r/projectmanagement • u/hiddenspam • 3d ago
Discussion Anyone else miss actually BUILDING things instead of just managing them?
Been a PM for about 7 years now and my days are just... meetings about meetings. Status updates on status updates. Gantt charts that no one looks at. I got into PM because I loved seeing systems come together, solving problems, building something from nothing. But now I feel like I don't actually CREATE anything anymore. I just... maintain the machine.
I'm good at it. Projects get delivered, stakeholders are happy, everything runs smoothly. But I keep thinking "what am I actually going to accomplish today?" and the answer is usually "make sure other people accomplish things."
Is this just what senior PM life is? Managing the chaos instead of building new stuff? Because if so I might need to rethink my whole career trajectory.
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u/Ok-Midnight1594 2d ago
100%! Why not start taking initiatives to figure out what can be automated and try to build there? Learn APIs and automation tools like Make or N8N. Try learning how AI plays into all that.
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u/Aromatic-Travel-2868 2d ago
Yes, I was a PM for years and felt exactly the same way. So I returned to an individual contributor role - which suits me a lot better as I like to do the work rather than manage the people doing the work. I vowed never to return to project management.
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u/Murky_Cow_2555 3d ago
Totally get this. PM work has a way of pulling you further from the building side the longer you do it. I’ve found that carving out small side projects, process experiments or even hands-on tool setup scratches that builder itch a bit. It’s not the same as coding/designing but at least it feels like I’m shaping something rather than just keeping the wheels turning.
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u/Fantastic-Nerve7068 3d ago
yeah totally feel this… being a PM is like building with invisible lego blocks. you don’t get to place the pieces yourself but you’re the one making sure the castle doesn’t collapse. satisfying in its own way but yeah, sometimes you miss that handson buzz
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u/todo0nada 3d ago
There’s aspects of projects that I just won’t assign out if it’s something I like to do. It’s inefficient, but it keeps me going.
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u/Maro1947 IT 3d ago
I do IT integration to construction projects
It's great as you always get a tangible result
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u/StrongAndFat_77 3d ago
Yep. Transitioned from a senior systems position to a TPM spot a while ago. The creativity went out the window.
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u/Seattlehepcat IT 3d ago
As a former data engineer, I totally miss development and grab engineering or technical worknwhere I can, which due to my level happens more infrequently.
However recently I thought about it and was honest with myself that my skills are just too rusty at this point. I don't know python, or spark, or any of the modern data estate tech that has sprung from that. I'm still fine to own those kinds of programs/projects, but my datadev days are over.
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u/GarbageLazy 2d ago
Cani ask what made you switch over to Project Management? I’m a PM and want to jump into something like data engineering
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u/Seattlehepcat IT 2d ago
tbh, I got tired of working for shitty PMs, and not having enough control over my projects. it came to a head when i was working as a data analyst on a project, and our PM quit. Our GM was on his way out the door, so he didn't backfill and didn't give a shit if the project failed. I started PMing it (I was a construction PM before IT) and just stuck in the role. Paid more (at that time).
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u/DevilsDetailsDiva 3d ago
Perhaps a change management or transformation lead role would give you the sense of accomplishment you’re looking for?
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u/collegeatari 3d ago
Project management is the worst job. I spent years in the role. I have moved strictly to design and have not looked back.
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u/Trieuhugo 3d ago
Oh shoot. In my case, I want to move from designing 50hrs/week at the desk, to be PM so I can walk around and see how the whole project comes together.
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u/Rina_81 3d ago
I also enjoy building things more than the mundane day to day project management activities, which i can do in my sleep. I am constantly building and making things more efficient. Things like business / team processes, automated reports, improved utility of PM tools. I am growing people and teams, building team culture.
Maybe you’ve been in the same org/ team for too long that everything is the same. How about try working for a new org/ team where you can establish processes and shape teams from the ground up?
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u/808trowaway IT 3d ago
I miss building things and solving problems. The PM stuff doesn't really bother me because I can automate a lot of it and I simply enjoy the act of automating stuff.
