Career advancement rarely follows a perfectly linear or predictable trajectory. 🦀 In a thought-provoking analogy, a Google AI Product Manager encourages professionals to ‘be a crab’—a metaphor for adopting a more flexible, multidirectional approach to personal and professional growth. Rather than fixating solely on the notion of an upward climb—toward higher titles, promotions, or hierarchical recognition—we are invited to consider the value of sideways progress. This perspective emphasizes the strategic importance of lateral movement: shifting horizontally across disciplines, functions, or teams to cultivate a richer, more robust portfolio of experience.
When a crab moves, it does not march directly forward; instead, it advances sideways, adjusting its course with each subtle change in terrain. Similarly, within our careers, moving laterally—whether by taking on adjacent roles, exploring complementary skill sets, or immersing ourselves in related industries—can create unique vantage points and open avenues of opportunity that would have remained invisible on a narrow vertical path. Such moves may initially appear unconventional or even tangential to traditional success metrics, yet they often serve as the foundation for deeper adaptability, creativity, and long-term resilience.
Imagine, for example, a product manager who transitions into a marketing or data analytics role. Though the movement may seem sideways, this experience amplifies cross-functional understanding and enhances strategic decision-making. By broadening one’s perspective while leveraging the expertise already developed, each lateral experience becomes both an extension and a reinvention of the self. Over time, these diverse steps form an interconnected web of growth—one that equips a professional to navigate complexity, collaborate across domains, and innovate with a holistic mindset.
Ultimately, the invitation to ‘be a crab’ is not a call to abandon ambition, but to expand it—to recognize that genuine progress often originates from unexpected directions. By embracing the winding, multifaceted nature of development, we transform our careers into ongoing explorations of possibility, guided not by rigid structure but by curiosity, courage, and continuous learning. 🦀
Sourse: https://www.businessinsider.com/google-ai-product-manager-career-advice-be-crab-skills-2026-1
