Winnie Dzidonu

[wdzidonu]

This is the first episode of “Launch it  with Winnie”.  Here I want to discuss one of the most important things as a product manager.  You must be able to  create a minimum viable product (MVP). 

What is an MVP?  An MVP is the smallest solution possible, that you can build to solve the user problem. No matter the budget or the amount of time you it is important to get something out the door. 

Step one, is to determine the main goal of your solution. Once you have a goal or a problem you want to solve, you can come up with a list of requirements. In the agile world we call it a backlog of user stories. 

Step two. is to determine from your list of requirements what is needed for the MVP. What can you launch with? If you can go live without it leave it out! Ensuring at all times you are asking the question “Is this enough to solve the problem?” One you have a clear idea as to what is enough to solve the basic problem of the customer, build that and only that! When you have launched it you can come back to your list of requirements and add the next high priority item.  

Bonus Step: Step three identify who your user will be and what is the best way of reaching them. Do you need a website, an app or an Alexa skill. It is important to create the right product in a way that people need it most. Spend some time speaking to your ideal customer to find out how they will use your product. Do this after you have your MVP out. It is easier to create a new version as an app once you have worked out the kinks on a website. 

[wdzidonu]

Week of weeks. With my mother's passing I've found myself keeping busy and trying to stay calm. I've brought all my life skills to the forefront of project management, negotiation and diplomacy to organize her funeral. People and resource management has become part of the job.

My mother as most are, was a rock star.

[wdzidonu]

Product Management Overload

Product management has a few parts. You are the connection between the technical and the business minds. This means you have to understand what one side wants and what the other side can do. Being the ultimate middle man can be taxing on your brain and thus your energy levels.

Find way to keep your mind and soul balanced.

[wdzidonu]

MBA for Product Managers

In case you did not know I want to do an MBA and have been searching for the perfect one. As a product manager I am looking for something that will assist me in doing my job but also assist me in building my business, 

Yes I’m building a business. Making the time to do both is another post entirely. However its something I feel I need to do. Both my parents were entrepreneurs so I say its in my blood.  This is one of the reasons I started this blog.   

My requirements are as follows:

must be online. 

no more than a year in length 

below $10,000 USD

I started my search googling terms like master in product management. This went on for some time until i stumbled onto https://www.mastersportal.com/. I've found the prices to not be up to date. However its a great platform to uses as a guide. 

My next step was to look at what is considered the top MBA programs at https://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/mba-rankings/global/2020

Based on my budget my expectation is that i wont be going to the “top school”. however I want to ensure I see what makes a MBA Program great, The ranking indicators used were:

Diversity

Employability

Thought leadership

Return on investment

Entrepreneurship and alumni outcomes*

Out of the above  entrepreneurship and alumni outcomes was the most important. So I sorted by that and added the top 50 to my wish list and filtered down based my other criteria. This landed me at 35 options including by masterportal search and adding top university items that met my criteria.

After several hours a narrowed it down to 2 option, I was not able to find an option within my price range. This by far was the hardest part. I contacted these schools and sadly i had to be living in the US to do this MBA even though thy are online.  This lead to another search and now I am completing my first semester at IUBH. 

I hope you found my approach helpful.  Please share with me f you used it and if it worked for you too. 

Linkedin at https://jm.linkedin.com/in/winniedzidonu

[wdzidonu]

Do I need an MBA to be a  Product Manager?

It may sound silly to say out loud but “being the CEO requires CEO skills.” I believe that an undergraduate degree can take you a long way as product manager. However as you grow in the field and start climbing the corporate ladder you find yourself needing to understand more the numbers. 

Persons with a business background will have a step up here but I would imagine they would have had hard time with the more technical side of the role. 

I came through the ranks with a Computer science degree moving along the path of technical writer, business analyst then product manager. Tell me about your path was it similar? 

Back to the topic at hand. An MBA is considered an accent to many Senior Product Management positions,  At first I was very skeptical as to the point of this.  So i set out to prove or disprove the need. This is what I came up with.

Employers mark it as an advantage in job descriptions for mid career job.  If your starting out a MBA alone may not be a good idea. Without the skill set to back it up in building a product you will still need to be trained for the job. However after doing the job for awhile it become second nature and getting more refined skills can boost you.  

[wdzidonu]

What makes a great product manager?

I was introduced to the world of product management in 2013 and fell in love with it. Especially being able to lead the creation of something that was not there before, is amazing! As a Product Manager, you are the CEO of the product and responsible for its life.  

I’ve been asked ”what makes a great product manager?” A really great product manager  is very logical, focused and knowledgeable. 

Logical as it regards seeing the big picture and create the path to it.

Focused on the product itself. Being aware of what the goals are and what deadlines your hitting. 

Knowledgeable in building products; I've worked in fin tech, logistics and telecommunications. This becomes possible if you know how to create products, the steps involved and how they connect. 

The blog is to detail what I’ve learnt in my career and to assist interested parties, new to the field, on their journey. 

If you are as passionate about Product Management as I am, lets connect on Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/wdzidonu 

[wdzidonu]

Protecting yourself against hopelessness.

In these times it's easy to feel like you have lost control of the world around you. As companies make choices to sustain themselves, it is important to come to terms with how this makes you feel. We all need to do our part with conviction and pride. Speak up if you have a concern. See if you can live with the new situation you find yourself. If not do something about it. Get a hustle, or change employment all together. Find what drives you and press on.

[wdzidonu]

About Me

I am a Digital Product Manager with experience in fin-tech, logistics and telecommunications. Building and launching apps, is my specialty. Stay tuned to hear my story and follow me along my product manager tales.