In this Accredian Spotlight interview, we feature Rajesh Kumar, a Senior Software Development Manager with over 16 years of experience. He is currently associated with Ultimate Kronos Group. 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?
Rajesh: I am part of the GCPM Program, July 2021 Batch at Accredian. My current work profile is that of a Senior Software Development Manager. I take care of product delivery from a tech perspective and am handling a team of 26 members.
Question 2: Walk us through your career journey & what got you interested in Product Management?
Rajesh: My career journey in chronological order:
- Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Software Developer
- Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), Lead Software Designer
- Societe Generale, Technical Manager
- Oracle, Software Development Manager
- Ultimate Kronos Group (UKG), Senior Software Development Manager
I got interested in Product Management as it always fascinated me to be in a position to make decisions for Product Strategy and Roadmap rather than just delivering the releases.
Question 3: What all Product Management concepts, frameworks & tools have you mastered in your program at Accredian so far?
Rajesh: There were multiple concepts and frameworks discussed in Accredian sessions. I am getting better at AB testing framework and team collaboration tools like Miro.
Question 4: What are some of the initial challenges when you got started on your Product Management journey and how did you overcome it?
Rajesh: Initial challenges on my journey of Product Management was the change in mindset between Engineering Management vs Product Management. I tried overcoming it by focusing on the ‘Why’ and ‘When’ part of product development rather than the ‘What’ and ‘How’ part.
Question 5: Who is your favourite faculty at Accredian and what did you learn from them the most?
Rajesh: My favourite faculty at Accredian is Manav. Learned about ‘Myths & misconceptions’ of PM.
Question 6: In your view, What is the goal of product management & how has it evolved in the last few years?
Rajesh: In my view the goal of product management is to run the overall show of the product and make the product successful at scale.
With startup culture kicking in the last few years, the role of PM has become much more critical and challenging as conventional methodologies do not yield much output. To be in the game and ahead of the curve out of box thinking is required.
Question 7: What are the current trends in Product Management that you are most excited about?
Rajesh: Few of the current trends I am excited about are:
- Focus on digital products
- Fast evolutions in product management tools
- Adjustments for impact of covid on product strategy and roadmap
Question 8: Which are some of the Product Management blogs, podcasts, communities, & channels that you follow?
Rajesh: I follow:
- SVPG Insights Blog
- This is Product Management
- Masters of Scale
Question 9: Please tell how your journey has been with Accredian so far and what are the elements that you liked.
My journey with Accredian has been great. I like how examples are quoted from relatable brands. Also, Accredian team is responsive and addressed faculty issue also.
Question 10: What is your advice to anyone wanting to start a career in Product Management?
Rajesh: My advice will be to:
- Be prepared to change your mindset
- Be open minded
- Explore offerings from Accredian
Hope you enjoyed reading this interview. If you want to read more such interesting student stories, check out Accredian Spotlight.
