I’ve got a coffee chat lined up with a PM at a company I’m interested in and honestly, I’m nervous about how to position myself. My background is pure operations—supply chain, vendor management, process improvement—and while I know it’s relevant, I don’t want to sound like I’m just trying to convince them that ops is secretly product. I also don’t want to spend the whole conversation talking about me. From what I’ve read, good coffee chats aren’t pitches; they’re conversations. But I also know I need to communicate why I’m interested in PM and what I actually bring to the table. The tricky part is figuring out what to ask them so the conversation feels natural instead of rehearsed. Should I ask about their day-to-day? Their biggest challenges? How they got into PM? And how do I naturally steer toward either helping them think through a problem or getting real feedback on my transition? What actually works in these conversations?
don’t pitch. seriously. they already agreed to talk to u, so the pitch is over. instead, ask them what they’re working on and listen. if u listen well and ask smart follow-ups, theyll see u thinking like a pm. then when they ask about u, have one tight example ready: “here’s a problem i saw in my last role, heres how i approached solving it.” that’s it. no fluff.
maybe ask about their fave feature theyve shipped and why? ppl love talking about their work, and u learn a lot too!
Structure your coffee chat around genuine curiosity rather than agenda. Begin by asking about their current priorities and the user problems they’re trying to solve. This serves two purposes: it helps you understand their thinking framework, and it demonstrates that you think in terms of users rather than processes. When the conversation naturally turns to your background, provide one concrete example from operations where you identified a user friction point or made a decision based on data. Then pause and ask them how they would have approached it. This positions you as a thinking partner, not a candidate asking for a favor. Finally, close with a specific question about their transition into PM—PM leaders respect people who are thoughtfully exploring the transition, not jumping in blind.
You’re going to be great! Just be genuine, ask good questions, and let them see your curiosity. They’ll appreciate it!
I had a coffee chat that went really well because I stopped thinking of it as an interview. I asked the PM about a product decision I’d been curious about—why they chose a particular feature approach over another. She talked for like 15 minutes, and when she finally asked about me, I shared how I’d tackled a similar prioritization problem in ops. The conversation became a dialogue instead of an interrogation. That actually led to a second conversation with her manager.
Research on effective informational interviews shows that conversations where the interviewer asks three or more follow-up questions have a 2.4x higher conversion rate to next-stage interactions. Focus your conversation around specific product decisions or user problems the PM is actively solving. When you share your background, frame it in terms of problem-solving methodology rather than domain expertise. This demonstrates transferable thinking skills that PMs value. Avoid discussing career timeline or expectations—these create perception of transactional intent rather than genuine interest.