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I started as a coder. I wrote programs, fixed bugs, and shipped projects. That was my world. I loved the craft. I loved seeing something I built go live. But something bothered me. Why were we building these things? This question shifted my focus. I moved from “how” we built things to “why.”
This is my story. I went from being a developer to a Product Owner at Accenture. I had doubts. I learned lessons. People helped me find my way.
As a developer, my job was simple. Get the code right. Make sure it shipped smoothly. I enjoyed solving problems. Closing tickets felt good. But I wanted more. I wanted to understand the bigger picture. Why were we building it?
My curiosity led me to product management. I wanted to understand users. What frustrated them? What did success look like for them? Product management connected everything. It linked customers, business goals, and the team’s work.
A workshop with Professor Pinkesh Shah really affected me. He said, “Don’t spend so much time building your bed that you no longer want to sleep in it.” I remembered that. Later, Professor Shyam challenged me in a short talk. He pushed me to think harder. Why did I want this path? His questions made me face the truth. That moment made me ready to take the next step.
Like many people, I first looked online. I tried articles, videos, courses. All of them. The information was scattered. It was hard to connect. I spent almost a year gathering bits of information. Then I found the Institute of Product Leadership.
IPL was very practical. That stood out. We did not just listen to lectures. We tested our ideas. We talked to real users. We checked if the problems we saw were actually real. Mentors from the industry shared their career lessons. This made everything make sense.
It was not only about product skills. I learned storytelling, conflict management, and negotiation. I didn’t even know I needed these skills. An early project had a mixed team. It taught me how to handle disagreements. It taught me how to find common ground. Looking back, those moments helped me grow. Not just at work, but as a person.
Today I am a Product Owner at Accenture. My job is to listen. I ask questions. I connect customers, stakeholders, and teams. I work in the telecom industry. I improve an existing product. My features make a real difference for users.
This role brings together what I value. It means understanding people. It means thinking about the business. It means helping teams deliver. It feels like the right mix of purpose and action.
I learned something. Professor Sai often reminds us of it. Product leadership is not a finish line. It is a journey that unfolds step by step. Every experience adds something new.
Want to grow into product leadership? Here is what helped me.
Professor Sai once said, “As a product leader, you are a chef with your set of knives. You cannot use them all at once. But you must know when to use which one.” That picture stayed with me. IPL gave me those knives. They are skills. It also gave me the judgment to use them well.
Moving from developer to Product Owner has been a journey. It brought growth and purpose. For me, it is no longer just about writing code. It is no longer about shipping features. It is about understanding people. It is about shaping strategy. It is about building with intention. The journey is far from over.
Sultana is a Product Owner at Accenture. She works in the telecom industry and solves problems for users. She started in software development and then pursued an Executive MBA in Product Leadership to transition into product management. Now, she combines her technical depth with a strong understanding of customers to deliver meaningful solutions.
