In partnership with
👋 Hi {{first_name|there}},
Some personal news: yesterday I started a new job as a Senior PM.
I spend a lot of Fridays telling you how to job search, so it felt right to show you how this one actually went. Spoiler: it wasn't fancy.
How it happened
Someone I know sent a short email to the head of product. A few lines on who I am, what I've worked on, why it might be a fit, and a link to my LinkedIn.
I also applied through the job site, so I was in their system. Then I did five rounds of interviews.
The intro got me a first conversation. It didn't skip any steps. I still had to earn it in the interviews.
That's the part people don't always hear. A warm intro isn't a shortcut to the offer. It's a shortcut past the pile of applications nobody reads.
What a good intro email looks like
If you've been putting off asking for an intro because it feels like a big favour, it really isn't. Most people are happy to forward a few lines. What makes it awkward is when they have to figure out what to say.
So write it for them. Here's roughly what one looks like:
Subject: Intro: [Your name] for [Role]
Hi [Name],
I know you're hiring for [role] and wanted to introduce [Your name] (cc'd). They're a [title] at [company] with [one or two relevant things, like "B2B SaaS and reporting experience"], which lines up with what your team is building.
Here's their LinkedIn: [link]
I'll let you two take it from here.
[Their name]
A few things that make it work:
Keep it under 100 words. The person reading it is busy.
Name one or two things that match the role, not your whole career. If you're switching from CS or support, pick the PM-shaped work: a process you fixed, a feature you pushed for, a metric you moved.
Include your LinkedIn, and make sure your headline says what you want to do next, not just what you do now.
One tip: send your contact the draft, not just the ask. "Would you be open to introducing me? I wrote something you can tweak" gets a yes much faster than "can you intro me?"
A word from today's sponsor. If you want to keep up with AI without losing your whole morning to it, this one's worth a look.
200 Ways To Make Money With AI
Turns out, AI is good for more than writing emails and generating LinkedIn posts. This guide is packed with 200+ actionable ways to build income with AI.
Inside you'll discover:
200 curated AI income ideas for beginners and pros alike
Easy-to-start opportunities you can launch this week
Real world applications for today’s top AI tools
AI powered business models built for today’s economy
Creative ways to turn trends into revenue
AI is changing how people work and how people earn, far beyond the simple “write me an email” prompt. Discover the possibilities and download the free guide to start cashing in today.
Who to ask
You don't need someone senior or someone who owes you a favour. You need someone who knows both you and a person on the team. That could be a former coworker, a friend, a partner, a past manager, or someone from a community you're part of.
Before you ask, check LinkedIn for second-degree connections at the company. You'll probably find more than you expect.
If you can't find anyone, that's fine. Apply anyway, then message the hiring manager directly with two lines on why you're a fit. A cold note with a clear reason beats no note at all.
After the intro
This is where people stall. The intro goes out, and then they wait. Don't.
Reply within a day. Thank your contact, and move them to BCC so they're not stuck in the thread.
Apply through the job site too, even if it feels redundant. It gets you into the recruiter's process.
Treat the first call as a real interview. Have your two-minute "why PM, why here" story ready.
About those five rounds
Mine were pretty typical, just in a funny order: hiring manager, then recruiter, then a cross-functional round, a case study, and finally the CTO. Because of the intro, I talked to the hiring manager before the recruiter. Usually it's the other way around.
If your rounds come in a strange order, don't read into it. It doesn't mean something's off. Every company runs its loop a little differently.
If you're heading into a loop like this, a few things help:
Hiring manager and recruiter: have your "why PM, why this team" story down to two minutes. You'll tell it more than once.
Cross-functional: expect designers or engineers to ask how you work with them. Bring a real story about a disagreement and how you got to a decision.
Case study: ask clarifying questions before you solve anything, and say your assumptions out loud. They're watching how you think, not just where you land.
Senior leadership: zoom out. Talk about tradeoffs, priorities and how your work ties to the business.
And after each round, write down what they asked. Patterns show up fast, and the next round usually builds on the last.
Five rounds is a lot. It's also pretty normal for senior PM roles. If you're three rounds in and exhausted, that's not a sign it's going badly.
Your homework this week
Pick one company you'd actually want to work at.
Find one person you know who knows someone there.
Send them a draft intro email using the template above.
That's it. One company, one person, one email.
If you want the rest of how I'd approach a switch, from translating your experience to landing the interviews, it's all in my book, Already a PM. It's $5.
Talk soon,
Stef
P.S. I forgot how much of a firehose the first week is. New tools, new acronyms, a lot of new names. Next Friday I'm sharing what's helping me survive it, and what I'd tell any PM starting somewhere new.
One more from our sponsors. Handy if you want a working prototype for your portfolio, not just a mockup.
Test that business idea this weekend
Skip the funding round and co-founder hunt
Describe the business, get the real product
Take payments from real customers immediately
Find out if your idea works in days
Keep going, or try the next one
Discount of $5 applies to first month of any paid plan. You need to sign up via this webpage in order to claim the discount. The discount applies to new and returning users without an active paid plan. Terms apply.