[bigiain]

> and frankly I'd need to build a bit of a narrative to be competitive with other product hires.

Understand that just about _everybody_ is doing that.

You should avoid telling lies in applications and interviews, but you should 100% be "spinning" your experience to make it look best for there job you're applying for. You haven't "only done technical product work" for a year, you "spent several years dedicating personal learning time and took advantage of internal company professional development and mentorship, and eventually were promoted to technical product lead".

You'll need references who'll back you up on that, and it needs to be at least "true enough" that if they go and find co workers you didn't put down as references they won't outright contradict it. But most people can push the truth a long way in the direction they want it to lean without it being deceptive or outright lying.