In this Accredian Spotlight interview, we feature Aravind. PN, a Senior Business Analyst with over 22 years of experience. He is currently associated with Symphony Software Pvt Ltd. His insatiable quest for knowledge and upskilling led him to enroll in the Global Certificate in Product Management program at Accredian.
Question 1: Which program & batch are you part of at Accredian & tell us more about your current work profile?
Aravind: I am part of Global Certificate in Product Management (GCPM) July 2021 batch in Accredian and currently I am working as a Senior Business Analyst at Symphony Software Pvt Ltd, Hyderabad.
My current work profile consists of:
- Currently working on the Functional Specification documents related to the Healthcare Development projects.
- Transitioning of existing Projects from Cloud to Snowflake.
- Working on Quality Metrics and Master Code Set Data files..
- Preparing the User Guides and Training Materials to End Users as well as Client’s.
- Interaction with both Internal & External Customers.
- Providing feedback on the Application after doing initial testing.
- Conducting 1 to 1 sessions and Interaction sessions with Development & Quality Teams.
Question 2: Walk us through your career journey & what got you interested in Product Management?
Aravind: I worked in various roles or positions before reaching the Senior Business Analyst role in my current company. I have overall 22 years of experience in US Healthcare IT and ITES companies.
I have done my graduation in Bachelor of Commerce and I had some theoretical knowledge about Banking Sector Products, Insurance Products and various Manufacturing Company Products. That theoretical knowledge as well as a keenness to learning new things made me want to know the concepts of Product Management.
When I attended my CSPO training for two days and interacted with various attendees from various industries across the globe regarding the concept of discovery, roles and responsibilities of product owners, made me more curious to know about Product Management.
Question 3: What all Product Management concepts, frameworks & tools have you mastered in your program at Accredian so far?
Aravind: These are the concepts which I have learned and thought about in the weekly sessions:
- Introduction to Product Management
- Product Engineering & Design
- Product Development & Launch
- Product Analytics
Frameworks that I learned were:
- Story Telling
- Product Design
- Metrics AARRR : Startup Metrics for Pirates
- Metrics for Ux design : HEART, etc.
Tools that I learned were:
- JIRA,
- Marvel
- Google Analytics
- Confluence
- Wireframe
Question 4: What were some of the initial challenges when you got started on your Product Management journey and how did you overcome it?
Aravind: Initial challenges that I faced was not knowing about the new tools, even though I am keen to learn new things, somewhere in my mind it always made me cautious that I am not from a tech background. But, once I started knowing about it and learning those concepts, I felt I could handle and face the situation.
By attending weekly sessions, my confidence grew and I was capable of handling any kind of issue fearlessly. It helped me understand the issues thoroughly and provide the solutions to those issues with confidence. I am capable of understanding the Product Life Cycle thoroughly and applying the changes to it.
In the present company, business tools that they adopted are JIRA and Confluence. I know about JIRA and had prior experience but on the other hand I have zero knowledge about Confluence. With time and practice I have gotten better with most of these tools.
Question 5: Who is your favourite faculty at Accredian and what did you learn from them?
Aravind: My favorite faculty are Khanjan and Sai, since both of them have shared their journey into the Product Life Cycle from different industries and backgrounds. Each concept was explained with examples which are relevant and familiar to all the attendees. They made each attendee express their views and clarify each concept very well.
Question 6: In your view, what is the goal of Product Management & how has it evolved in the last few years?
Aravind: Product goals represent the crucial accomplishment needed to make your vision a reality. Goals should be easy to understand, actionable and achievable. Goals will highlight how the product is going to support the business and are often stepping stones to accelerating business growth.
Product Management evolved over a long period of time as new technology became available. This leads to changes in the way a product looks, its efficiency and desirability to the potential customers. Designers always look for modern technology that can be applied to the products they design.
Question 7: What are the current trends in Product Management that you are most excited about?
Aravind: These emerging trends in Product Management excite me a lot which I can adopt and implement:
- Greater reliance on Digital and Remote Teams
- A closer connection between projects and strategy
- Project Management and Change Management
- The emergence of hybrid Project Management approaches
- An emphasis on soft skills
- The impact of AI and Data Analytics
Question 8: Which are some of the Product Management blogs, podcasts, communities & channels that you follow?
Aravind: Here is a list of what all I follow:
Blogs
- Mind the Product
- ProductPlan blog
Podcasts
- Inside Intercom Podcasts
- Progmatic Marketing Podcasts
- Product Management Talk
Communities
- The Product Stack
- Product School
Channels
- AJ & Smart
- PlaybookUX
- Product Gym
Question 9: Please tell how your journey has been with Accredian so far and what are the elements that you liked.
Aravind: I have really found the right place after my certification in Scrum Product Owner and was fortunate enough to find the details of the Product Management session through LinkedIn. I love this journey and have learned new things about the Products and its life cycle from start to end.
I am really satisfied and would like to adapt and implement all the skills in my Product Managerial role.
Question 10: What is your advice to anyone wanting to start a career in Product Management?
Aravind: I would like to suggest and advice, if anyone is really passionate and is a visionary in Product Management, kindly enroll in Accredian programmes and excel your career in Product Management. Accredian is a pioneer and others are following it now.
Hope you enjoyed reading this interview. If you want to read more such interesting student stories, check out Accredian Spotlight.
