Institute of Product Leadership

You've built the experience. Now choose the direction.

A one-day, in-person workshop for professionals with 5+ years of experience who are deciding whether to move into product, step up into leadership, or start something of their own.

Coming to 4 cities

Bengaluru

24 Oct 2026

Pune

Date soon

Hyderabad

Date soon

Delhi

Date soon

Early Bird 1

Until 10 October 2026

₹799

Regular Pass

Post 10 October 2026

₹1499

Standard Pass

₹2,499

Plus 18% GST and gateway fee

  • Full-day access, lunch and refreshments
  • Career Anchors Assessment and Pivot Readiness Report
  • Leadership Pivot Playbook
  • Certificate of Participation

₹8,500 Career Anchors Assessment — free for every attendee, not a discount code

Live in 4 cities —
Bengaluru, Pune, Hyderabad and Delhi, same format everywhere

One 90-day roadmap — built for your path, not a generic template

The right questions, answered in one
day

1

Where do I actually stand?

A structured assessment of your strengths, drivers and gaps.

Answered in: the Career Anchors Assessment
2

Where could I realistically go?

Frameworks and first-hand stories from people who made the move.

Answered in: the Pivot Playbook and the transition stories panel

3

What do I do in the next 90 days?

A personal plan you can start on the following Monday.

Answered in: your personalised 90-day roadmap

Mid-career is when the questions get harder

Early in a career, the next step is obvious. Around year five to fifteen, it stops being obvious. These are the thoughts we hear most from professionals who join us.

I'm good at my job, but I can't tell if I'm growing or just getting busier.

I want to move into product, but my résumé still says engineer, consultant or analyst.

Everyone says upskill and network. No one tells me what to do first.

I have a startup idea. I can't tell whether it's an idea or an escape.

Every option feels like a step back in seniority or pay, and I have real commitments.

AI is changing my role. I'm not sure which of my skills will still matter.

These are decision problems, not motivation problems.

Most mid-career professionals don’t lack ambition. They lack a structured way to compare their options against what they actually value, and people who have made the same move to test their thinking with. That is what this workshop gives you.

AI is changing careers. Being career-ready matters more than ever.

Headlines about AI and jobs are hard to ignore, and it is reasonable to feel uneasy. No one can say exactly which roles will change or how fast. That uncertainty is the reason to prepare now, while you still have time to choose your direction rather than have it chosen for you.

Know what sets you apart

Understand your strengths, drivers and gaps through the Career Anchors Assessment and your Pivot Readiness Report, so your next move rests on evidence about you.

Have options, not just a job

See transition, acceleration and entrepreneurship side by side, and understand which one fits what you value.

Move with a plan and people

Leave with a 90-day roadmap, a peer community for six months, and mentors who have navigated career change themselves.

Transition, acceleration or entrepreneurship: which is really yours?

This workshop is not only for people moving into product. It is for anyone at a mid-career crossroads, whichever direction is pulling at you.

You, todayYour Career Anchors point the wayTransitionChange directionAccelerationGrow faster where you areEntrepreneurshipBuild something of your own
You, todayYour Career Anchors point the wayTransitionChange directionAccelerationGrow faster where you areEntrepreneurshipBuild something of your own
01

Change direction

Move into a new role, function or domain, such as engineering, consulting, design or operations into product. The question: how do I make my experience count somewhere new?

02

Grow faster where you are

Step into leadership, with more influence and ownership of decisions. The question: what does the next level actually need from me, and how do I get there?

03

Build something of your own

Test an idea, or the leap itself, while still employed or working in stealth. The question: am I ready, and is this the right time?

How the workshop breaks it up for you

1

Find your Career Anchors

The MIT-based assessment shows what truly drives your career decisions.

2

See which path suits them

Frameworks and real stories show how your anchors point to transition, acceleration or starting up.

3

Leave with a plan for it

A personalised 90-day roadmap for the path you choose.

Whichever path you're weighing, this is for you

You may be stuck in more than one at once. Here are six people at different crossroads. Most attendees see themselves in at least one.

Hello, I’m

Rohan

8 years · Senior Software Engineer

“I build what product managers ask for. I’d rather be the one deciding what’s worth building.”

Stuck on: Not knowing whether his experience counts as product experience, or where to start.

The workshop gives: A read on how his skills map to new roles, and a 90-day plan to close the gaps.

Hello, I’m

Arjun

9 years · Senior Product Manager

“I’m good at the job. I can’t tell what a director-level role actually needs from me.”

Stuck on: A plateau: more work at the same level, and no clear picture of the next one.

The workshop gives: A gap analysis against leadership roles, and a plan built around what drives him.

Hello, I’m

Kavya

12 years · Group Product Manager

“I have an idea I can’t stop thinking about. I don’t know if I’m ready, or if it’s any good.”

