Thriving as a Non-Traditional Product Manager

Your Unique Lens to Drive Impact in Product Management!

Meet Rohan: A Voyager of Unconventional Product Thinking

From civil engineering to product management, Rohan Dehal’s path is anything but ordinary. His journey spans system thinking, risk modeling, and the art of uncovering hidden opportunities. But Rohan isn’t just about breaking molds—he’s about creating new ones.

Through his newsletter, Product Artistry, Rohan challenges traditional product management perspectives and equips readers with fresh mental models for tackling complex challenges.

In his debut article for Product Voyagers, "Thriving as a Non-Traditional Product Manager" Rohan dives into his transformative journey from “outsider” to impact-maker. He unpacks the lessons, wins, and unconventional strategies that shaped his career—and how they can help you harness your unique perspective to drive real impact.

This isn’t just an article—it’s your boarding pass to a fresh perspective on product management. At Product Voyagers, we’re all about exploring uncharted paths, and Rohan’s story is the perfect start.

🎤 Let’s set sail with Rohan! 👇

Hi Product Voyagers 👋,

Early in my product career, something clicked that changed everything.

I was transitioning from civil engineering and risk modeling into product management. No technical software degree. No shiny MBA. Just an engineer's mindset and years of analyzing complex systems.

At first, I felt like a total outsider. The imposter syndrome was real:

• Product managers talked about user stories—I thought in system dependencies

• They focused on feature specs—I saw potential failure points

• They discussed roadmaps—I calculated risk scenarios

But then something unexpected happened. Those "outsider" perspectives? They started spotting opportunities others missed.

It became clear to me: My background wasn't a liability—it was a lens for seeing problems differently.

I realized something crucial: I didn't have to fit the traditional PM mold. I could break it. My engineering mindset and risk modeling experience weren't just transferable skills—they were superpowers in disguise.

This isn't just my story. It's a pattern I see everywhere in product management. Yet most non-traditional PMs try to hide their unique backgrounds instead of leveraging them.

Here's how I stopped apologizing for my unconventional path and started using it to drive real impact—and how you can do the same.

---

1. The Perspective Advantage

Engineering taught me to see systems. Risk modeling taught me to predict failure points. At first, I didn’t see how those skills would matter in product management—but they gave me lenses to spot opportunities others overlooked.

As an example, I took a closer look at how we tracked and defined bugs in Jira, and my system-focused lenses guided me toward how I could improve it. I customized fields and workflows to ensure that each issue included the necessary details for different stakeholders. This reduced back-and-forth communication and made it easier for team members to access the information they needed. It wasn’t a major change, but it eliminated inefficiencies and improved the team’s workflow.

What I learned was this: Your perspective can highlight improvement points that others won’t easily spot - and they don’t have to be dramatic to be valuable. Simple, thoughtful changes can transform how teams operate.

Reflective Questions:

• What unique lenses does your background give you?

• Are there inefficiencies or frustrations in your team that you see differently?

• How can you apply your unique skills to simplify processes or solve overlooked problems?

These are the types of questions I asked myself when I spotted inefficiencies in our bug tracking process—turning a frustration into an opportunity to improve workflows for the team.

---

2. Win Trust Through Action

When I started, I felt the pressure to prove I was a “real PM.” But I quickly realized that trying to impress people with my credentials wasn’t going to build trust. Action would.

So I decided to look into a process that I could contribute to improving, that would make my peers' lives easy as well. I organized scattered project documentation into a single source of truth, so everyone could find the information they needed. It wasn’t flashy—but it made their jobs easier and was a step towards showing them I wanted to work as a team to make an impact - and not to step on their toes.

Reflective Questions:

• What small, everyday frustrations do your teammates face?

• How can you apply your skills to remove friction in their workflows?

• How can you create systems or processes that make people’s lives easier?

These small wins not only solved practical problems but also showed the team I was focused on their success, not my credentials.

---

3. Build Bridges Across Teams

I quickly learned that being a PM isn’t about mastering a single domain—it’s about connecting the dots between teams.

I spent time understanding engineering constraints, listening to sales pain points, and diving into marketing goals. This gave me the ability to translate needs across functions and build solutions that worked for everyone.

Reflective Questions:

• Do you understand the priorities and constraints of each team you work with?

• What’s one way you could help bridge communication gaps between teams?

• How can you learn more about each team’s metrics for success?

Once I started building these bridges, I saw how much easier it became to align teams and create solutions that everyone could get behind.

---

4. Scale Through Understanding

One of the biggest lessons I brought from engineering was to think about scalability from day one. Even my simplest solutions, like the bug tracker or organizing information repositories, were built to grow with the organization.

Reflective Questions:

• How might today’s pain points amplify as your team or product grows?

• Are your current solutions flexible enough to evolve with future needs?

• What small changes could you make today to prevent scaling issues tomorrow?

Thinking about scalability early helped me build solutions that continued to deliver value as the team grew—and made me a trusted problem-solver.

---

5. Lead with Curiosity

I’ll admit, I felt pressure to prove I had all the answers. But the moment I stopped pretending and started leading with curiosity, everything changed.

I asked questions, admitted when I didn’t know something, and treated every interaction as a chance to learn. That openness didn’t just make me better—it made me more approachable and trustworthy.

Reflective Questions:

• What’s one area where you can ask more “why” questions instead of making assumptions?

• How can you create space for team discussions that spark shared understanding?

• Are you sharing your learning journey with your team to foster trust and collaboration?

By leading with curiosity, I built stronger relationships and created a culture of collaboration and growth.

---

The Real Impact

True product management confidence doesn’t come from fitting a mold—it comes from embracing your unique perspective and applying it to help your team succeed.

My background as an "outsider" became my toolkit for seeing and solving problems differently. The same can be true for you—lean into your unique lens, and you’ll find strengths you didn’t realize you had.

---

🔑 Key Takeaways:

• Use your unique background as a lens to spot opportunities others miss.

• Build trust through practical, operational improvements that deliver value.

• Learn the goals, language, and pain points of every team.

• Design solutions that grow with your organization.

• Let curiosity guide your leadership and growth.

Your outsider perspective isn’t a weakness—it’s your superpower for bringing fresh insights to old problems.

Connect with Rohan

Rohan is passionate about tackling complex product challenges and uncovering fresh perspectives. If his ideas resonate with you, don’t hesitate to reach out and start a conversation.

👉 Connect with him on LinkedIn, Bluesky, Threads, or X—he’s always up for an insightful chat or a virtual coffee ☕️.

---

Related Reading

Rohan’s story is a testament to the value of embracing diverse backgrounds and unique perspectives in product management. Thank you, Rohan, for sharing how turning challenges into opportunities can drive real impact.

And, if you’ve ever faced self-doubt on your journey, this article offers practical insights and a framework to help you turn it into a strength:

👉 Imposter Syndrome in Product Management: Stop Hearing 'You’re Not Enough'

Join the Voyage

At Product Voyagers, we’re building a community of curious thinkers, bold doers, and innovative storytellers who are shaping the future of product management. Inspired by Rohan’s journey? Got your own unique story, insights, or lessons to share?

🚀 We’d love to hear from you! Whether you want to collaborate, write for us, or simply explore the content we’re creating, let’s connect.

👉 Reach out to

The Product Voyagers

and become part of a growing network of product leaders and trailblazers.