Why Learn Technology + Product for Entrepreneurship?
- blogs, product management
- 4 min read
Authors: Prathibha Rajaram – Project Manager at Vector Informatik India
I’m Prathibha, and I have around 30 years of professional experience, mainly in the automotive domain. I currently work in a group manager position at a product company.
Throughout my career, I have been involved in executing products and working within product management. Now, I want to explore product leadership more deeply, especially the strategic and business aspects of building a product.
My longer-term aspiration is to become an entrepreneur. To prepare for that journey, I want to understand the technologies, tactics, and processes involved in taking a product from an idea to a business.
Moving Beyond Product Execution
For many years, my work has focused on product execution. This experience has helped me understand how products are managed and delivered.
However, there is another side of product management that I have not explored as deeply: strategically planning a product and understanding its business value.
I want to learn how decisions about a product are made from a strategic perspective. I am also interested in understanding the business behind the product. These are the areas in which I now want to develop my capabilities.
One year from now, I would like to move towards a senior leadership role where I can apply this broader understanding of product strategy and business.
Preparing for Entrepreneurship
My career goal does not end with my current role. After retirement, I am considering starting something of my own.
I have many product ideas, although I have not yet decided which specific product I want to pursue. What is clear is that I want to become an entrepreneur.
Before taking that step, I want to understand what happens behind the creation of a product. I want to learn about the relevant technologies, the tactics involved, and the processes that help turn an idea into a product and a business.
My purpose at this stage is to prepare myself. Even though the final product idea is not fixed, learning about technology, product leadership, strategy, and business can help me understand the entrepreneurial journey more clearly.
Why I Chose Product Leadership?
I chose the Executive MBA program at the Institute of Product Leadership because I expect it to help me explore the areas I want to understand before starting my own venture.
My background has given me experience in product execution and product management. What I am now looking for is a stronger understanding of the business aspects of a product.
For me, product leadership connects several important areas. It includes understanding the product, thinking strategically about it, examining its business potential, and learning about the process behind its development.
This combination is directly connected to my aspiration of becoming an entrepreneur.
Learning Through Professional Networking
The second reason I chose the program was networking.
I want to become someone who builds professional connections and learns through interactions with others. The program gives me an opportunity to meet business leaders and other experienced professionals.
I want to understand their experiences and learn from the journeys they have already taken. Meeting people from different professional backgrounds can expose me to perspectives beyond my own experience in the automotive domain.
For me, networking is not simply about meeting more people. It is an opportunity to hear from leaders and learn through their experience.
Returning to School After 30 Years of Experience
Coming back to school brought a mix of nervousness and anxiety.
I felt that I might be one of the older members of the group, and I initially wondered how I would fit in with younger participants. Throughout my career, I have managed team members who were younger than me, so working with younger professionals is not unfamiliar.
The difference is that I am not entering this environment as a manager. I am joining as a fellow student.
Adjusting to that role made me anxious at first. It means stepping away from the position I hold at work and participating in the learning journey alongside everyone else.
Challenging Myself Through a New Journey
One lesser-known fact about me is that I continuously challenge myself, even when other people may not notice it.
Returning to school after around 30 years of professional experience is another such challenge. I am moving beyond familiar responsibilities to learn about product strategy, business, technology, and entrepreneurship.
My goal is to use my experience in product execution as a foundation while developing a broader view of product leadership. I want to prepare for a senior position in the next stage of my career and, eventually, for the possibility of building something of my own.
For me, learning technology and products is not separate from entrepreneurship. It is part of understanding the tactics, processes, and business thinking I will need when I decide which product idea to pursue.
