Off topic: Take 3
Since promising a blog series on VMC on AWS and posting the first blog, around 6 months have passed.
Part of the reason was my recent Take 3 which I will be talking about in this post.
A Closer Look at VMware's "Take 3" Program
Apart from VMware’s top-tier virtualization products, it has a cool approach to employee growth. One standout initiative is their “Take 3” program. Let’s dive in!
What’s “Take 3” and what did I do?
In a nutshell, “Take 3” lets VMware employees switch things up. Eligible employees can take a break from their current role for up to three months and try something totally different within the company.
It’s a change of scene without leaving the building!
Almost 2 years ago I switched to the VMware Cloud Solution Architect role. This is very much a presales role and offers great variety in what I do all the time. However, after a while I wanted to see what Product Management looks like at VMware. Since I do not have Product Management experience and did not want to leave my role altogether, Take 3 came in very handy.
All it took was a quick informal application for a Take 3 opening and some coordination with managers and peers. Shortly after, I started my Take 3 as a Product Manager for VMware Cloud on Equinix Metal (VMC-E).
For those unfamiliar, VMC-E was announced at VMware Explore Barcelona last year:
https://blogs.vmware.com/cloud/2022/11/07/introducing-vmware-cloud-on-equinix-metal/
To make it short (and partially oversimplify): it brings all the fun of managed VMware SDDCs from platforms like AWS to the Equinix Metal platform.
Anyway, back to topic:
In this role, I was now working on different features for VMC-E.,
I was not primarily in front of customers anymore, but rather working in the background.
Working through field feedback, deriving technical requirements from conversations with customers and peers, creating write-ups for PM and engineering teams - undoubtedly a switch from my daily tasks as a Solution Architect.
My time as a PM is coming to an end, but I can honestly say that it was a rewarding experience.
From prioritizing tasks within my own control, over negotiating feature timelines with other PM teams, to discussing possible solutions to challenges on a technical level, it was fun!
My top 3 reasons why Take 3 is awesome
The program is fantastic, and I can probably spend hours talking about it.
To save all of us some time, I broke it down to my top 3 reasons:
1. New Perspectives:
Part of the reason I wanted to see Product Management is the tendency to “complain” about the product team, if you’re customer facing in the field constantly.
It is always that one feature, that one function that is missing, or not working as expected.
This sparked my interest in how hard creating / managing a product is.
Now, close to the end of my Take 3 I can honestly say: it is hard.
2. New / Improved Skills:
I could not rely on my technical experience as much as I had hoped. The single most important thing I found was clear communication – which sometimes involves explaining things to people much less technically versed. While this also happens in presales frequently, it was definitely different from what I am used to.
Apart from that, being inexperienced in the PM role, I tried to please everyone at once. Getting feedback from my (temporarily former) peers, I tried to work them all into our plan for the next weeks and months. Not only was this basically impossible to deliver upon, but it also revealed the next important skill to me: prioritization.
In a nutshell, prioritizing isn't just about ticking boxes—it's about making smart choices that align with our goals. So, next time you're swamped, take a step back, prioritize, and watch the magic happen!
3. Happy Employee(s):
Let’s face it, doing the “same old” all the time can get boring. Take 3 is like hitting a refresh button.
And now that things are coming to an end, I am excited to get back into my former role.
Wrapping it up
Technology moves fast, interests shift, and VMware acknowledges this. The Take 3 program is about staying fresh, learning more, and keeping things exciting. It’s a win for both parties and honestly another reason why VMware is a great place to work.