Why did I chose an Executive MBA at IPL | EMBA 2026A - Chaitanya Nevhal
- blogs, product management
- 4 min read
Authors: Chaitanya Nevhal – Senior Product Owner at Alegeus
The moment I walked through the college gates, something felt familiar.
I saw students around the campus, people interacting, and the energy of a college environment. It immediately took me back to my own student days. Then, during the introductions, it struck me: after more than a decade, I was a student again.
It was nostalgic, but it was also the beginning of something new.
I have spent the last 10 years building my career in the IT industry. I started as a business analyst and today work as a Senior Product Owner at Alegeus in the US healthcare domain. Over the years, my responsibilities have evolved, and now I want my career to evolve with them.
That is one of the reasons I decided to pursue an Executive MBA.
Taking the Next Step in My Product Career
My immediate goal is to make what I learn in the Executive MBA relevant to the work I do every day.
I don’t want learning to remain limited to the classroom. I want to take the frameworks, ideas, and perspectives I gain from the program and apply them directly to my career.
Over the next year, I see myself moving towards a product manager or senior product manager role.
Having already worked as a product owner, this feels like a natural progression. But I also know that making the transition requires me to expand my perspective. I want to understand products beyond execution and develop the broader business and leadership skills required to manage them successfully.
For me, the Executive MBA is a way to bridge that gap.
Why I Didn't Want an Online Program?
When I was evaluating programs, one thing was clear to me: I did not want a completely online learning experience.
I know myself well enough to understand that I stay more motivated when I physically show up, meet people, and participate in the learning environment.
That is why the alternate-weekend classroom format appealed to me.
It gives me the flexibility to continue my professional responsibilities while still having a reason to come to campus regularly. More importantly, being present in the classroom allows me to interact with professors and learn alongside my peers.
There is a different kind of energy that comes from discussing an idea face-to-face, asking questions in the moment, and hearing how someone else approaches the same problem.
That experience was important to me.
The Network Was Equally Important
The second factor that stood out was the network.
Before making my decision, I looked at the alumni of the Institute of Product Leadership and where they are today. Seeing their journeys made me think about what I could learn not only from the program but also from the people connected to it.
At this stage in my career, networking is not simply about adding more professional connections.
It is about meeting people with different experiences, learning from their journeys, exchanging ideas, and building relationships that can broaden the way I think about my own career.
That combination of in-person learning and a strong professional network made the program particularly attractive to me.
My Curiosity Goes Beyond Technology
While technology has shaped my professional career, there is another side of me that not many people know about: I love farming.
What makes it even more interesting for me today is the possibility of bringing technology and agriculture together.
I’m exploring how AI can be used in farming to improve the quality of produce and potentially increase yields. Agriculture may seem far removed from my everyday work in IT and healthcare, but for me, that is exactly what makes it exciting.
It is an opportunity to take what I know about technology and apply it to a completely different real-world problem.
That curiosity is also something I want to carry into my Executive MBA journey – the willingness to explore new possibilities and look at familiar problems differently.
Becoming a Student Again
Going back to school after 10 to 15 years is a unique feeling.
There is nostalgia because the environment reminds me of an earlier phase of my life. But this time, I’m entering the classroom with a decade of professional experience behind me.
I’m not the same student I was back then.
Today, I have real problems to connect with what I learn, experiences to contribute to classroom conversations, and a much clearer understanding of where I want to go next.
I’m looking forward to learning from professors, interacting with my peers, expanding my network, and applying those lessons to my work.
Walking through those college gates reminded me of where I had been.
Now, I’m more interested in where this new learning experience can take me.
