PM Survival Kit: Essentials Every Project Manager in Nepal Needs (Besides the Tools)

By Rustam

Let’s get one thing straight, this blog isn’t about Jira, Trello, ClickUp, AI tools or any of those “proper tools” you see in PM courses. No. This is about the real stuff. The secret survival kit that every Project Manager in Nepal carries around, knowingly or not, at least I do.

Because while everyone talks about skills and frameworks, we know what actually keeps us moving, one chaotic workday at a time.

Please do not agree on what you are going to read.😂

Let’s unpack the PM survival kit. And yes, it includes a lot of caffeine.

The Coffee and Coffee Mug That Judges No One

A while ago, I attended a community event, and the presenter, my dear friend, Mohan kicked off his slide with a bold question: 

“Why do Product Managers love coffee so much?” 

His answer?

“Because everytime they try to espresso an idea, someone asks for a Latte more details“

That line stuck with me, not because it was new, but because it was so painfully accurate. You don’t drink coffee. You breathe it.

And it’s not just about the caffeine. It’s about surviving the constant context-switching, the updates, the “quick syncs,” the “just one more thing” moments. Coffee becomes your armour, your ritual, your quiet rebellion. Just like developers joke about surviving on Red Bull or designers find comfort in their chaotic desktops, Marketing teams clutch their Sting bottles like lifelines (and in our case, Nutan survives on Biryani, his words, not mine, shared here with full consent). PMs? We’ve made coffee our cultural shorthand for “I’m holding it together, barely.”

Now, the Mug, that mug isn’t just a mug, it’s your sidekick. And it probably says something dramatic like “I Survived Another Meeting That Could’ve Been an Email.”

Whether it’s 10AM stand-ups or 3PM scope changes, coffee understands. It doesn’t ask questions. It doesn’t shift deadlines. It just supports you. Sip after sip.

You forget your coffee in the meeting room, and suddenly, everything feels off. Your rhythm breaks, your brain hesitates, and you’re staring blankly at your screen, wondering what task you just switched from. It’s not just about the caffeine anymore. It’s muscle memory, focus fuel, your ritual. Without it, the day feels like a browser with 23 tabs open, and one of them is playing music, but you can’t figure out which.

Noise Cancelling Headphones (ANC = Active Nirvana Creation)

These things deserve a standing ovation. Especially when:

• The meeting room is booked (again),
• Someone’s having a loud team lunch right behind you,
• Or you just don’t want to hear one more “quick request.”

You wear them not just to block noise, but to protect your sanity. Even bank KYC processes feel less intense than trying to stay focused without these. One spelling mistake and your KYC is not available on search result.

Sticky Notes + Keep + Digital Reminders (The Hybrid Mindset)

Sticky notes are the OG project tracking tool. You write something half-legible like “Client call 3PM” or “Bug – urgent – ask QA?” and somehow, you get it. No one else will. But you do.

It’s almost like a lost art form.

Remember shorthand? That write something in hurry, fast writing people used before typewriters existed? Or telegrams, no, no, not the app you just thought of, I mean the original telegram, where people paid to send the shortest, most direct messages possible, like “Arriving tomorrow. Stop. Bring coffee. Stop.”

Somehow, the PM brain has adopted both. Your sticky notes carry that same mysterious energy, a hybrid of cryptic symbols, dashes, and urgency.

Pair that with phone reminders buzzing every 15 minutes and… voilà,  controlled chaos that only makes sense to you.

Are they old-fashioned? Yes. Do they still work? 100%.

The Secret Group Chat (Energy Booster 9000)

Every team has one. Not the formal Teams channel. I’m talking about the Team group chats that starts with work but slowly transforms into:

• Random memes
• “Lunch and party venue?” polls
• And occasional therapy sessions like “Is it just me or is this chat going out of the topic?”

It doesn’t just keep the team connected, it keeps you sane.

The “Not-So-Powerful” MacBook

Let’s be honest, as a Project Manager in Nepal, you don’t need a 32-core monster laptop to run Excel and Teams. I don’t want to carry a server and attend the meetings. But for some reason, opening a MacBook in meetings just feels right.

Is it a PM symbol? Maybe.

Is it practical? Questionable.

Does it help you look calm while your Google Sheet crashes mid-presentation? or you lost the cursor on demo? Absolutely. Because it’s a MacBook, and that somehow makes the crisis feel… sophisticated. You will end up thinking “it must be an application not the MacOS”, It’s like someone once said: “It’s far better to cry in a Ferrari than on a bicycle.”

Someone recently said in the LinkedIn Article I just read, “MacBooks aren’t a luxury anymore.” And you know what? They’re right. In fact, we’ve elevated them to a PM accessory, not just because they’re stylish, but because they represent a certain level of calm amidst the chaos.

Emergency Snacks (Hidden Like a Secret Weapon)

You never know when a meeting will stretch into lunchtime, or when a random issue will eat your afternoon. That’s why emergency snacks, from chocolate to Wai Wai, are vital. One bite = one unit of patience restored.

Some call it unhealthy, some call it house of MSG. I call it project fuel.

That One Reusable Water Bottle You Never Refill

You carry it with you everywhere. But somehow it’s always empty. Still, it’s comforting. Like a silent buddy who never complains and makes you look health-conscious.

The Sigh (Haiyaaaa Edition)

Every PM has mastered this. The sigh that comes out when you open your calendar and see six back-to-back meetings, or when someone says, “Just a small tweak…”

It’s the Uncle Roger’s “Haiyaaaa” of project management. A release of emotions. A soft protest. A daily ritual.

The Smartwatch That Cares Too Much

You’re knee-deep in emails, juggling a surprise escalation, and suddenly, buzz buzz,

Your smartwatch vibrates,

“Time to stand.”

A few seconds later, another buzz:

“Breathe.”

And just to spice things up, the final one lands like a jump scare:

“Your heart rate is unusually high.”

Why? Because somewhere nearby, the team lunch squad has just hit 85 decibels discussing “home made achaar” recipes, and you… you are just trying to remember where you left your brain. And your coffee.

Like, bro, I’ve been breathing through this chaos the whole day, let me live!

But still, you appreciate it. Because without it, you’d forget you’re human and not just a Team’s notification.

Final Words (No, This Is Not a Retrospective

Being a Project Manager in Nepal including other countries isn’t just about managing timelines and chasing deliverables. It’s about surviving the everyday drama with grace, humour, and a solid stock of backup coffee.

So, while the world may judge us by our Gantt charts, stats and dashboards, we know what truly powers us, headphones, snacks, and a little bit of controlled chaos.

And if you’re reading this while sipping coffee, wearing ANC headphones, and replying to a group chat full of GIFs, just know, you’re doing great.

And that’s a wrap, PMs! Here’s to all the unsung heroes behind the scenes, making things happen and turning challenges into victories. Picture abhi baaki hai, doston, our journey’s just getting startedd.