Choosing Growth Over Comfort: My speedy journey from Associate to Senior Product Manager

At GetYourGuide, choosing growth over comfort is one of our Guiding Principles. We embrace challenges and view change as an opportunity for personal and professional development. This philosophy has been a constant in my eight-plus years with the company, where growth feels like a daily endeavor, often pushing me out of my comfort zone. In 2023, I stepped into the role of Associate Product Manager, and by 2025, I had advanced to Senior Product Manager. Here’s the story of how I achieved this remarkable growth.

Lean on a supportive team

Everything starts with the talented people around you. Anyone can grow if they have the right support system and are willing to put in the effort. My team played a critical role in my development to a Senior Product Manager, providing insights and feedback that were invaluable to my progress.

Ask for feedback consistently

Feedback was a cornerstone of my growth journey. I regularly sought input from my stakeholders, engineers, designers, and manager. These individuals shared my scope of work, and our successes were mutually dependent. In practical situations — whether a presentation, a difficult meeting, or managing a challenging stakeholder — I would ask, “Could I have done anything better?” or “Could I have approached this differently for a better outcome?”

Being challenged by my team and receiving their feedback was immensely beneficial. I learned to be objective and honest, especially when seeking constructive feedback from my manager. If they weren’t present, I would objectively present the scenario, including my potential missteps and opposing arguments. This approach ensured that the feedback I received was truly valuable.

Practical example:

When I became a Product Manager, I asked many engineers what was essential to them in a leader and how I could best empower and support them. The answer? They wanted to be included from the discovery phase and consulted on the problem rather than “just getting the ticket and doing it.” Taking this feedback into account, I included my team early in the process, and found that they were super engaged on many projects.

However, a couple of months ago, we were set a task around an important topic with a very unclear brief. I followed the same principle I always have, involving them from the start, but this time, my team reacted differently. They were confused and not as engaged, particularly during one meeting. 

I was surprised to see this, and after the meeting, I immediately asked them why they reacted the way they did. I learned how to adjust my collaboration style based on topic maturity and team dynamics. The moral of the story? There isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ approach in Product Management. If you want to grow and lead effectively, adaptability is key.

Act on that feedback when it feels right

I made it clear that I genuinely cared about the feedback I got by acting on it and discussing the results of the changes I made at regular intervals with my leaders. This encouraged them to provide honest and constructive input, and it made the process of my growth a collaborative effort — which took the pressure off!

Many say they respond well to feedback, but when it comes down to it, they struggle whenever they hit a hurdle. If this sounds like you, here are some top tips to overcome this:

• Check in after a few weeks. When you receive growth feedback from a superior, ask for follow-ups to show that you’re committed.
• Carefully consider your feedback, even if you don’t agree with it. If you believe the person giving you feedback is wrong, their feedback is still valid. Knowing that your actions have made a colleague feel a certain way tells you a lot about how you impact people, even (and especially) unconsciously.
• Pick your battles. If you decide not to act on any given piece of feedback, either explain your reasoning or (even better) find a compromise. Act on something small in a way your colleague will appreciate, as completely rejecting feedback leaves the impression of not being collaborative. 

Continue to learn and grow

My focus was always on learning more. You can grow in any job, as long as you’re willing to embrace challenges and put the work in! Rather than focusing on getting promoted, I concentrated on improving in areas where I needed to develop, with the help of my manager.

Identify areas for improvement

Sense where you’re not performing at your best and double down on those areas. This means asking your manager to provide opportunities for you to work on them. After each project, seek feedback, focus on the areas that need improvement, and repeat the process until you feel confident in your abilities. Once you feel comfortable, focus on another area.

Practical example: 

During one of my first projects as a Product Manager, I handled a conflicting situation where different stakeholders had contrasting opinions — we couldn’t reach a consensus. They asked me to make the decision, and I did. 

My manager’s feedback was that it felt rushed and that I didn’t think everything through carefully. In response, I asked how I could improve my decision-making process and better communicate my reasoning in the future.

The manager advised me to create or find and reuse a decision tracker template, a structured document designed to lay out the details in situations like this. We had one that was used within the company, and I adapted it to fit my needs. Ever since agreeing to use this tool, it’s been so much faster and easier to align and get buy-in on similar decisions, because all parties have visibility and control throughout. 

Adopt a growth mindset

To me, growth is about continuously reflecting on where I can be better and what aspects of my job need improvement for me to feel truly successful. By working on these with my manager and peers, I started to see improvements I could be proud of.

Top tip: Focus on personal development rather than your next role, as a promotion-centric mindset can narrow your thinking. Promotions will follow naturally as a result of a growth-focused approach.

Closing thoughts

My journey from Associate to Senior Product Manager came down to my choosing to embrace growth instead of staying comfortable in my role. By prioritizing learning, seeking feedback, and leveraging the expertise of those around me, I transformed challenges into opportunities for development. So, my message to everyone out there looking to grow their career: keep learning, keep growing, and success will follow!

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