I’m at this weird crossroads right now. I’ve been networking somewhat broadly across investment banking, consulting, and PM roles for the past six months, basically keeping my options open to see where the best opportunity lands. But I’m realizing that this approach is probably diluting my effort. People can sense that you’re not fully committed, and the quality of conversations feels different depending on whether I’m asking about banking, consulting, or PM.
I’m thinking about making a hard pivot to focus exclusively on PM networking for the next three months. But I’m nervous about it. What if I’ve been building relationships in banking that I’m now abandoning? What if the PM track doesn’t work out?
But part of me thinks this is the real issue—that I’m trying to optimize across too many paths instead of committing to one narrative and going all in on that community.
Has anyone made this decision? Did it actually change how people responded to you? Did you suddenly get better introductions, more meaningful conversations, and more serious opportunities once you signaled real commitment? Or does keeping options open actually not matter that much?
this is basic signal theory. you’re broadcasting uncertainty, so people treat you like a time-waster. once you commit, your network shifts because you’re actually interesting now—you’re a known quantity with direction. banking people don’t care if you leave btw, they’ve seen thousands do it. focus on pm or don’t but stop hedging.
i think committing actually opens more doors bc ppl can introduce you to other ppl confidently? like if ur uncertain everyone kind of holds back
Your instinct is sound. Network density and quality both improve significantly when you can articulate a coherent thesis about your direction. People—especially at senior levels—are more likely to invest time and social capital in helping someone with clear intentionality. Furthermore, commitment allows you to develop deeper expertise and asks within that domain. A focused three-month sprint into PM actually compounds your credibility much faster than six months of divided attention. Banking relationships will remain intact; pivoting is not a betrayal.
Full commitment is actually energizing! You’ll feel more confident, and that confidence shows. People want to help someone who knows what they want. Go for it!
I made this exact switch about four months ago. The difference was immediate. When I stopped saying “oh I’m exploring options” and started saying “I’m building toward product roles at X companies,” conversations became way more substantive. People actually started introducing me to specific PMs instead of just giving generic advice. And yeah, my banking connections are still fine—no one got offended. They’re just not my focus anymore.
Network research demonstrates that specialization outperforms generalization in knowledge-based fields. By committing to PM, you increase contact density within that domain, which accelerates learning and opportunity flow. Additionally, people are statistically more likely to make introductions to someone with clear direction. The opportunity cost of hedging is substantial—you lose both depth and credibility. Commitment is a positive signal that typically yields disproportionate returns.