About the Author:
Arnav Sharma (Product Manager at BYJU'S, IIM Visakhapatnam PGP 2017-19)
MA: How did this journey begin? Were you always inclined towards Product Management?
Arnav: I started out my career as an Engineer at Make My Trip. I was working with a lot of talented PMs and their work always appealed to me. I could comprehend the tech aspects of a product but I wanted to cover the entire spectrum.
This made me aspire for Product Management as a career. I was constantly working on a lot of side projects and enjoyed doing critiques/teardown of popular products. This helped me to develop an understanding of diverse products. I ensure that I learn from the success/failures of other products and that helps me define roadmaps for my own products.
MA: From choosing the subjects in college to now working in the field, how does this transition feel?
Arnav: It is quite different, at the same time there are a lot of parallels that can be drawn. The difference between Education & Professional domain is quite evident but I would like to talk about similarities here. There is a framework and a mental model for every decision we take. The way we picked subjects or worked on projects is the same that we do professionally. It's just that new parameters get added in the decision making process. But the learnings of effective communication & teamwork are something that is a direct plug and play even in a corporate ecosystem.
MA: Can you tell us about your job role?
Arnav: I am currently working in the new product development space. I am leading a new 0-1 project. A PM is responsible for Stakeholder Management, Setting Product Vision/Roadmap, Prioritisation, Writing Product Specs, and execution of the roadmap. On a daily basis, the job involves dealing with multiple stakeholders - Tech, Design, Business, Legal, Marketing, etc. This is something that all PMs do. But the additional challenge that I love in this job role is that we design for kids. Products meant for adults don't have this challenge of Empathy but when you design for kids you have to be extremely careful about the kind of interactions that appeal to a kid. A widely accepted design format that works for us might not work with kids. The product needs to appeal to the users (kids) and at the same time meet the requirements of buyers (parents).
MA: What do you think are the qualities that are needed for someone who wants to excel in this field?
Arnav:
- Good Problem Solving Skills
- Curiosity and Ability to Question
- Effective Communication
- Empathy
- Clarity of Thought
- Structured Thinking
- Willingness to learn from others
- Team Player
- Emotional Intelligence
- Most Important: Common Sense
MA: What skills should these people develop to grab their dream roles/jobs?
Arnav: Self Awareness and willingness to work on weaknesses is a critical piece of the puzzle. Any B-School graduate would be ready with the basic skill set to ace the interviews but in the end, your passion for the field and ability to surprise the recruiters with your answers is something that can help you land the dream job. There is constant stress on frameworks and formats of answering but Common Sense is something that goes for a toss when we stick to defined formats. Our thought process becomes narrow and we lose out on our differentiation factor. I would say stick to frameworks but ensure that the application is apt for the situation. They only help to give structure to the answer but never miss out on your actual ideas by trying to forcibly fit the frameworks.
MA: What message would you like to give to the Product Management enthusiast?
Arnav: Product Management is something that cannot be learned theoretically. Unless you get immersed in the product and develop the apt product sense, it is going to be extremely difficult. You might sneak into an initial role but if you don't develop the product sense, it is going to be tough to sustain. Few thoughts:
- There are tons of online resources for Product Management. Check those out.
- Start with your favorite products and question every detail. Why was this design chosen/ Why these steps are part of the flow? When you start searching for these answers, you will start developing a product mindset.
- Be updated with the latest product trends in the market.
- Reach out to Product Managers and get insights from them. The majority of them would appreciate your initiative and would agree to mentor you. But for that, you will need to come out of your shell. Start Networking.
- Start working on product side projects / try out product internships to add weight to your profile. Concepts are important but the application is equally important.
- Follow Product Influencers and learn from the best in the industry.
- Be aware of the requirements for your dream product role and make sure you tick most of the boxes. Given any opportunity, you will surely ace the interview.
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