She graduated from high school in 1991, and entered the University of Indonesia in 1991 to study literature and in 1992 pursued a bachelor's degree in mass communication, earning it in 1997.

During the three-year Megawati presidency, she would often accompany her mother on domestic and foreign visits, in addition to conducting social events by herself.

[2] In 2008, Megawati introduced Puan, then head of PDI-P's public and women's empowerment wing, as her successor during campaigning for the 2008 East Java gubernatorial elections in Ngawi.

[8] She claimed success during her tenure, pointing at the rising HDI in addition to lower poverty and Gini ratio statistics.

[9] She was the only coordinating minister to survive two cabinet reshuffles in Jokowi's first term, prompting the media to describe her as "untouchable".

[10][11] On 24 August 2016, as Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture, Puan launched a website, revolusimental.go.id, to promote President Joko Widodo's call for a "mental revolution" in Indonesia.

[12] The ministry had received budget funds of Rp149 billion in 2015, resulting in criticism when the revolusimental website went "down" two days after its launch.

The original site was also built on a theme from open-source website platform WordPress and hosted on a shared server.

[17] Puan defended the website, saying: “l really want everyone to participate in this programme by joining the activities as well as giving us their opinions or criticisms.”[18] On 22 March 2018, former House of Representatives speaker Setya Novanto, while on trial for corruption, testified that Puan received a bribe of $500,000 from businessman Made Oka Masagung in connection with an electronic identity card program when she was a legislator, serving as chairwoman of the PDIP in the House of Representatives.

[20] Made Oka, who was jailed for 10 years for his role in the e-ID bribery scandal, denied giving any money to legislators, saying he could not remember a meeting with them.

[23] KPK chairman Agus Rahardjo said Setya's testimony was "only talk" and Puan would not be questioned if no evidence had been found.

[40] Her possible presidential candidacy was complicated by her poor results in opinion surveys that showed she is not the most popular choice within the party.

[45] Puan is married to businessman Hapsoro 'Happy' Sukmonohadi and has had two children: Diah Pikatan Orissa Putri Hapsari and Praba Diwangkata Craka Putra Soma, whom both of them are graduated from SOAS University of London.