An interview with Phyllis Njoroge. Phyllis is a product manager, cognitive scientist and now author of "From Fraud to Freedom". Phyllis wants us all to know that imposter syndrome is something that can be tackled, and wrote a book to help us examine how to tackle an issue that affects many product managers due to the ambiguity of our roles.
We speak about a lot, including:
- Her book, from Fraud to Freedom, and how it digs into what Imposter Syndrome actually is and whether everyone has it
- Her journey into product management, and whether going into an industry she had no experience in made her imposter syndrome worse
- The problems of getting into self-reinforcing negative feedback loops and the ways you might intervene to stop you sabotaging yourself
- How imposter syndrome isn't just in your head but can be imposed on marginalised groups by a society that gives every impression that you don't belong there
- How imposter syndrome isn't something that goes away with seniority or perceived success, and how these might even make it worse
- Whether her background in cognitive sciences informed the book, and how she used that background to examine the cognitive biases that reinforce imposter syndrome
- Whether product managers are more prone to imposter syndrome due to the vague, ambiguous nature of many product management roles
And much more!
Buy From Fraud to Freedom
"From Fraud to Freedom is a book about how we all play a part in contributing to or calming impostor syndrome. It’s a solution-oriented book that discusses methods for individuals, mentors, managers, and friends to manage their own impostor syndrome and helps others in the process too. Even though an estimated 70% of people experience impostor syndrome, the guidance in this book is not one-size-fits-all but filled with a range of intrapersonal and interpersonal methods to achieve your best self."
Visit The Book Website for more info.
Contact Phyllis
You can find Phyllis on LinkedIn or Twitter.
