Before you can build a career with intention, you need to understand what you actually want from it. Not what sounds good in an interview, not what you think you should want … what actually motivates you, and what you want to get “paid” in.
For some people that’s a straight line to money. Nothing wrong with that. I was chasing the dollar during parts of my career and I’m not apologetic about it.
But for a lot of PMMs, the real currency is something else entirely.
Influence. You want to be in the room where decisions are made. You care about being heard, about shaping direction, about knowing your perspective changed the outcome.
Impact. You measure satisfaction in results. Something shipped, something landed, something changed in the market because of work you were part of. The scoreboard matters.
Fun and enjoyment. The work itself is secondary to the environment. Great people, good laughs, a culture that energises rather than drains. You’d rather take less money to work somewhere you genuinely want to be.
Stepping stone. What you’re doing isn’t the destination, but it gets you there. This is a valid and honest answer that most people are afraid to say out loud.
The reality is that it doesn’t matter which of these is yours. What matters is that you’re honest with yourself about it. Because a PMM chasing influence in a company that doesn’t give PMM a seat at the table will be miserable, no matter how good the compensation is. And a PMM who needs impact in a role that’s primarily execution-heavy will burn out, no matter how much they like the team.
Know your currency before you evaluate a role. It will save you a lot of expensive mistakes.
Full post: Know Your Currency →