been translated yet. I want to strive for the opportunity to translate them someday.