Stuck on: Deciding whether to leave a stable role, and how to test the idea while still employed.

The workshop gives: A readiness check, validation frameworks, and time with people who have made the leap.

Hello, I’m

Meera

11 years · Management Consultant

“I’ve advised dozens of companies on strategy. I’ve never owned an outcome myself.”

Stuck on: A resume that describes advising, when the roles she wants ask for owning.

The workshop gives: A narrative that translates her experience for a new role, plus stories from people who made the same move.

Hello, I’m

Sandeep

14 years · Engineering Manager

“AI is changing how my team works. I’m not sure which of my skills still set me apart.”

Stuck on: Uncertainty about where to invest his next few years.

The workshop gives: Clarity on his strengths and drivers, and a plan for staying ahead in his field.

Hello, I’m

Neha

10 years · Head of Operations

“I keep sketching a business on the side. I have domain experience, but I’ve never built a company.”

Stuck on: Not knowing what founding really demands, or whether her domain is an edge.

The workshop gives: A readiness view, what investors look for, and potential co-founders to meet.

Personas are illustrative, based on the situations we most often hear. They are not individual attendees.

From "I'm stuck" to a decision you can defend

01

Where do I stand?

Take the Career Anchors Assessment, built on the MIT framework by Edgar Schein, to see what truly drives your career decisions. Then receive your Pivot Readiness Report covering skill alignment, network strength, leadership maturity and learning velocity.

02

Where could I go?

Work through the Pivot Playbook: strategic frameworks for moving into product, into leadership, or into founding. Hear from people who made these transitions, including what went wrong before it went right.

03

How do I get there?

Leave with a personalised 90-day roadmap. Learn to translate your experience into product language, build a narrative hiring managers respond to, and know what CXOs and hiring managers look for.

One day, built around the decision you're trying to make

Every session moves you from “I’m stuck” toward a path you can defend. Here is exactly how the day runs.

9:30 – 10:00 AM
01
Check-in

Welcome and registration

10:00 – 11:30 AM
02
Talk

The Pivot Playbook: strategic frameworks for your transition

An exclusive talk on mid-career myths and facts, and how to evaluate your options with a framework rather than a feeling.

You leave with: A framework to evaluate your options, not just a feeling
11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
03
AssessmentWhere your path becomes clear

Career Anchors Assessment and debrief

Complete your personalised assessment, then work through gap analysis and opportunity identification.

You leave with: Your Career Anchors profile and a clear read on your gaps
1:00 – 2:00 PM
04
Networking

Peer networking over lunch

Structured conversations with people at the same crossroads.

You leave with: Peers on the same crossroads, and the start of your network
2:00 – 3:15 PM
05
Panel

Transition stories panel

Real journeys from diverse backgrounds: the challenges, the breakthroughs, the lessons learned.

You leave with: Real transition stories, and the lessons behind them
3:15 – 4:30 PM
06
Live Q&A

Live AMA with panelists and mentors

Ask anything. Then meet the community that supports you after the day ends.

You leave with: Answers to your questions, and an introduction to your six-month community

What you take home

The workshop is a day. What you leave with is meant to last well beyond it.

Full access to the Career Transition Workshop

Career Anchors Assessment

A personalised report on what drives your career decisions, worth ₹8,500 on its own.

₹8,500

Free

Pivot Readiness Report

A personalised read on your strengths, gaps and next steps, with a 90-day action plan.

Leadership Pivot Playbook

A 50+ page digital resource with frameworks, templates and transition strategies.

Speed mentoring and live AMA

Time with mentors who have made the transitions you are considering.

Certificate of Participation

A LinkedIn-ready credential from the Institute of Product Leadership.

Time with the speakers

Speed mentoring and the live AMA let you put your questions directly to the speakers and mentors. 

The Career Anchors Assessment

Get a personalised report to shift your career to the next level.

“It’s never too late to be what you might have been.” — George Eliot

$99 Free

for every workshop attendee

Understand your Career Anchor, objectively

Built on the MIT framework developed by Edgar Schein, used well beyond the workshop room.

Companies that trust IPL with their teams

Talentathon — a hiring event for product roles

Open for registered workshop attendees only.

The goal of this product challenge is to give you a structured, hands-on test of your technical and problem-solving skills. It also serves as a way for hiring managers to evaluate candidates based on how well they think creatively and approach a problem.

Minimum 3 years of experience
Pune: 26 January 2026, 6:00 PM
Why take part
  • Hands-on experience solving real-world problems
  • Actionable employer insights
  • Network and build professional relationships
  • Improve your chances of hiring

Hiring companies

Shared with registered attendees ahead of the event.

