Developers that moved into Product Managers, how did you do it?

I did this move (then switched back) by learning from a PM I know, doing a lot of reading, then finding a PM role that wanted a strong technical background (in my case in ML at the time). Microsoft also had for a bit back then a habit of hiring ex-software devs to PM roles. Many people applying for PM roles are non or less technical so you get a leg up there to make up for other gaps. If you show some ability to take on PM-ish tasks occasionally, can learn fast, and are a double threat with software dev, you’ll find something.

Word of advice though, make sure it’s a role you’re willing to do for more then just because you think you’ll be in charge in some way (CEO of the product). That simply isn’t a real role and PMs in many companies have a wide range of competency so you can get stuck in a low quality group with a lot of MBA types where you aren’t really learning to build and ship but instead how to have meetings or keep your higher ups happy. Every company (and many times every org) has different PM expectations. I also really missed being on the development side (though I ended up mostly in engineering leadership and now running a startup so a stint in PM did help broaden my perspective).

This is also a role that became bloated in numbers so many companies aren’t hiring them (and seem to be cutting down on them to make a better ratio) so you’ll be competing with folks with PM experience for fewer roles.