• Three core skills in the Area of Startup Engineering;
1. Design (UI/UX)
2. Product Manager
3. Web/Mobile Developer
Why are they needed? Where will you pick up the skills?
3 Core Skills that are taught and nurtured in
our SV.CO Program
Demystifying Industry Expectations:
Job Title: Product ManagerSuma Sundararajan
Why is it important that you understand?
One of the Graduation Outcome for you
Seek employment or Get Acquihired
A Product Manager/Product Associate is
someone who can translate a Product Vision into Execution
What are the Attributes?
• Individuals in this job are responsible for translating a Startup product vision into execution.
• They are customer-focused and metrics-oriented, and are involved in business-related decisions around the product.
• Product managers are also tech-savvy enough to understand the possibilities and limitations of technology
Key abilities
1. Design & Conduct Market Research Activities for Product Input
2. Build a Product Narrative and Spec
3. Understand and Contribute to UX Design
4. Understand and Contribute to Operations & Product Development
5. Understand and Contribute to Pragmatic Engineering
6. Understand and Contribute to Startup Ethos and Culture
Design & Conduct Market Research Activities for Product Input
Week 1
The Importance of the Market
Customer Segment and Personas
Survey & Interview Customers
Team/TodoIdentify Customer Segment for Alpha
Week 3
Build a Product Narrative and Spec
Week 3
Build a Product Narrative for the Alpha Launch
Polish your Product: Engineering Debt Polish your Product: Visual Design
Polish your Product: Product Workflow
Week 11
Understand and Contribute to Operations & Product Development
Week 1
Confirm Partnership Registration
• Build a Product Narrative • Develop Brand Basics for Alpha Launch • Design a Logo • Pick a Name • Register Domain Name • Register with Payment Gateway
Week 3
• Build Low-Fidelity Wireframes • Build Key UI Elements • Start Writing Code for Alpha
Launch • Launch Coming Soon & Get
Early Leads • Demo Alpha Prototype WIP
Week 4
• Present your Pitch Deck (again) • Build a Product Video • Demo Alpha Prototype • Design a Great Customer Onboarding
Process • Dive Deep into a Competitor • Polish your Product: Product Workflow • Polish your Product: Visual Design • Polish your Product: Engineering Debt • Ge t Qua l i ta t i ve Feedback f rom 5
Customers
Week 6 - 12
Enough of Theory!
Will walk you through the journey of a Product Manager
Sandip Devarakonda Product Manager
@ Hasura (our Graduation Portfolio Company)• Born in Vizag, Raised in Dehradun
• Did his Bachelors in Computer Science Engineering from Vizag
• Technology was an important factor while growing up
• Dad was a scientist in DRDO
• Labs/Computers/Innovation visibility/PC Games etc
• Natural Inclination
Early Years
• Campus placement at Accenture - did not work there for a long time
• Joined a small company (4 - 5 years old) - products in construction management vertical
• Built a layer on ERP, introduction to Project Management here. Started working as a developer. 2.5 years hands-on programming. Exposure to real time functions in the company. Small Engineering team gave ample scope.
First Experience
• 3 years in that small company
• Programming to Solution Delivery (Understand Business Side, Process Delivery)
• Started to think on what can be done on Product Front
• Did MBA (Did CAT) - MIS Focus in MBA
• Vizury (Ad tech Company) - Ads customized based on customer behaviour. Entry level Product Manager for 2 years
• Picked up Product Management Skills
Entry to Product
Management
• Then met Anand (CEO, Hasura), knew him from undergrad
• Checked out the website - new tools - skeptical about value add
• Further learning and understanding led to a fit in Hasura
• Current role in Hasura: Product: Developer Tool, Distribution happens: Over web, dashboard
• Entire Management of what messaging should be there. Funnel Tracking of the Consumer. Business Development
Full Fledged Product Manager
• Startups that Sandip thinks are doing good: Zoho, Freshdesk, Freshsales
• Sandip says: If you have a hypothesis, go for it
• Traits to look out for when you go for employment at a Startup:
• Sense of Work culture (ask around)
• Sandip’s Strengths:
• Background in Computer Science - detailing
• Basic instrumentation, data insights to polish
• Hobbies: Reads a bit, Sports
• Why Hasura (According to Sandip):
• Engineering Direction Clarity (Clinical, Logical way - dispassionately) Through thinking, correctness appreciated
• Clean execution without artificial urgency
Can it be you? Of course…
Understand your abilities, Build your skills
Contribute