Daniel: Hi! I’m Daniel Leung, a fourth-year mechatronics engineering student at the University of Waterloo who’s taken an interest in product management and product design!

Judy: Hi, I’m Judy Zheng, a third year CS/BBA student with a passion for design and looking to explore product opportunities in tech.

Helen: Hello! I am Helen Xia, a third year computer science student at the University of Waterloo. I am especially interested in the areas of fin-tech and I’ve just recently started to explore the field of product management!

Yvonne: Hi friends from UW PM! I’m in my 3rd year of Math/Business double degree at UWaterloo. After exploring many career paths, I know I want to go into one where I can be challenged to solve impactful problems like product management or consulting.

How’d you guys get together as a team?

Daniel: The team consisted of Helen, Judy, Yvonne, and myself. Interestingly enough we actually didn’t know each other before the event and just happened to get grouped together by chance. It worked out in the end because they were all amazing team members!

What was your experience like? How were you feeling?

Daniel: ProdCon was an incredibly positive and fun experience! I was feeling excited the day of ProdCon because it was the first in-person UW PM event I’ve ever been a part of and it was really neat to see all the participants getting lined up and ready for the day as well. I ran into so many fellow co-op students I used to work with remotely and finally got to meet them in-person. In all, I had a great experience seeing the product community at UWaterloo come together from all faculties to be part of such a unique event!

Judy: Overall, there was a ton of exciting and motivating energy at ProdCon. With such a short time span from the release of the case to the final presentation, everyone had to be very creative, focused and in the zone. For our team, things definitely got really hectic in the final hour as we were each working on trying to finish a separate component. It was rewarding to see each of our individual pieces fit together in the final five minutes, and I think it became very visible that we made the most of everyone’s strengths.

Helen: As someone who’s never really had much experience in product management, I was scared that I would not be as helpful during the project. However, I’ve quickly come to realize that many of the people who are at ProdCon have a similar skill level as me and are here to learn! Knowing that not everyone is a professional product manager and with the guidance of my teammates, I was able to learn a lot about the core ideas of product management and how I can help. I would consider myself lucky to be matched to a team of such amazing and supportful teammates! They especially made me feel included and the experience very worthwhile!

Yvonne: It was a great experience — the competition was well organized and I felt informed and supported throughout the day. The organizational team was also very flexible to accommodate our needs to merge teams, etc. I really appreciated the opportunity to work on a real-world problem and am grateful that ProdCon pushed us to do that under time constraint; we definitely grew a lot as a team and as individuals in one day.

What was the idea/product you pitched? Why?

Daniel: The idea we pitched was an embedded product feature as part of Social Currant that helped brands and influencers align on content requirements for campaigns in an efficient and effective manner. After speaking with the founder of Social Currant, Vidyut Ghuwalewala, during a Q&A session at ProdCon, he revealed that a pain point experienced between brands and influencers in this market space was that the two parties found it challenging to understand the requirements needed in a campaign for it to be posted on social media. This slowed down the process of brands acquiring influencers for their campaigns and after brainstorming some solutions with the team, we felt that this solution would address that pain point!

What were the struggles your team faced?

Daniel: Understanding the problem from the start was one of the biggest challenges. Because we went into the event having no experience in this space, we were forced to think and learn quickly to understand the pain points that the users of the platform experienced. Limiting the pain points found and scoping the problem to what we wanted to focus on specifically was also challenging.

Judy: A challenge was definitely finding the optimal solution that both met project requirements and was practical to implement. We had to revise and edit our ideas multiple times after gaining a deeper understanding of the organization’s needs, current infrastructure and future outlook in the Q&A. Doing so within such a short time frame was the even bigger challenge, as reorienting our initial plans forced us to condense most of our design and delivery components into the last hours of the day.

Helen: Fulfilling all the requirements needed in the final pitch under a time limit was definitely one of the challenges we had to conquer. At the start of the competition, we were given a guideline of the main points we had to tackle, such as — solution, desired outcome, risks and threats and more. While brainstorming our ideas, we wrote whatever came up in our heads on a shared document, which resulted in a lot of ideas and details. When creating our presentation, we kept having the problem where we would go overtime (> 5mins) for our pitch. However, after various attempts of shortening some of the slides and being more concise about the information that needs to be presented, we were able to cut down the time to a desirable amount.

Yvonne: They said it perfectly.

What did you learn from each other or through UW ProdCon?

