In this Accredian Spotlight interview, we feature Jayachandran Nair V, a Business Development Manager with over 29 years of experience. He is currently associated with Fosroc Chemicals India Pvt. Ltd. His insatiable quest for knowledge and upskilling led him to enroll in the Global Certificate in Product Management at Accredian.
Question 1: Which program & batch are you part of at Accredian & tell us more about your current work profile?
Jayachandran: I am part of the GCPM program, November 2021 batch. I am currently a Business Development Manager – All India (Tiling Solutions) with Fosroc Chemicals Pvt. Ltd.
My Key Result Areas are:
- Responsible for product segment, sales, planning, filling product gaps, aligning products as per international standards, imparting training to both internal /external customers and coordinating with marketing dept.
- Spearheading the entire gamut of operations pertaining to retail business, building segments and establishing Fosroc Tile Adhesives in the fast-growing market of South India.
- Directing the conceptualization and implementation of competitive strategies for generating sales, developing as well as expanding market share towards the achievement of revenue & profitability targets.
- Maximizing the sales opportunities, proactively creating new opportunities, developing and managing relationships with industry partners and working with them on business growth opportunities beneficial to all parties.
Question 2: Walk us through your career journey & what got you interested in Product Management?
Jayachandran: I have had a long professional journey. Before joining my current profile, I have been a part of many positions like:
- State Manager, Kerakoll India Pvt. Limited, Kerala (Sep’15 – Dec’17)
- Sales Manager, Best Building Materials Solutions Company, Doha, Qatar (Jul’13 – Mar’15)
- Sales Manager, Bostik India Pvt. Ltd., Bengaluru (Dec’09 – Jul’13)
- Sales Manager, Kwalkrete, Thrissur (Jun’06 – Dec’09)
- General Manager, Task Force Marketing, Thrissur (Jan’02 – Jun’06)
- Sales Executive, Dr Fixit (Pidilite Industries Ltd), Mumbai (Mar’93 – Dec’01)
Question 3: What all Product Management concepts, frameworks & tools have you mastered in your program at Accredian so far?
Jayachandran: The concepts and tools that I have mastered are:
- Basics of Product Management,
- Understanding of Product Planning Cycle
- Establishing Product Vision & Mission
- Formulating Product Strategy & Product Goals
- The philosophy of Design Thinking
- Design Thinking for Product Managers
Question 4: What were some of the initial challenges when you got started on your Product Management journey and how did you overcome it?
Jayachandran: Some of the challenges that I faced are:
- Mental block: From a Sales Manager to Product Manager.
- Requested our management to transfer me to the Product Management role.
- Personal Health issues
- Transferred to November 2021 batch
Question 5: Who is your favourite faculty at Accredian and what did you learn from them?
Jayachandran: My favourite faculty is Suchit Majumdar. He has given an overall idea about getting into the proper Product Mindset which has really helped me.
Question 6: In your view, what is the goal of Product Management & how has it evolved in the last few years?
Jayachandran: For me, the goal of Product Management is about conceiving the idea for a great product, developing it, making a strategy to market it, mentoring that product, improving it and making it a great brand.
It has evolved out of a growing market and competition. In this scenario every company wanted to keep their products at the top of the competition and for this they essentially required Product Management.
Question 7: What are the current trends in Product Management that you are most excited about?
Jayachandran: Current trends are very exciting and every company is looking for Product Managers to drive their product portfolios. Micro level mentoring and strategy drive is carried out nowadays and that is a trend that excites me.
Question 8: Which are some of the Product Management blogs, podcasts, communities & channels that you follow?
Jayachandran: Some of the blogs, podcasts and channels that I follow are:
- SVPG Insights Blog
- Amplitude Blog
- Product talk
- Upgrad
- Spread Ideas
Question 9: Please tell how your journey has been with Accredian so far and what are the elements that you liked.
Jayachandran: Balancing your professional life and study is a very tough one but going through the recorded classes is a must to understand the subject.
Establishing Product Vision & Mission, Understanding of Product Planning Cycle & Formulation of Product Strategy & Product Goals are the elements in this course I liked the most.
Question 10: What is your advice to anyone wanting to start a career in Product Management?
Jayachandran: My advice would be to learn the fundamentals of Product Mentoring (This is my other word for Product Management.) from a reputed institution. The key approach to the product mentoring would be:
- Understand your customer and exceed his expectations
- Create and use data to reach all targeted customers.
- Be a good communicator between the internal and external customers.
- Imparting excellent training to the concerned parties who drive the product in the market.
Hope you enjoyed reading this interview. If you want to read more such interesting student stories, check out Accredian Spotlight.
