The Accidental PM

A Story of Sticky Notes, Standups, and Strategic Clarity

When Jenna got promoted to Project Manager, she was thrilled. Not just because it sounded impressive, but because her Mother finally had something to write about in the annual holiday cards. 😊

But three weeks into the role, Jenna began to wonder: What does a PM actually... do?

She wasn’t alone. Her Slack was full of Jira links, her calendar was booked solid with meetings that had titles like "Sync to Align" and "Backlog Grooming Bonanza," and no one could answer a simple question without sharing their screen.

One morning, while sipping her cold brew and contemplating the weight of her 48th unread comment thread, Jenna found a sticky note on her desk. It said:

"Do you own the roadmap — or just maintain it?"

She laughed. Then paused.

Was she owning the roadmap? Or updating it like it was a Google Sheet with commitment issues?

The Roadmap Epiphany

Later that week, Jenna joined a roadmap meeting where she was asked to "just plug in the Q3 features."

"Based on what user feedback?" she asked.

Silence.

Cue her second sticky note:

"Are you judged on outcomes — or just shipping velocity?"

Turns out, they were measuring productivity by how many features were shipped. Not if anyone actually used them.

Strategy vs. Feature Factories

When the CTO asked Jenna to prioritize a new feature "because a big client asked for it," she hesitated. Let’s get real here.  You’ve been in this exact situation before Yikes!

"Does this align with our product strategy?"

The CTO blinked. "Well... not yet."

Another mental sticky:

"Do you influence strategy — or just deliver features?"

Jenna started asking more questions. Not to be annoying, but to be useful. Radical, she knew.

Cross-Functional or Solo Flight?

At first, Jenna only met with engineering. It was like living in a cave of brilliant minds and cryptic pull requests.

Then she looped in support. Marketing. Sales. Even compliance (they were weirdly flattered).

The product got better. The launch plan made sense. Adoption went up.

She realized:

"If you’re not collaborating cross-functionally, you’re not managing a product. You’re babysitting a backlog."

The Power of No

Jenna learned to say it. Kindly, with context, and sometimes baskets of cookies.

No, we won’t squeeze in that feature for Friday. No, this isn’t going live without validation.

Because if she said yes to everything, the product became a buffet with no menu. A bunch of random items people didn't ask for, didn’t need, and didn’t know how to use.

"Can you say 'no' — or are you just a feature machine?"

Metrics, Impact & Real Work

At the quarterly review, Jenna brought a slide titled: "What We Didn’t Do."

Her boss raised an eyebrow.

"Because we focused on the right problems," she said, showing how retention improved by 22%, onboarding time dropped, and NPS jumped.

"Are success metrics tied to impact — or just activity?"

That was the moment Jenna finally felt it: this is what real product work looks like.

She wasn't managing projects. She was solving problems. Building clarity. Leading with intent.

Epilogue: The Sticky Note Manifesto

On her last day at that desk (promotion incoming, naturally), Jenna left behind a single note:

"Titles lie. Responsibilities don’t."

And underneath, scribbled in Sharpie:

"If it doesn’t feel like real product work — it probably isn’t."

PMs, take note.

Summary

The Sticky Truth About Great Product Managers

Jenna’s journey wasn’t just about learning to juggle meetings and ship features. It was about transforming from a task manager into a strategic leader. She discovered that real product work isn’t about how many features hit the release notes—it’s about delivering something that actually matters.

She learned to challenge assumptions, bring in diverse voices, and protect her team’s focus. She figured out that collaboration beats silos, saying “no” can be a form of leadership, and metrics without meaning are just noise.

Great PMs don’t just manage projects. They create clarity. They solve the right problems. They lead with purpose. And sometimes, they leave behind sticky notes that help the next PM see the job for what it truly is: a chance to shape something real, impactful, and worth building.

If this story resonates with you, please repost with your thoughts and follow @Jane McDonald.

This article was written by Jane McDonald and she can be reached by phone at +1 617-548-2481 or by email at janemcdonald51@icloud.com

Disclaimer: The content in this document, including character personas, companies, and scenarios, is fictitious and not intended to represent any specific individual, organization, or entity. These examples are creative illustrations derived from general real-life experiences and are provided for illustrative purposes only.