Daniel: One of the most important lessons I learned from the team is that everyone has their own strengths and that a strong team is one that leverages these individual strengths for the benefit of the group. By having a group with a diverse set of skills, bringing everyone together and making sure the strengths of each team members were used to their full potential is the driving factor behind successful collaboration.

Helen: I agree with Daniel!

What was your least/most favourite memory?

Daniel: My favourite memory at ProdCon was getting to sit down and brainstorm with the team! It was really cool to see people of different backgrounds come together and generate a solution to a problem in just a mere couple of hours and put together a whole pitch presentation for it. I also loved the free coffee, muffins, and TimBits in the morning; great way to start the day at ProdCon! Least favourite memory: the 5 minutes right before the deadline.

Judy: My favourite memory was when they announced our team as the winners — this was a complete surprise and I almost had to pinch myself! My least favourite memory was probably simultaneously building and exporting our presentation in the last minute before the submission deadline.

Helen: My favourite memory was meeting my teammates and learning about all the different backgrounds they had! It’s super amazing to hear about their past experiences with internships and how they broke into product management. I realized that the main factor that made people with a technology background pursue a product management role is their love for business solutions and design! I found that very interesting, and was one of my favourite memories. My least favourite memory was probably drinking coffee on an empty stomach in the morning. #lactoseintolerant

Yvonne: My favourite memory was brainstorming together, bouncing ideas off of each other, and understanding the problem space through Q&A with Social Currant’s founder and by going through the onboarding process ourselves. Talking to the judges and getting really helpful feedback from them was amazing as well. Other than the cold weather, no bad memory :)

Would you like to share some future advice to your peers / participants?

Daniel: A piece of advice I would give to anyone who is interested in product or looking to join a future ProdCon is that when you are looking at a case study, the most important element is understanding the problem and really put yourself in the perspective of the users. I found that it was always tempting to jump straight into solutions and brainstorming ideas, but taking a step back, looking at the bigger picture, and really understanding the core of a user pain point was so important for developing a reasonable and realistic solution. Another quick piece of advice is to work collaboratively with your team and have fun doing so!

Judy: Don’t discount yourself or your team! Coming into ProdCon with zero prior PM experience and also missing half our team due to illness, I definitely felt like the underdog. What it ultimately came down to was pinpointing the strengths of the team and splitting the roles so everybody could bring their best to the table, whether this was a strong UX/product understanding, Figma design experience or presentation skills! Regardless of your background, it’s important to remember that your own unique strengths (no matter how irrelevant they might seem) are incredibly vital and will be a huge advantage to your team’s success.

Helen: I agree with Judy! She definitely said it very well!

Yvonne: Agree with Daniel & Judy!

Due to the Pandemic, ProdCon 2021 took place virtually. We welcomed Jack and Mahaveer who were on the same team to share their insights, struggles and experiences throughout their journey. In the following interview, they talk about what they did, what they wish they knew before joining ProdCon, and messages they wanted to share with you guys.

1. Can you tell us a bit about yourselves?

Jack: Hi everyone, I’m Jack. I am a Mechatronics Engineering alumni (Class of 2022) and have taken up a full-time PM role with Splunk.

Mahaveer: Hi everyone, I’m Mahaveer. I am an Honours Mathematics Student in my 3B term and I’m currently a VP at UW PM. This past summer I was a Product Management Intern at Apple.

2. Why did you take part in Prodcon?

Jack: I wanted to participate in Prodcon to gain some extra experience in the world of Product. I had completed two internships as a PM and as a Product Developer (adjacent to a PM role) and wanted to test my abilities to think about Product in a competition setting.

Mahaveer: In my first year at UW I was a spectator at the final presentations for Prodcon 2019 and it was evident that Prodcon had a rich history of a full day of mentorship, workshops and everything product. Alongside that, Prodcon and the UW Product community have always been very fun and encouraging which is why I participated in Prodcon and now UW PM.

3. What did your team do for prodcon?

Jack: My team pitched an idea to WealthSimple Cash to consolidate recurring, subscription-based expenses within Cash. We felt this was a great idea for increasing user engagement because of the cadence of the payments. Also, it has the opportunity to delight customers by making subscription tracking easier, presenting it all in one place.

Mahaveer: My team pitched an idea to WealthSimple Cash to consolidate recurring, subscription-based expenses within Cash. In the process, we were able to ideate initiatives that not only help Wealthsimple acquire users but also retain them.

