How to build great products?
I always wanted to create products — and be able to direct teams to do this.
The problem? I had no idea how to actually do this. Nor where to even start.
There’s so much info & theory online, but at the end of the day, it’s just that: theory. It’s not practical. Not actionable.
Sure, I could read about how to craft a great Unique Value Proposition, or how to influence stakeholders to buy into my product ideas, but how could l actually develop experience with these skills?
Feeling powerless & trapped
I spent a few years with this clear goal of wanting to build great products in mind, but no idea what to do about it.
It made me feel powerless. Trapped even in my technical role.
There’s nothing worse in your career to feel you can’t take steps forward & see progress to help your career develop.
I thought: On one hand, I could do the easy path of taking a video course & getting some sort of product certificate. But on the other, I realised nobody in product management — at least the good companies & hiring managers — don’t care about certificates & theoretical courses. They want to see real product results and practical experience.
How to get that kind of experience without being in a product role though?
It was a bit of a chicken and egg situation, until I discovered Prod MBA.
Why Prod MBA Had Such An Impact
Three things really stood out from the whole experience:
1. Building something real: Many bootcamps and coaches talk about building a real product, few of them actually mean it. Not only did I build out a real product, but we also didn’t skip over the hard — but really essential — parts of the process. For example, we spoke to real users from Week 1 & even validated our product offer with our real target customers in later weeks
2. The other students: It’s so motivating to be around other people all building a product & getting excited about the journey (even Henry as founder & lead mentor shares his journey working on new products). Beyond that, just networking & bouncing ideas with the cohort, who tend to have a real mix of experience, was very rewarding.
3. 1x1 coaching: It made a HUGE difference to have the live 1x1 sessions & access to Henry whenever I needed help. Having a guide who really bought into my personal journey & knows every student’s individual journey helps you make rapid progress.
Now I’m a Respected Voice at the Big Table
I’m a technical lead in a venture builder. We constantly have loads of ideas coming in.
Before Prod MBA, I’d be quite unconfident & just share thoughts on any technical challenges. Even during the first few weeks of the bootcamp, I suddenly felt able to ask the right questions of stakeholders e.g. who is the audience? How can we access them? What’s the UVP? How are we gonna make money? And be able to back this up with strategic, logical contributions to improve our product ideas.
The most powerful realisation of how Prod MBA completely changed my mindset was when I started a full MBA recently; whenever I sit next to even very seasoned entrepreneurs, I just feel I know the right questions to ask. I’ll have a conversation to ask probing questions about their business ideas & to end up getting - and giving back - a lot of value that was always taken positively, which has been really eye-opening.
The Vision I had for My Career Has Completely Changed
Prod MBA opened the door for many other possibilities for my career. I’ve realised I’m more a people person than a technical person, which surprised me.
Beyond that, I’ve seen a huge mental shift from thinking of technical issues (how do we build x) to a business mindset (why should we build x). This has given me the ability to sit at a table with business and strategy people, to discuss startup ideas & senior leaders to now listen to me & respect my opinion.
Even more impactful has been a shift in what I really want out of my career. I’m in the process of carving out a unique career path for myself, combining my technical background with my newfound strategic & business skills.
I’m excited to see where this path leads!
Alejandro Corredor Acosta is a passionate entrepreneur & Green field technologies explorer based in Zurich