I’m coming from a finance background—banking specifically—and I keep seeing posts that say “non-technical backgrounds are totally fine for PM,” but then I see job descriptions asking for engineers or product people. It’s confusing.
Here’s what I’m wondering: is the “non-technical is fine” advice actually real, or is it just what people say to be encouraging? And if I’m genuinely coming from a different track, what actually matters in networking conversations and interviews?
I’ve heard stories about people pivoting from weird places—operations, consulting, even marketing—and landing PM roles at solid companies. But I want to understand what they actually did differently. Was it luck, a killer network, pure hustle, or something about how they reframed their experience?
For someone like me with zero product experience and no engineering background, what should I actually be focusing on in my outreach? Do I lead with my finance skills, or do I try to downplay that and emphasize things like analytical thinking and customer understanding?
I made the jump from consulting to PM about three years ago, so I get the uncertainty. What actually worked for me was leaning into the specific skills that translated—data analysis, stakeholder management, how I’d framed business cases. In my conversations with PMs, I’d ask about their toughest prioritization decisions and then share a consulting story where I’d done something similar. I wasn’t pretending to be an engineer; I was showing that I understood the fundamentals of how products got built and shipped. The PMs seemed way more interested in that than in whether I’d written code.
I think the key is admitting you don’t know everything about production systems, but convincing them you can learn it and you’ve already proven you can own hard problems. The banking background is actually useful—you understand complex processes and risk. Frame it that way.
Non-technical backgrounds are genuinely fine for PM, but that advice comes with a caveat: companies hiring PMs from non-technical tracks are usually looking for specific signals. They want evidence that you’ve driven decisions, managed ambiguity, and understood customers deeply. In your banking experience, find moments where you’ve done exactly that. Did you launch a new product or service line? Did you identify a gap in the market? Did you work cross-functionally? Those are your bridges. When networking, ask PMs what they wish they’d known before getting into the role. Listen more than you pitch. And don’t lead with your finance credentials—lead with your curiosity and the specific problem you’re solving for their product or company.
Your banking background is a strength, not a weakness! You bring fresh perspective, rigor, and maturity. PMs need that! Keep framing your experience around impact and learning.
the non-technical backgrounds advice is half true. yeah some pms come from finance or whatever, but most of them either had an mba, worked at a big tech company already, or just got lucky w a good network. if you dont have one of those advantages, you’re gonna need to grind harder—more coffees, more projects, more grinding til something sticks. no shame in that, just dont expect the cards to fall your way.
Non-technical backgrounds represent roughly 40-45% of PM hires at enterprise software companies and about 30-35% at consumer tech firms. The difference typically comes down to company stage and pain point. Early-stage startups prefer scrappy operators; larger companies value cross-functional experience. For your banking background specifically, you have a competitive advantage in fintech, but it’s portable elsewhere if you emphasize analytical rigor, stakeholder alignment, and shipping velocity. Track which companies you’re reaching out to and which are most receptive—you’ll see patterns emerge that tell you where your background is actually valued versus where you’re fighting an uphill battle.