PM-ing in Korea

A few years ago, I asked myself a tough question: “I’m in my mid-30s. I’ve spent four years building expertise in my field. Would it be crazy to completely switch careers?” When I first started considering a transition into a Product Owner (PO) role , I wasn’t just worried about my age—I was also questioning whether my non-technical background would hold me back. “Do I even have the skills to do this?” “I have zero development experience—can I still be a PO?” “Should I take a coding bootcamp to make up for it?” To be honest, I still think about these things from time to time. Every time I see an online ad for a coding course, I catch myself wondering, “Should I take this? Do I need to?” But so far, I haven’t. And that’s because, in my experience, deep technical knowledge isn’t the most critical skill for a PO. You Don’t Need a Developer Background to Be a PO. Here’s Why. When I first stepped into a PO role, my biggest fear wasn’t whether I could define a good product strategy —it was...

At the start of every new year, people take a moment to reflect on the past. Looking back, 2022 wasn’t just another year for me—it was a turning point . It was the year I: 📌 Hit my mid-30s 📌 Became a parent 📌 Made a major career shift 📌 Started a new job as a Product Owner On a personal level, welcoming my child was by far the biggest blessing. But career-wise? Despite feeling “too late” to switch paths, I fully transitioned into a Product Owner role—and it was one of the best moves I’ve made. But before I get into how it happened, there’s something important to clear up about Product Management in Korea vs. the US . PO vs. PM in Korea – Why It’s Different 💡 If you’re used to the way Product Management works in the US, you might find Korea’s definitions confusing. In Korea: ✔ Product Owner (PO) = more like a Product Manager (PM) in the US ✔ Product Manager (PM) = more like a Product Owner (PO) in the US Why? 👉 The first major Korean company to adopt Agile accidentally switched th...