#22 - Technical Product Management: From CS to Crypto
ft. James Liu • 2 June 2026
ft. James Liu • 2 June 2026
Ever wondered what it takes to land PM roles at big-name companies? James shares how he transitioned from software engineering internships into product roles across startups, ByteDance, and now Crypto.com. In this episode, he spills the details behind technical PM interviews, reflects on whether notoriously difficult NUS CS modules actually matter in the workplace, and shares what technical students should know before pivoting into product.
Short on time? This blog recap covers the short version — James' journey from SWE intern to full-time PM, what he learned about domain expertise, knowing yourself, and why onboarding funnels are the most important thing nobody talks about.
Timestamps
00:28 Background of James
01:49 Are Hard NUS CS Modules Actually Used For Your PM Job?
05:13 Career Exploration Path from SWE to PM
07:41 Experience With Growing A Business
11:27 Balancing Internship with School
12:31 How to Land PM Internships?
16:55 Experience of Being a PM
17:54 Essential Traits of a PM
21:26 PM Experience in Startups vs. MNCs
26:47 Types of PMs
29:32 Mini-segment: How to Navigate Reddit PM Crises?
38:02 Advice for Breaking into PM
41:05 One Hidden Skill Essential for PMs
Catch the key moments from this episode below!
Currently a Product Manager at Crypto.com, James works on user activation, onboarding, and growth initiatives. A recent NUS Computer Science graduate, James previously held product roles at ByteDance, Lark, and Trendsi through NUS Overseas College after starting out in software engineering internships.