Dealing with imposter syndrome?

Last week I gave a talk to my organization on a topic that I am deeply passionate about - “measure what matters”. This was my first time speaking solo to an audience of 200+ product leaders and asking them to give me their undivided attention for an entire hour. Many of those invited attendees are far ahead in their career journeys than I am.

To be truthful, I had put in the hours - studying 50+ blogs & books, listening to the best podcasts & interviews, and asking 100s of questions to ChatGPT on the topic. I’ve also been fortunate to have experience creating OKRs, KPIs, and metrics in every role I’ve held across 5 different companies. I practiced my talk in a small group setting and iterated on feedback from my reviewers.

Yet, a part of me felt a bit unsure. How much preparation was enough? I didn’t claim to be an expert on the topic but did I know enough to make it worth their time? Would they find value in my ideas?

I gave the talk and it was received better than I hoped for. My coworkers wrote back really thoughtful messages to share that they found it useful and I felt more at ease. 

This feeling of “am I ready for this right now?” is not new. I’ve felt this in varying degrees at various junctures of my personal and professional life. Every time I decide to switch my job (which I’ve done plenty) or moved to a new city, I feel anxious. Every time I write an exam or sign-up for something outside my comfort zone, I spiral into an overdrive. Every time I ask for a promotion or added responsibility, I wonder if I’m asking for too much too soon? The feeling takes deeper roots on some days when my fears come true. When I bomb a really great interview opportunity, when I don’t feel at home in a new city, when my boss tells me that I need to do more... Or worse, when I let myself down or those who truly believe in me.

Clearly, I have some distance to go before I can say that I’ve learnt to deal with my imposter syndrome. But I can safely say that I’ve gotten better over the years (despite research indicating that women are disproportionately impacted). What has worked for me is just putting myself out there. Knowing that progress is better than perfection. Being vulnerable while putting my best foot forward. Even if I don’t nail it in my first attempt, I learn a lot in the process and feel better prepared for my next attempt. 

Thanks for reading till the end. If you could relate with my story or have experienced something similar, I’d love to hear from you (add a comment below) on what you do to overcome it?

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Product Nuggets is my humble attempt to share candid stories about my experiences building a career in product, data, and tech. If you find this newsletter useful, please share it with one person who can benefit from our conversations. I welcome your candid feedback on how I can make this most valuable to you.

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