4. Were there any challenges you guys faced, if so how’d you overcome it?

Jack: When working on a tight timeline, such as in a case competition at Prodcon, converging on a singular idea can feel overwhelming. We were challenged by having to come up with an idea to pursue and having the confidence to lean into it to find value. Balancing convergent and divergent thinking when exploring a problem space is super important — make sure you leave yourselves enough time to fully flesh out your proposal!

Mahaveer: As Jack mentioned, unlike hackathons, the tight timeline at Prodcon challenges you to quickly come up with ideas that are worth pitching is a challenge unique to hacking cases.

5. What did you wish you knew before joining ProdCon?

Jack: It sounds cheesy, but I wish I knew how fun the process of hacking on a case study could actually be. Bouncing ideas off one another when there are zero stakes allows you to get creative and remember why Product as a career is so fun and rewarding.

6. Would you have wished for something different?

Jack: I wish my teammates and I would have taken a step back before the presentations to think through the success criteria for the proposed feature. It seems obvious now, looking back, but being able to gauge the success of your proposal is extremely important (just as it is in the industry).

Mahaveer: I wish there were more opportunities to network with other aspiring PMs but I’m so excited as ProdCon 2022 being in person brings that aspect back.

7. What was a memorable part of being part of UW ProdCon?

Jack: Feeling so excited and proud of the team immediately following our final-round pitch. Walking away from the final presentation knowing we did our absolute best was a very high moment of the competition.

Mahaveer: The opportunity to present our ideas to Senior PMs at Canada’s leading tech company was definitely the most memorable part for me.

8. Do you have any messages to share with those who are joining Prodcon this year or are thinking about joining?

Jack: I can honestly say that during a full-load study term, and working part-time at a previous internship, this was one of the highlights of my term. Not only is this a great way to gain Product experience, test your abilities against your peers, and potentially win some prizes, but it also is a genuinely fun competition to participate in.

Mahaveer: Do not be afraid to think crazy. Pursue and pitch ideas that drive you crazy and seem impossible.

To learn more about ProdCon and UW PM, follow our instagram page.

Books

The Lean Product Playbook by Dan Olsen is a must-read, as it offers a step-by-step guide to building products with the end customer in mind. This book will help you understand what customers really want and how to turn that knowledge into a successful product.

INSPIRED: How to Create Tech Products Customers Love by Marty Cagan provides an overview of best practices when it comes to creating and launching new products. It also covers how teams can create products together with customers, which helps them build things that people really want or need.

Websites

The Silicon Valley Product Group is currently one of the most popular online communities for product managers. It’s built by and for product managers like you who want to learn more about how to become better in their careers. SVPG provides various resources, including books, videos, blogs, workshops, and more.

If you’re looking for certifications, Product School is a product management training platform that offers Product Manager Certifications (PMC), Senior PM Certifications (SPMC), and Product Leader Certifications (PMC). They also provide various free resources, ranging from books to blogs.

Product Manager HQ is another excellent resource if you’re looking for product management courses, product interview preparation, resume advice, certifications, insights on life as a PM — basically any curiosities you have about product management.

Youtube

For those of you who prefer watching videos, Product Alliance’s Youtube channel is the way to go. Aside from offering coaching services and courses to help you break into product, Product Alliance has videos on journeys into Product Management and interviews with Product Managers from Google, Amazon, Meta, and many more.

TikTok

Now for those of you who prefer shorter videos, TikTok has some Product Management videos that are short yet fruitful. One of our favorite creators includes @kproductmanager who creates content on how to solve interview questions, resources, and other bite-sized PM-related topics to help you break into Product. We also love @cherie.brooke’s “Think like a PM👑” playlist where she answers all the curiosities you might have about being a product manager.

Podcasts

And finally, for those who prefer listening, we have Product School’s The Product Podcast and Feedback Loop’s This is Product Management, which has short episodes that last around 30 minutes each. Both podcasts have interviews with Product Leaders on all things product and tech-related.

We hope the above resources could help you explore deeper into the world of Product Management! Keep in mind that learning is a lifelong process, and you should never stop reading, watching, and listening about your interests.

Do you have a favorite Product Management source? Our DMs are always open, and we’d love to hear about your go-to books/sites/creators/etc. :)

Written by: Chery Susanto

At UW PM, we aim to provide early exposure and training of product management skills. This includes how to deal with change. As of today, UW PM has a new look that we believe better represents our current identity. Hear more about the redesign process from the mastermind himself, our VP of Design, Daniel Leung.

Why make a change from the existing logo?

