Domain Expertise and Product Management

At my previous internship, I worked in the edtech industry creating software for colleges and universities. Professors would buy our software and students would use it. Since I’m a student myself, I can relate to many of our user’s pain points. I understood the norms, their mindset, and I spoke their language.

At my current internship, I’m helping build software for the construction industry. I don’t have any experience in the construction industry, so I have to work harder to gain empathy for the user and understand the industry. The first customer call I had, they were throwing acronyms and terms like RFI (request for information), change orders, and CYA (cover your ass).

Having domain expertise and connections in your company’s industry puts you at a big advantage as a PM.