Never Stop (Side) Hustling

…and why I can now sell you real estate in D.C.

Recently, I did an AMA for the Product School and the same type of question came up again and again:

What advice would you give a green PM?

Do you have any advice for someone with little to no experience in PM?

Do you think taking some courses or getting certification could help get a PM job?

What are some things that you look in a resume and say “this person would make a great PM”?

Essentially, these all boil down to the same core question:

What makes a good PM and how can I become one?

I’m still (relatively) new to this whole Product thing, but from all of the PMs I’ve encountered in my career, one key characteristic stands out with the most successful, innovative, creative, and driven PMs:

They have a serious side hustle (or 2!)

It could be a startup they’ve run and grown for years, it could be a non-profit they’re on the board for, it could be a consulting agency they run on nights and weekends, and it could even be a legitimate 2nd job(!)

What a Successful Side Hustle Tells Me About You

You can prioritize your time well

You’re committed to learning and growing

You aren’t satisfied by a 9–5 job

You’re entrepreneurial

You have the ability to work in different industries, work structures, and with diverse groups of people (Usually)

You aren’t just watching Netflix every night and weekend (not that there’s anything wrong with that occasionally!)

Focus and the Side-Hustle

How do you balance the time you spend on your side hustle vs. the time spent on your “primary” career?

This isn’t easy!

First, make sure you define a goal for your side hustle.

Are you trying to build a business that will become your full-time job? Are you trying to supplement your income? Or are you simply trying to learn and grow as a person?

Defining your goal will help you focus the right amount of time on your side hustle at the right point in time.

Next, make sure to keep a constant pulse on how your side hustle is impacting your primary career.

Your side hustle should be additive to your career, not detractive from it. If you’re having trouble keeping up with both, temporarily pull back on your side hustle.

Finally, budget time for your side hustle. If you’re going to spend 10–2o hours per week on your side hustle, what is that coming at the expense of?

Is it your nights, your weekends, your time with your family? All of the above?

Don’t be sloppy with the amount of time you commit to your side hustle. It might not cost you at first, but it will make a successful outcome much less likely.

Thanks for reading! If you’re enjoying this post, I know you will enjoy the great content at The Modern Product Manager.

If you prefer books, I think you’d also enjoy Disrupting Yourself (How to Succeed in the New Economy) or Building Digital Products (Handbook for Product Managers).

A Few of My Past and Present Side Hustles

Side hustles come in all shapes and sizes. Here are a few of my past and present side hustles and the goals I have/had for them.

1. Real Estate: My most recent side hustle (after passing the D.C. exam this past Saturday). My Goal: Learn how the real estate industry operates from the inside and position myself for more informed real estate investment in the future.
2. Building Digital Products: An outlet to channel my thoughts on the role of the Product Manager. My Goal: Gather feedback on my ideas (still a work in progress at the time) and see what it takes to become an author.
3. MBA - George Washington University: Opened up my mind to think in different, more strategic ways. My Goal: Meet and learn from peers and professors in careers and industries much different than mine.
4. Blogging: I find it incredibly healthy to share my thoughts frequently on Medium and other channels and to get feedback on them. My Goal: Share what I’ve learned along the way with others, (hopefully) helping them avoid mistakes I’ve made and helping them find a path to their own success.
5. Financial Advising Acquired Series 65 + Series 7 Certifications while interning for two summers during college. My Goal: Expand my financial knowledge and help friends/family members with straightforward, simple financial advice.
6. Empowrr: A startup I advised where businesses could exchange a portion of future revenue for funding today. My Goal: Capitalize on the buzz around crowdfunding and solve a major problem for small businesses.

Why is a Side Hustle Worth It?

But, were all of the side hustles above really worth it?

Even for those that didn’t work out or outright failed, I would answer with a resounding yes!

If you still aren’t convinced, here are a few more benefits a side hustle can bring you (and they’ve brought me):

1. Build a diverse background of experiences
2. Add supplemental income
3. Provide you formal and informal credentials (Degrees, experience as a founder, etc.)
4. Create strong signals for future employers about your work ethic and ability to learn

Get Side Hustling and Build Something!

What is your side hustle?

What is your goal for it?

When did you get started and how has it changed?

I’d love to hear your story on Twitter at @amitch5903

More from Alex Mitchell

Check out Alex’s Book: Building Digital Products

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Building-Digital-Products-Ultimate-Handbook/dp/1522824936

Digital Download: https://gum.co/CLccb

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, meaning that at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you click them and purchase a product.