“You’ll work closely with me on day-to-day operations and help run the team.”
With a simple sentence, Noah — my manager — was promoting me to the management level of the tech company.
I was happy.
And more importantly, I was ready.
For the last 6 months, I had burned the midnight oil. I worked on improving our product and increase revenue.
I started preparing before joining the company.
I made a list of skills I lacked — but needed to succeed at the job — and got to work.
For 3 months, I did nothing but upgrade my skills through books, videos, and lots of practice.
I arrived in Sydney hungry to prove my value.
My plan was simple:
Prove my worth to the team (and the company) and I’ll be promoted to a management position faster.
And with my degree in Business coupled with my love for management, I believed I could be a great manager.
The sky was the limit.
And so I got to work…
First, I overhauled our SEO strategy, increasing the number of visitors by 25%.
Then, I focused on increasing the conversion of new members. Some tweaks and lots of AB testing later, we’d increased by 33%!
I was on a roll.
With enough work and a lot of hustle mentality, I was able to achieve my targets.
Noah took notice.
He started giving me more tasks and I started earning his confidence. Becoming his “go-to guy”.
Some tasks were not in “my” plan but I was happy to help out wherever I could. You have to be a team player when you’re in a team, after all.
And I also accepted that some priorities were over my head. It was between him — the team leader — and the CEO.
But I spent most of my time working on what I wanted. On my vision for the team and the product.
The last project was the most ambitious one. It was also the reason I was hired in the first place. I wanted to create a new premium member area for our brightest users.
It would stand behind a paywall and I’d estimate it would bring a lot of extra monthly revenue. A huge sum.
Gather experts. Record videos. Write content. Make sure the UX was flawless. The whole nine yards.
Midway through the project, Noah came to speak to me at my table:
“Dan, you have a minute?”
“Sure, Noah. What’s up?” — I replied, waiting for another item to be added to my to-do list.
“Let’s go to a conference room.” — he said, already walking towards one.
He explained the team was going to change and I was to be his Assistant Product Manager.
“What do you expect of me in this new role?” — I asked, trying to understand if this was indeed a management position.
“You’ll work closely with me on day-to-day operations and help run the team.”
It was.
And I was ready.
“I won’t let you down.” — I extended my hand and we shook hands as if thanking him for his confidence.
I was going to be a great manager.
If only I knew what was going to happen next…