How to move from BDR role within a Saas company into product management?

Product is a very interesting role in that it requires some level of understanding of all aspects the company: Product, Business, Design , Engineering, Users, other Stakeholders. Moving into Product within your company would be the easiest process. Start with informational interviews and potentially invest in a course if possible to learn the basics of a PM's role.

Hi Lori-Ann! This is a great question. Making a transition within an organization is a fantastic way to break into product management (it can be really hard to get a job as a PM if you've never worked as one before).

Considering that you're looking to make an internal transfer, I'd definitely recommend reaching out to any product managers at your company, just to see if they'd be willing to have a quick chat with you about their job. (Back when I was a PM, I was always happy to take 30 minutes to chat with someone who was interested in becoming a PM.) If you build a relationship and rapport with the product management team, they're more likely to consider you if a PM role opens up at the company. They'd probably be looking to see if you have a deep knowledge of the product and the customer, empathy for users, creative problem solving skills, and more. If you can, find opportunities to collaborate with product or help them out--maybe even provide insights on the market or customers you're getting from your work in BDR.

While you're building this relationship with a PM (or multiple PMs) at your company, you can also learn more about product management by talking to lots of different PMs in communities and on platforms like Merit. You can also read product blogs or product podcasts to learn some product fundamentals without shelling out for expensive certifications or courses.

Merit has a list of recommended communities, blogs, and podcasts in a post about breaking into product management: https://blog.get-merit.com/3-tips-to-break-into-product-management/

Hope this helps!