[ivorbuk]

I've made a similar transition. For clarity, I was an engineer for 15+ years before making the switch. I've been a Product person now for about ~6.

As another comment mentioned - I find that PM/TPM roles vary depending on the company and the expectations of your colleagues. It's only sometimes visible from the outside or the job description. This is a big point for me.

I joined a large company (FAANG-like) as a TPM - the interview was great, and I got to talk about technical architecture and solutions. My interview task was to do some 5W analysis on data, dig out the bug, sight reading architecture/code, and talk about iterative product processes as applied to long-term platform work. It seemed perfect. I joined only to find the teams I worked with were amazed I could follow technical discussion/planning and near-offended that I could participate in their conversations.

I joined another large company (again, not FAANG but FAANG-like) as a non-technical PM at the opposite end of the spectrum, UX interviews and labs etc. They loved that I could articulate what I saw more technically and appreciated my experience, involving me in high-level planning and architecture discussions. I ended up contributing to code, architectural decisions and more.

On paper, I was perfect for the TPM role, but it was an excruciating experience that knocked my confidence and depressed me. I believed I was NOT the right person for the out-and-out PM role, but it turned out to be one of the best experiences of my professional life.

I guess my two pennies' worth is to try and understand what the role is going to be, ask probing questions of the recruiter or hiring manager, ask if you're able to meet the team or the EM's you'll be working with - find out how the work is done. You can't change who you are on paper. People will look at your Linkedin profile and always read it their way. I've been the hiring manager for many PM and TPM roles - you'd "stand out" to me by making the right kind of inquiries about how the work is done, how you are expected to contribute, and talking about that.

Worth noting after six years as a PM, I'm considering going back to code. I love being a PM, but code was my first love, and nothing compares to building things yourself.