DL: This change was really prompted because the old logo was old, outdated, and did not reflect the new, modern, innovative nature that is UW PM! We decided to change the logo because the UW PM team has grown a lot in the last couple of terms. From our team of about 11 students in Spring 2021 to now nearly double that, the UW PM community is growing and changing rapidly. Not only the team, but the field of product management is also proving itself to be an essential and growing department for many businesses. What better way to represent this positive change and re-establish the UW PM brand with a brand-new logo that really goes to capture the essence of the product management community at UW and beyond!

What was your inspiration behind the new design?

DL: A large part of the design was inspired by the old logo interestingly enough! Yes, although it is old and outdated, there are a lot of great elements behind it that myself and many others love. The hexagons and salmon pinkish colour really represent the identity of UW PM and date back quite a bit, meaning people are familiar with the design and the UW PM brand. I think the hexagons and colouring of the UW PM brand are incredibly unique and attractive; I don’t know many other brands that use this colour! As such, these formed the foundation for the new logo. From there, it was really playing around with symbols, placement, representation, and understanding how this logo would represent UW PM and the UW product community.

Why hexagons?

DL: I love the hexagons that UW PM represents themselves with because I think it is a great symbol for the field of product management. The idea that being a great product manager means you are multi-talented is really displayed with the use of this multi-sided shape. Great product managers may have to be technically inclined. They may have to work very closely with users and customers. They may have to be design-oriented and be able to apply design thinking processes to wireframe solutions. They may need data analytics skills to justify decisions that heavily influence a feature or business, and the list goes on and on. As such, I think it is important to keep the hexagons in the new logo as it represents the diverse set of skills that product managers bring to any team.

On a similar note, product managers come from all different backgrounds. Product managers are scientists, artists, entrepreneurs, engineers, mathematicians, designers, developers, researchers, and the list continues. Not only do hexagons represent the many skills that are needed to be a great product manager, but the multi-sided shape represents the diversity of backgrounds of product managers and as such, this symbolism was kept in the new design!

Overlapping hexagons is a new element added to the design compared to the old logo, and this was done because it emphasizes the nature of product management. I like to see the new logo almost like a Venn diagram. Product management as a role is really a blend of a variety of disciplines to connect the worlds of technology and business. The new design represents exactly this idea; that product management is the middle ground between tech and business, the space where both are brought together to co-exist.

The other part is that it also resembles that of a chain or link. UW PM’s mission is “To foster the product management community at the University of Waterloo”, and by linking the hexagons together, it really goes to represent this sense of community and interconnectedness at UW; how the mission is to connect students with other passionate students along with providing the skills and tools needed to become great product managers.

Were there any challenges during this project?

DL: Most definitely! One challenge faced was designing with this hexagon shape! Although it is a great shape to symbolize the nature of product management, it is not always the most robust shape to align side by side with other hexagons or other shapes. It was challenging to find ways to use it in a simple but effective manner without overwhelming the brand or making it too hard on the eyes.

The other challenge I found was with the colour! Although it is a beautifully unique colour, it is difficult to pair with other colours other than black and white. Because of this, the logo’s colour identity has not been changed because white really compliments the logo the best. This limitation really isn’t a negative at all because it makes the logo stand out in a very straightforward and natural manner. I am happy that these colours were selected because I think they look great together and really go to emphasize a part of the UW PM community that many are already familiar with.

What message do you want to convey from this rebranding?

DL: The message I want to convey from this rebrand is that I hope it encourages students who are interested or even remotely interested in product management to explore it as a potential career path! Regardless of your program, technical or non-technical skills, I think it is super cool that product management enables people of all backgrounds to pursue it. Even if you find that product management isn’t for you, it may teach you about things that you do enjoy! In general, I hope this rebrand helps bring the product community at UW closer together and that it can help students who are searching for those PM jobs and internships to learn more about what knowledge and skillset are needed through UW PM’s initiatives and events.

What do you hope this logo will bring to UW PM?

DL: For UW PM, I hope the new logo inspires the team to innovate and embrace change. I hope this new logo enables the team to feel a sense of belonging and a sense of community because the UW PM team is an incredibly talented group of passionate students that I am super happy to be a part of. This new logo is a representation of the team’s diversity, hard work, and commitment to the mission of fostering the UW product management community, and I am confident that the team will continue to grow, innovate, and help future product managers!

We are very excited to start this new chapter for our team and hope you are too. Look forward to the UW PM you are familiar with but even better and improved.

written by Chery Susanto