What are the most valuable things I can do or learn in a corporate product manager job before leaving to found my own startup?

I've met many aspiring founders who believe the biggest thing they’ll carry from a corporate job is the technical know-how or the industry “secrets”. But the truth is, when you finally step out to build something of your own, those things rarely save you.

What truly stays with you are the human instincts you sharpen along the way.

In a corporate product role, you’re placed at the center of tension, customers want one thing, engineers think differently, and leadership has its own agenda.

You don’t actually “control” anyone, yet you’re expected to make progress. That experience is priceless. Because when you start your own venture, you’ll live in that same tension daily: limited resources, conflicting opinions, uncertainty about the future.
Learning how to navigate that without losing your balance is the real training.