I’ve been seeing a lot of posts from people trying to figure out which exit actually makes sense after consulting, and I realized I haven’t seen many that really dig into what the actual decision criteria should be. Like, not the high-level ‘tech PM has faster iteration’ stuff, but the actual tradeoffs that matter when you’re trying to optimize for learning, optionality, and not hating your life five years from now.
So I’m curious: when you were actually making this choice, what moved the needle for you? Was it compensation? The type of problems you’d be solving? Whether you’d actually build something from zero or inherit a mess? How much does the company’s stage or industry actually matter versus the role itself?
I think what’s missing from a lot of the exit conversations is honest reflection on what each path actually gives you in terms of skills, network, and positioning. Like, does corporate strategy at a big tech company teach you different things than doing it at an industrial? Does a PM role at a high-growth startup differ fundamentally from one at a late-stage company? And maybe more importantly—when you actually sit in the role, what do you miss about consulting versus what do you not miss at all?
I’m trying to build a real framework here, not just ‘follow your gut.’ What would you say actually matters?
The decision matrix most people overlook involves three variables: skill acquisition trajectory (what’s the learning curve for unfamiliar domains?), optionality preservation (which role keeps future transitions open?), and compensation-to-time ratio (what’s your hourly equivalent?). Corporate strategy at established tech firms typically offers faster pattern recognition across domains but slower skill in execution. Tech PM accelerates product instinct and technical literacy but can narrow your strategic toolkit. Startups maximize ownership but concentrate risk. Data-driven approach: rank your priorities among domain expertise, execution capability, and optionality, then evaluate against your current skill gaps. That usually clarifies the choice.
I took the corporate strategy route at a Fortune 500 and honestly? I thought I’d be doing big, meaningful strategy, but year one was a lot of process sitting, stakeholder management, and incremental stuff. A friend went to a late-stage startup as PM and had similar burnout but for different reasons—endless context switching, unclear priorities. The one person I know who went to an early-stage startup as an operator? Totally different energy, but way more chaos and compensation risk. I think it matters less which path and more whether you’re joining a moment where the company actually needs help versus a place where you’re just executing someone else’s vision.
Your instinct to build a framework is sound. I’d advise weighting two dimensions heavily: the company’s actual trajectory and your own career stage. If you’re optimizing for optionality over the next five years, corporate strategy at a strong-brand company keeps the most doors open—whether you later want finance, PE, or venture. Tech PM accelerates specific product intuition but can pigeonhole you within product leadership. Startups are high-variance—they either become your credential or your resume gap. Consider also what you’re not: if the idea of never consulting again feels like relief versus regret, that signals something about what you value. That’s often more predictive than the role itself.
real talk: most people rationalize their choice after the fact. you’ll find reasons to feel good about whatever you pick because you need the paycheck and something to tell yourself. what actually matters is whether the place is competent and whether you’ll learn something that seems remotely useful in five years. everything else is noise.
this is such a real question and honestly i’m in the same boat trying to figure it out. thanks for framing it as a framework instead of just ‘follow your heart’ type advice.
Whatever you choose, you’re going to grow! The fact that you’re thinking this through carefully shows you’ll make the right call for you. Trust your instincts—you’ve got this!