In this Accredian Spotlight interview, we feature Manoj Choubey, who is currently working for Lupin Healthcare Ltd. as a Senior Product Manager. He has over 20 years of experience. His insatiable quest for knowledge and upskilling led him to enrol 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?
Manoj: I am enrolled in the GCPM program, July 2021. I am a part of the strategic decision making team regarding diagnostic products of the company. I design and make visual aid, leaflets and other promotional inputs related to focus products. I also impart training to the sales team.
Question 2: Walk us through your career journey & what got you interested in Product Management?
Manoj: I started my career as a sales representative in a multinational house. Then I was lucky to serve the healthcare industry through various roles and responsibilities.
In Sales, one needs to implement the strategy whereas in Product Management looks at the bigger picture for a product. One has to pass the journey from product idea to a desired outcome of the product.
It is a bigger role that comes with a lot of responsibility and accountability.
Question 3: What all Product Management concepts, frameworks & tools have you mastered in your program at Accredian so far?
Manoj: I learnt a lot from the current program like:
- Taking the ownership of the brand
- How Product Managers are the CEO of the brand
- How to do market research
- Product design
- Taking care of user experience and user interface
- Product testing
- Implementation tactics
- Swot analysis
and many new skills related to the use of emerging technology.
Question 4: What were some of the initial challenges when you got started on your Product Management journey and how did you overcome it?
Manoj: The challenges that I faced initially were:
- Time management- Initially it was very tough to manage time and complete all the tasks. Soon I realised this, started prioritising things and completing my tasks on time.
- Lack of control on various departments- It was a major challenge to get things done on time. I used my interpersonal skills to overcome it.
- Different opinion- Everybody seems to be a product master and started giving ideas about products. I decided to take the feedback from all the stakeholders over google forms, go through the feedback and select the common things that need to be changed.
Question 5: Who is your favourite faculty at Accredian and what did you learn from them?
Manoj: My favourite faculty member is Sai Charan. I like his command over the presentation. He was thorough with the topic he was covering.
Question 6: In your view, what is the goal of Product Management & how has it evolved in the last few years?
Manoj: The goal of Product Management is to introduce the product as per the need of the customer and provide solutions. From the last few years these two things have taken much into account in Product Management.
Question 7: What are the current trends in Product Management that you are most excited about?
Manoj: The trends that I am excited about are:
- Customer focus and service
- Improving the delivery TAT
Question 8: Which are some of the Product Management blogs, podcasts, communities & channels that you follow?
Manoj: Right now I don’t follow any blogs. But yes I follow Mr Shrawan Tickoo on LinkedIn.
Question 9: Please tell how your journey has been with Accredian so far and what are the elements that you liked.
It was a very interesting and interactive journey. All team members were very participative and encouraging.
Question 10: What is your advice to anyone wanting to start a career in Product Management?
Manoj: If you love the dynamic and challenging role, welcome to Product management. Create, strategize, design, execute and enjoy the thrill.
Hope you enjoyed reading this interview. If you want to read more such interesting student stories, check out Accredian Spotlight.
