20 Things I know today I wish I knew while starting as a product manager

1. You are not the "CEO" of anything. ​
2. Strong, long lasting relationships are critical to success. ​
3. Effective communication is the number 1 skill to succeed. ​
4. You will not always know *everything.* That is OK. ​
5. Don't let people with a big designation or a loud voice intimidate you.
6. Don't commit to *it* till you know how *it* contributes to the company’s goals.​ ​
7. Ask for help. More people are willing to help than you think
8. Don't say "Yes" to be polite. Say "No" when it is a "No"
9. If you want to do great things, get out of your comfort zone ASAP.
10. Don't doubt yourself, even when you don't know what to do​
11. Don't wait for other's to share your strengths. Become self-aware.​
12. You will have a lot of uncomfortable conversations. Accept it. Master it. It is necessary to win.​ ​
13. If you don't have data to choose speed vs. quality, choose speed. You’ll fail fast, and learn fast.
14. Use your time wisely. People will treat it the same way you do.
15. Structure your thoughts. It's important for others to understand you.
16. Ownership is equal to delivering outcomes not outputs​
17. Indecision is worse than bad decisions.​
18. Roadmaps will change. Very often. That is part of our lives.
19. Every stakeholder needs different levels of details. Always know who needs how much.
20. You will struggle getting buy-in from stakeholders. Become an ace negotiator.

What are some of the things you know today, that might have helped you when you started as a product manager?