Led by people who have made the move themselves

Pinkesh Shah

Founder and CEO, Delightloop

SaiSatish Vedam

Ex-Senior Director of Product Management, Oracle

Past speakers and panelists

Every edition adds new voices to the transition stories panel. Recent ones have included leaders from:

GTGaurav Taywade

Gaurav Taywade

Managing Director, Vicon Industries

SJSmriti Jayaswal

Smriti Jayaswal

VP, Global Payments Product Lead, HSBC

AMAmol Mujumdar

Amol Mujumdar

Founder and Managing Partner, MuCorp Consulting

JKJyoti Kamthe

Jyoti Kamthe

Senior Technical Product Manager, Mastercard

KSKaran Shukla

Karan Shukla

Chapter Lead, Product Leaders Forum

SGSachin Gaikwad

Sachin Gaikwad

Generative AI Product Leader, Cognizant

DBDushyant Bhatt

Dushyant Bhatt

Chief Technology and Product Officer, The Hosteller

ANAjit Nair

Ajit Nair

Co-Founder and CPO, Vendekin

RGRavikant Gour

Ravikant Gour

Head of Products, Easebuzz

NANitin Arora

Nitin Arora

Director, Product Management, Salesforce

KSKarthi Subbaraman

Karthi Subbaraman

Senior Design Director, Salesforce

NKNishanth Kara

Nishanth Kara

Product Lead, ServiceNow

Glimpses from past workshops

Real days, real conversations. This is what the room looks like when professionals at the same crossroads spend a day together.

Glimpse from a past workshop 1
Glimpse from a past workshop 2
Glimpse from a past workshop 4
Glimpse from a past workshop 5
Glimpse from a past workshop 6
Glimpse from a past workshop 7
Glimpse from a past workshop 8
Glimpse from a past workshop 9

What people said after the day

The Institute behind the workshop

0 +

Rated on Google and Quora

0 +

Alumni since 2012

0 +

Companies have engaged IPL for team programs

This seminar will give nuanced insights and clarity of your strengths and weaknesses, helping you take pivotal steps to progress in your career

P

Poonam

Senior Delivery Manager, Cognizant

It's a great gateway for anyone who feels stuck in their corporate journeys and wants to change their career to ride the product management wave.

S

Swati

Business Analyst, TCS

A perfect place to meet and interact with Industry Experts and to catch up on the latest developments in Product Management

P

Rajiv

Project Manager, Microsoft

Choose your city and reserve your seat

24 October 2026

Aloft, Whitefield

9:30 AM to 4:30 PM

Date to be announced

Venue to be announced

9:30 AM to 4:30 PM

Date to be announced

Venue to be announced

9:30 AM to 4:30 PM

Date to be announced

Venue to be announced

9:30 AM to 4:30 PM

Workshop pass
Early Bird 1
Until 10 October 2026
₹799
Regular Pass
Post 10 October 2026
₹1499
Standard Pass
₹2,499

Plus 18% GST and gateway fee

Full-day access, lunch and refreshments, all materials, and six months of community.

Reserve my seat →

Time with the speakers

Speed mentoring and the live AMA let you put your questions directly to the speakers and mentors. Registered attendees also get access to the Talentathon, described below.

Before you decide

Professionals with 5 or more years of experience who are at a career crossroads. It suits people from engineering, consulting, sales, design or other domains moving into product, professionals aiming for leadership roles, and product leaders building in stealth or considering entrepreneurship.

Yes. The workshop is designed to include professionals with no formal PM experience. You will learn to translate your existing skills into product language, build a compelling narrative and create a portfolio that gets you noticed.

No one can predict exactly how AI will reshape every role, and this workshop does not claim to. It focuses on what you can control: understanding your strengths and drivers, comparing your options, and leaving with a plan and a community to act on it.

That is the situation the workshop is designed for. The assessment, frameworks and mentor conversations help you evaluate your current role, explore possible pivots and define your next move. Many attendees arrive undecided.

Many founders start that way. The founder-focused sessions cover how to validate ideas without quitting your job, time management, legal and ethical considerations with your employer, risk mitigation, and when to make the move to full-time.

The Career Anchors Assessment is based on the MIT framework developed by Edgar Schein and helps you identify the values, motivations and strengths behind your career decisions. The Pivot Readiness Report measures skill alignment, network capital, leadership maturity and learning velocity, plus financial readiness for founders, and comes with specific recommendations.

A bootcamp teaches product skills. This workshop helps you decide and plan a transition. It is assessment-driven, built around real stories from people who made these moves, and includes a 90-day roadmap and six months of community support.

Yes. The day includes structured peer networking over lunch and speed mentoring. Afterwards you get six months of community access, monthly virtual meetups, and optional co-founder matching for those building startups.

The workshop is in person only, to make networking and mentoring work. Lunch, refreshments and networking snacks are included. Please share any dietary requirements when you register.

Mid Career Transition Workshop

Bengaluru, Pune, Hyderabad and Delhi · 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM

© 2026 Institute of Product Leadership