Since I've been living in London, I've been trying to make the most of it. When I first moved here, I was thinking about building a career and learning from more experienced professionals. London is just the place to do it – through networking. To make my way into the product world, I've been attending several product networking events. Below are the networking events and my experiences, all found on Meetup using the search keyword "product," location: London, and venue type: in-person.
Below are the five product events I found 🙌🏻
Product Tank (official website)
They have different topics at every meet-up, with 2-3 speakers invited to give 10-minute talks on the topics. You can leave questions, which will be picked based on votes in the Q&A session. I've been to a few, and the talks are very informative (see stakeholder management). I've learned a lot about industry trends as well. Staying behind to talk to the speakers and make connections (see how to network) is definitely rewarding too.
The Product Group (Meet up page)
If you're looking for a chilled, relaxing social event with some fiery discussion, this is it. The host usually starts with a question and a round-table self-introduction. Then there's about 45 minutes of discussion on the topic, followed by a 10-minute break and another session where a speaker gives a talk. The interaction is fun and gives opportunities for everyone to ask questions and share their own experiences.
Product Pint (official website)
This is a drink gathering with lots of product people. Grab a drink and talk to anyone. No agenda, no topics. I found it quite challenging as there are so many people – it's not always clear how to start a conversation.
The Dead Product Society （Sign up in Meet up page)
This is another drinking networking event, but in a small group – limited to 30 people. They have their own space in the pub, making it more intimate and giving you enough time to chat with everyone. I think this is easier for chatting with other product people – some are regulars. I enjoyed talking with them to learn about their product lives, challenges, and industries. I definitely want to attend again.
ManyHands (check out their website and sign up)
If you're looking for an interactive and fun night, using your brain after work for creative ideas, this is for you. They have two speakers share presentations. Then the host shares a problem that needs to be solved that night, along with user profiles. They usually have more detailed guidelines – questions and some basic information about users for discussion. You collaborate with other product people. Finally, we have presentations and vote for the best one. I attended one in August, and the topic was an HR platform for rockstars. It featured very creative and fun topics to work with, and everyone came up with great ideas.
The Product Group Meet up in Meta Office
Comparison between each networking events 📝
Tell me how do you think about these events and say Hi 👋 if you see me 😁
If you find other product events in London, please share and I will see you there 😊
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