Gurik Mangat
During my first internship at Autodesk as a Research Engineer, I was fully immersed in the technical side of product development – solving problems, building solutions, and diving deep into the details. As I spent more time at the company, I started to realize my curiosity wasn’t just limited to code. I wanted to understand the bigger picture, like “how did the product evolve from an idea to something users could actually interact with?” “What business decisions were being made behind the scenes?” “How did teams collaborate, and what role did user needs play in shaping the product?” This shift in perspective led me to my second internship, where I worked in product management. In this role, I was able to combine my technical background with a more strategic approach to creating products that really matter.
From my first week as a Product Manager Intern at Autodesk, I experienced firsthand just how different the role was from engineering. Although I was well-versed in technical jargon – comfortable talking about APIs, ML models, and AWS integrations – terms like “user personas,” “problem statements,” and “stakeholder maps” were completely new to me. These concepts quickly replaced the familiar engineering vocabulary, shifting my focus from technical details to the strategic and user-centered aspects of product development. This experience gave me a glimpse into the essential work that drives product-led companies like Autodesk.
Over the course of my internship, I gained many insights that helped me navigate the shift from engineering to product management. Here are six that stand out the most:
1. Ask the right questions
One of the first lessons I learned in product management at Autodesk was that asking the right questions is crucial for understanding user pain points and accurately framing the problems to be solved. This was particularly true in my work on a dashboard product for engineers. This dashboard was one of my larger responsibilities and was used to monitor the performance and health of machine learning models for increasing search result relevance in libraries.
I conducted user interviews, gathered feedback, and refined the problem framing. Instead of simply asking about technical needs or preferences, I had to dive deeper to understand the real challenges users faced in their day-to-day tasks and try to get consensus from all these different priorities. To uncover user challenges, I used the “5 Whys” framework, asking “why” repeatedly to find the root cause. This technique helped me move beyond surface-level issues in more relaxed, open-ended interviews, gathering genuine insights more quickly.
2. Build alignment with stakeholders
Being an effective PM means that managing stakeholders is about much more than just coordinating tasks; it’s about aligning different teams with often-conflicting priorities and finding common ground. Whether it’s engineering, design, or business teams, everyone has their own perspective on what the product should be. As a PM, you lead the effort to balance these perspectives and guide the team toward an aligned vision.
One of the most rewarding aspects of my internship was the time I spent working with different people from all over the company. I quickly learned that the job of a PM is less about being someone who simply delegates tasks and more about being a facilitator who helps different groups come together. For example, when working on the same dashboard, there were conflicting opinions about which metrics could be shown, what was feasible, the scope of the tracking, and more. My job was to navigate these while making sure all decisions were grounded in stakeholder feedback and, most importantly, still stay true to the overall product strategy.
3. Remember: Iteration is your best friend
One of the key takeaways from my internship is that iteration is an important tool to reach the final goal. As a PM, it’s easy to fall into the trap of wanting everything to be perfect before launching, but that often leads to delays or missed opportunities. Instead, embracing feedback and continuously iterating – both on the product and the processes – is crucial to success.
I saw this in action while working with state-of-the-art video generation AI models. Weekly advancements from competing AI labs required us to continually refine performance, test models, and optimize workflows. This continuous iteration was essential to keep our product competitive and meet the evolving needs of users in a fast-paced industry landscape like generative AI.
4. Get comfortable with complexity and uncertainty
One of the biggest challenges of being a PM is the constant influx of changing priorities and unforeseen roadblocks – it requires flexibility, prioritization, and adaptability. Throughout my internship, I often had to context-switch between different projects, each with its own set of priorities. Whether I was tracking action items for one team or making sure project documentation was up to date, organization was key to staying on top of everything. I’ve learned that no two days are ever the same at Autodesk, and being able to stay focused on high-impact tasks while managing the complexities of multiple projects is essential for success.
5. Use your technical background to your advantage
Having a technical background turned out to be one of the most useful assets in my role as a PM intern. I quickly learned that being a successful product manager is about truly understanding the problem at hand. My engineering background gave me the tools to break down complex concepts, understand the trade-offs in engineering decisions, and communicate more effectively with developers. These strengths helped me bridge the gap between stakeholders and engineering teams, while giving me additional context for more informed decision-making.
Moreover, I had to transition from thinking like an engineer to thinking like a PM. As an engineer, I was used to focusing on the “how” of building a solution. As a PM, I had to shift my focus to the “what” and the “why” – considering why the product mattered, why users would care, and what trade-offs were necessary. This shift in mindset was necessary to my development as a product manager, helping me balance technical constraints with business objectives.
6. The PM role is a constant dance between priorities and stakeholder engagement
At its core, product management is about managing priorities, relationships, and expectations, not just products. Building trust with stakeholders and aligning everyone around the product vision is essential for success.
At Autodesk, I had the opportunity to facilitate communication between teams to ensure everyone stayed aligned on the product’s goals. For example, as we worked on the dashboard project, I had to make sure all our stakeholders understood the goal and how their contributions aligned with it. By keeping everyone engaged and focused on the bigger picture, I was able to help ensure the project’s requirements stayed on track, were prioritized effectively, and met everyone’s expectations.
A continuous learning journey
Reflecting on my internship at Autodesk, I can confidently say it gave me a clearer understanding of what it takes to be an effective product manager across the product lifecycle, with attention to strategy, user needs, and engineering. I came to understand that great product management is not just about solving problems, but also framing the bigger picture, aligning teams, and driving the vision forward with clarity.
Throughout my internship, I had the opportunity to manage important projects, collaborate across departments, and refine my skills in balancing technical constraints with user needs. Whether it was using my background to communicate more effectively with developers, managing shifting priorities, or ensuring product iterations met both business goals and user expectations, I felt empowered to handle the responsibilities of the role.
As I move forward in my career, I’m excited to continue applying these lessons and further develop my ability to lead teams, drive impactful product decisions, and create products that truly resonate with users.
Learn about Autodesk internships and early career opportunities here.