This PM Went From $50k to $750k/Year

Product Growth Podcast

This PM Went From $50k to $750k/Year - Here's How

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This PM Went From $50k to $750k/Year - Here's How

Satish's story is pretty wild. This is a story that makes you believe that you can build wealth while working 9-5. In this podcast, we dive deep into how you can do the same

Aakash Gupta

and

Satish Mummareddy

Mar 14, 2025

Transcript

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Today’s Episode

If you’re interested in growing your compensation, this might be the most important podcast you watch this year.

Here’s why:

Satish takes you behind the scenes of working at Yahoo, Yelp, and Meta.
He breaks down exactly how he went from $50K in his first PM role to $750K at Meta.
He shares the roadmap for how you can do the same and land big roles at top companies.

No generic advice. No fluff.

Just real strategies that worked for him and how you can apply them to accelerate your career.

Check It Out

Key Takeaways

1. Breaking the PM Pay Ceiling

Very rarely do you hear stories of a PM going from $50K to $750K.

These are the kind of salaries usually reserved for top engineers or director-level roles.

But he proved that if you play the long game, you can break into the top tier of compensation as a PM.

Here’s how his pay evolved:

Yahoo (IC4 → IC5, $125K → $180K)
Yelp (IC5, $235K)
Meta (IC5 → IC7, $750K+)

But how did he do it? What were his roles and responsibilities at each level?

That’s exactly we’re discussing next!

2. The Experience of Working at Yahoo, Yelp, and Meta

Every company demands a different skill set.

And with every promotion or new role, you’re going to be accountable for different things.

His journey is proof of this:

At Yahoo, he mastered execution.
→ Learning how to ship products fast without deep ownership of business impact.

At Yelp, he shifted to growth and outcomes.
→ Understanding how to tie product decisions to key metrics and influence cross-functional teams.

At Meta, he realized that alignment is everything.
→ PMs succeed not by pushing ideas but by co-creating with every stakeholder.

3. Product Management is Far From Dead

In the last few episodes, there’s been a lot of talk about PMs becoming obsolete.

And it’s coming from great CPOs like Claire and Shek on our podcast.

But Satish thinks otherwise.

He believes the role will actually thrive in the next decade. Here’s why:

AI is automating low-value tasks, which means PMs can focus on solving great customer problems.
Cross-functional teams are stronger than ever, making it easier for PMs to drive alignment.
The best PMs will now have the time to focus on influence, strategy, and momentum; not just shipping features.

But this is only true for PMs who adapt to the changing AI landscape — those who expand their skill set and become indispensable to their organizations.

4. Why Some PMs Skyrocket While Others Stay Stuck

Most PMs think career growth is about just two things:

→ Getting a higher paycheck
→ Working at a more prestigious company

And while those matter, they’re outcomes, not inputs. The best PMs think bigger.

They focus on all the other P’s of career growth:

A. Proficiency → Are you actively improving your skills?
B. People → Are you surrounding yourself with mentors and sponsors who will open doors?
C. Power → Do you have real decision-making influence, or are you just executing?
D. Purpose → Do you actually care about what you’re building?

Growth follows when you build skills, relationships, and influence first.

5. Five Factors For Career Acceleration

Most PMs think promotions come from time served. Wrong.

Career growth = stacking these five factors that create momentum:

Pedigree → Are you moving up the company ladder (from small companies to high-growth orgs)?
Outcomes → Are you driving measurable business impact, not just shipping features?
Skills → Are you closing the specific skill gaps blocking your next level?
Marketing Yourself → Are you making your work visible to decision-makers?
Selling Your Value → Can you articulate exactly why you deserve the next role?