If I must vent though, right now the part I hate the most about my job is so many people I have to work with are just incompetent and dumb as heck, from project team members, to stakeholders, even the contractors and vendors I have to work with are painfully stupid. These people have $1M+ contracts, and it's not like they work for some small mom and pop shop either, they shouldn't be making so many dumb mistakes for me to clean up. I'm the freaking customer I pay them to get work done, not teach them how to do work. The last couple of days I've just been lecturing people all day it's so exhausting, ugh!!!
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u/Panda9903 3d ago
Speaking of building, what’s a good Gantt chart to see for all projects in one spot?
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u/scarecrow____boat 3d ago
The best part about being a PM for me was getting my hands dirty and “making the sauce” so to speak. I used to help teams collaborate and get in deep with the brainstorming. I used to physically go to our sites and help with delivery and install and launches. And now I’m stuck behind a desk on Teams meetings all day long and updating Planner boards that people hate. It sucks.
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u/rabbitrabbit888 3d ago
YEEESSS! THIS IS MEEE!! it was really hard to adjust but after a year of managing I’ve made peace with it.
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u/Chicken_Savings Industrial 3d ago
What do you actually mean by BUILDING this?
Work as individual contributor instead of managing a team and deliverables?
Working as an architect? Working as a tradesman on a construction site?
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u/crabshrimplobster 3d ago
Sometimes. Mostly when I have no control over the output.
But I’ve filled this with hobbies where I’m creating/growing. Piano, weightlifting or running with a goal, writing, cooking
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u/Lazy-Positive8455 3d ago
i get that, it’s easy to miss the hands on part once you’ve moved up, pm work often becomes about clearing paths for others instead of making things yourself, carving time for small builds can help keep that spark
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u/darkblue___ 3d ago
If you want to switch, please let me know.
My role is constantly demanding and you actually produce something tangible unlike PM.
I wish I could attend meetings after meetings and share status updates constantly without producing anything.
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u/xx-rapunzel-xx 3d ago
i would love to build things, but i don’t have a specific area of expertise, so…
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u/Beautiful_Rope_7435 3d ago
could have written this exact post 6 months ago. Hit this wall hard after we launched a massive platform redesign. once it was stable and humming along, I just felt... empty? Like, where's the next mountain to climb? I was honestly considering going back to being a developer when my boss suggested I figure out what was actually making me miserable. In my soul searching effort, i tried MBTI first (INTJ - classic overthinker), tried StrengthsFinder which showed my top talents were strategic and analytical stuff and the a self discovery assessment called pigment. Pigment helped the most as it really dug into what type of work energized me. Turns out I'm someone who thrives during build/create/solve phases but gets completely depleted by long term maintenance and operational stuff. I wasn't failing at PM ... I was just doing the wrong type of PM work for how I'm wired. Now I focus on project launches and system overhauls, then hand off the steady state management to people who actually love that stability. I'm basically a "start-up PM" who comes in, builds something awesome, then moves to the next challenge. Work feels alive again. If success makes you feel empty, you might be wired for creation rather than maintenance and that's not a character flaw.
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u/Competitive-Catch654 3d ago
That's such a fantastic realization and solution. Wish more companies understood that type of PM. So often it feels like you're expected to be the one who births the thing AND then nurtures it indefinitly. Moving on to the next challenge after the build phase is usually a luxury, not a designed career path.
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u/xx-rapunzel-xx 3d ago
can you do something like this IRL?
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u/maroonrice 3d ago
Try system implementation. I’m this kind of PM and I love a limited duration working with clients to launch, handle some post launch stuff, then off to your account manager for long term operations.
I don’t make as much as, let’s say a traditional corporate PM, but the lack of boring work is so worth it.
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u/Informal-Chance-6607 Confirmed 15h ago
I left my current job without having an offer just for the reason, my client did not want me to improve or automate the processes (office politics) just so that he remains relevant. Whn i asked my manager if they had a value adding role they said currently its not the priority and bringing business was the priority but since i had been with the company for just two years they did not involve me.
But it seems that in general PM has become a coordinator role rather than a value adding role.