Valeria’s Product Journey

At Colab, we believe that learning doesn’t just come from theory but through shared experiences, collaboration, practical application and an awesome peer group. Our community is made up of individuals from diverse backgrounds who each have had their unique career paths. 

Today, we’re excited to share Valeria’s story—a journey of growth, discovery, and finding confidence in her role as a product manager. Valeria joined us at a pivotal moment in her career. Through her experience in our Advanced Product Management course, she not only gained new skills but also embraced the power of mentorship and community. Valeria shared her experience with our team about her time with Colab and how it helped transform her career and fueled her passion for giving back to the product community.

Discovering Colab

I initially discovered Colab when someone in my LinkedIn network shared a post about the Advanced Product Management course. Having just moved to London to start a new role as Junior Product Manager, it seemed like the perfect opportunity for me to develop my PM skills; especially when I applied for and was granted a scholarship to take the course.

I was pretty driven by my pursuit of the “right” way to be a product manager and this program seemed timely. I was often stressing about using the correct techniques or frameworks, and was relying on intuition when making decisions; so I was eager to learn and make up for lack of knowledge.

Learning Experience

Unlike other programs that seemed impractical, Colab’s collaborative approach really stood out. Our tutor, Anesh, didn’t just theoretically walk us through basic PM frameworks and techniques; he showed us how to integrate knowledge and compare and choose the right tools for each task. The cohort based structure provided the space and time to connect with my peers and hear about their experiences in the wild world of product management. What struck me was the all common issues we faced, despite our diverse backgrounds.

Gaining Skills and Confidence

My main takeaway from Colab was realising that there is no “perfect” approach or framework that works across all companies, teams, and products. Product people can learn from each other and grow through experimentation, but there’s no magic wand for building a digital product. All we have are the skills we can develop, communities we can learn from, an array of tools that might be relevant to particular situations, and the importance of experimentation.

The course helped me to identify and target gaps in my knowledge, for example, my communication and negotiation skills, and also recognise my strengths in other areas, such as my engineering background and organisational skills. My two favourite sessions in the course were Prioritisation & Validation, where we explored and compared prioritisation frameworks; and Communication & Alignment, which focused on stakeholder management.

After completing the course, I began receiving positive feedback on my performance as I integrated some tools and principles discussed in the course. By the end of the year, my experience with Colab allowed me to negotiate a promotion. More importantly, I gained more confidence in my decision-making and felt less stressed about mistakes.

Mentorship and Giving Back

A major milestone came when my manager, the only other product person in our team, announced his sabbatical and handed over his responsibilities to me. This was a huge leap – I took over his duties after only a few months into my promotion to PM. I had to work directly with senior stakeholders to deliver value to our users and the company. Once again, Colab was helpful. I frequently revisited the course materials and signed up for the Mentorship Cohort from Colab x Product Pints. My mentor, Sam, has been an incredible match; he has been able to offer clarity and provide ongoing learning through his experience & recommendations.

Lastly, a significant personal milestone has been starting to mentor others, primarily Junior PMs or those looking to transition into product. It still feels like a huge responsibility given my limited experience in product management, and I often struggle with imposter syndrome. However, I know I have valuable insights and experiences to share, and I’m eager to give back to the community that has supported me.

Colab has played a crucial role in my professional development. The collaborative and practical approach of the Advanced Product Management course provided me with not just knowledge, but confidence and a sense of belonging in the product management community. Sharing what I’ve learned from Colab, my mentor, and other product management resources feels like a perfect way to extend the impact of the course.

Want to improve your confidence and impact as a product manager? Or are you looking to explore what it takes to thrive in a product career? Check out our upcoming programs or reach out to the team at hello@colabcohorts.com