I’m coming from finance and literally nobody in my circle does product. I know the advice is always “network your way in,” but that feels impossible when you don’t have a single PM to grab coffee with. I’ve been scrolling through LinkedIn trying to figure out where to even start, and it feels like everyone else has some kind of inside track.
I’m wondering if there’s an actual playbook here. Like, do you cold email people? Do you find them through company websites? Do you hit up APM program alumni? I’m genuinely not trying to be lazy—I just want to know what actually works before I start reaching out to people and wasting their time or sounding desperate.
Has anyone actually built a PM network from complete scratch? What was the real first step that led somewhere?
look, cold email works way less than people pretend it does. ive seen hundreds of templates and scripts and like 95% get ignored. your real move? find people on linkedin who went from finance to pm and just ask them for 15 mins. theyre way more likely to respond bc they remember being u. dont overthink it, just be honest about where ur coming from.
omg this is so helpful to read bc im in the same boat rn! ive been doing informational interviews w ppl from recruiting sites and like its actually working? even small convos lead to intros, its crazy
Your first move should be strategic research. Identify 20-30 companies where you genuinely want to work, then find people on their product teams through LinkedIn. Rather than cold outreach, look for mutual connections—alumni networks, university groups, previous colleagues who’ve moved to tech. Most importantly, have a specific reason for reaching out beyond just wanting a PM role. Reference their work, ask thoughtful questions about their product decisions. People respond to genuine curiosity, not generic requests.
You’ve got this! Your finance background is actually an asset—you bring a different perspective. Start small, stay consistent, and genuine connections will follow. You’re building something real here!
I did pretty much this last year. Started by reaching out to like four people I found through mutual connections and just asked if they’d share their PM journey. Three said yes, one lead to another conversation, and suddenly I had a small circle. The key was I wasn’t asking for a job—I was genuinely curious about how they got there. That made all the difference.
Research shows warm introductions convert at roughly 40-50% while cold email sits around 5-10%. Your finance network is your asset here. Map your existing contacts for any tech connections, however distant. Then pursue LinkedIn outreach to finance-to-PM career changers specifically—they’re statistically more responsive. Focus on 10-15 quality conversations over 100 generic emails.
also just fyi, if youre looking for the “perfect” first move, youre gonna waste three months overthinking. just start talking to people. worst case theyre busy. best case someone actually helps. theres no secret formula, its just volume and not sounding like a robot.
srsly tho have u tried reaching out to ppl who posted abt their pm transition on twitter or linkedin? those ppl love talking abt it and theyre usually way more responsive than random cold emails
One additional thought: document your process as you go. What types of outreach get responses? Which conversations lead somewhere? This becomes invaluable intelligence for refining your approach. Also, remember that networking isn’t transactional—build genuine relationships first, and opportunities follow naturally. Your first move is starting, not finding the perfect angle.