Not Just Coding: A Path into Product Management and Tech Careers
When most people picture breaking into tech, they picture becoming a software engineer. It’s the most visible path—and for good reason. Learning to code is one of the most reliable ways to build a career in the industry.
But it’s not the only path.
In a recent session with Code Platoon students, Aodhan Tuairisg, Director of Product Management at ServiceTitan, offered a broader view—one that often comes into focus later, not at the beginning.
The skills students build in a coding bootcamp don’t just prepare them to write code.
They prepare them to build, shape, and lead technology products.
A Different Path into Tech for Veterans and Military-Connected Students
Many Veterans, Servicemembers, and military spouses come to Code Platoon with a clear goal: transition into a tech career.
For some, that means becoming a software engineer. For others, it opens doors to roles like:
- Product Management
- Technical Project or Program Management
- DevOps and Cloud Engineering
- AI-focused roles
Product management, in particular, is one of the fastest-growing career paths in tech—and one that strongly values both technical training and real-world experience.
What Is Product Management in Tech?
Product managers (PMs) are responsible for answering a critical question:
What should we build—and why?
They work across teams—engineering, design, and business—to ensure products solve real problems for real users.
At its core, the role is about focus.
“There’s always more that people want you to do than you can do,” Aodhan told students. “You have to decide what you’re gonna put into a sprint.”
That responsibility—prioritization—is what makes product management such a high-impact role in tech companies.
Why Learning to Code Still Matters
Even if you don’t stay in a software engineering role, technical training is a major advantage.
“The best product managers understand design and engineering as well,” Aodhan explained.
That’s why coding bootcamps—especially those built for the military community—are such a strong starting point.
At Code Platoon, students learn:
- Software development fundamentals
- How engineering teams build and ship products
- How to think through technical problems
That foundation allows you to:
- Communicate with engineers
- Understand tradeoffs in product decisions
- Move into leadership roles faster
How Tech Products Are Actually Built
Whether you’re a developer or a product manager, the process looks similar:
- Discovery: Understand the problem
- Definition: Clarify the goal
- Build: Develop a solution
- Test & Learn: Improve based on feedback
It’s not linear.
“You take two steps forward, then you take two steps back,” Aodhan said.
This iterative process mirrors what students experience in a coding bootcamp—learning by doing, testing, and improving over time.
Why Military Experience Translates to Product Management
One of the biggest advantages military-connected students bring into tech is real-world experience.
Product managers need to understand:
- Operations
- Systems
- Decision-making under pressure
- Leadership and accountability
Those are already core parts of military service.
Aodhan pointed out that many successful product managers are subject matter experts—people who deeply understand the industries they serve.
For Veterans, that could mean:
- Logistics → supply chain software
- Aviation → aerospace or defense tech
- Cybersecurity → security platforms
- Operations → enterprise SaaS tools
When you combine that background with coding skills, you become highly competitive in the tech job market.
AI Is Changing Tech Careers—But Not the Fundamentals
AI is rapidly transforming how software is built. But it’s not eliminating roles like product management—it’s changing what matters.
“AI can get you to the 90, 95%,” Aodhan said. “But the value… is that last 5 or 10%.”
That final 5–10% comes from:
- Deep understanding of the problem
- Clear prioritization
- Strong decision-making
These are skills that can’t be automated—and are strengthened through structured training and real-world experience.
How to Become a Product Manager After a Coding Bootcamp
Most people don’t start as product managers.
“Generally nobody just goes straight into being a product manager,” Aodhan explained.
A more common path looks like:
- Complete a coding bootcamp or technical training program
- Start in a software engineering or technical role
- Gain experience working on product teams
- Transition into product management over time
For military-connected students, this path is often accelerated by prior leadership and operational experience.
The Skill That Drives Success in Tech
Across every role—engineering, product, or beyond—one skill stands out:
Understanding the customer.
“Time spent with customers is seldom wasted,” Aodhan said.
Whether you’re writing code or defining product strategy, success in tech comes from solving real problems.
More Than One Way to Build a Tech Career
A coding bootcamp is often the starting point—but not the destination.
At Code Platoon, students aren’t just preparing for one role. They’re building a foundation for multiple career paths in tech.
Some will become software engineers.
Others will move into product management or leadership roles.
All are developing the skills to succeed in a fast-changing industry.
Because in today’s tech landscape, the goal isn’t just to learn how to code.
It’s to learn how to apply those skills to solve meaningful problems—and build a career that lasts.