This post is presented by Co.Lab where in 4 weeks you can learn by doing and begin to launch a career in Product Management.
When he was in college, Sefunmi Osinaike was fascinated by Silicon Valley and wanted to become an entrepreneur.
But his grades? Not stellar.
‘It was difficult. It was tough. My grades plummeted,” said Osinaike. “It was a real reality shock. I was like, hey, I want to solve that problem [of students struggling with grades] for myself…That’s when I was like, I’m going to build something, and be an entrepreneur.”
He didn’t know how to code, how to design, or even how apps work.
But he just started building anyway. He rallied a small team around him — student designers and developers — and together his team built an Android/IOS time-management app for students.
Unfortunately, only a couple hundred people ever downloaded the app.
But it was that real-world experience — a “failure” that helped him launch his career. In his later interview for an internship role at Microsoft, he was able to stand out from the crowd by pointing to what he had built in real life.
With all this under his belt, with co-founder Helen Huang, Sefunmi was inspired to eventually launch Co.Lab as a way to give people the initial momentum, prove skills, and break into Product Management.
Related: Want to Find a Job You Love? Apply this 1 Mindset Tip
Learn more about Co.Lab. Use code CAREERHACKERS for an extra $50 off the Sprint program.
Learn by Doing Via Product Management
Co.Lab‘s approach is unique because you’re not just learning about Product Management through books or lectures. You’re actually doing Product Management!
In the 4 week Sprint program, with just 2-5 hours a week, you’ll learn to go from Zero to One by honing the fundamentals in self-paced, hands-on learning.
- Learn Fundamentals – you’ll gain knowledge of the importance of product discovery
- Start Customer Discovery – Do real market research, talk to customers, and validate your assumptions
- Document Product Requirements in a Spec – Begin your PM portfolio by showcasing your findings
- Iterate and get Feedback from Mentors – submit your real-world proposal and get feedback
Now that’s learning by doing!
“[Co.lab is for you] if you’re curious, enthusiastic, you’re willing to put it in the work. We don’t say it’s easy. But if you have those qualities, and you’re excited about apps, you’re curious about the way things are designed around you, you can [break in to PM].
— Sefunmi Osinaike, Co-Founder at Co.Lab
After the 4-week Sprint intro experience, you have the opportunity to move into the full 8-week bootcamp, where you build a real MVP (minimum viable product).
Here the learn-by-doing gets turned up a notch!
You dive in with a team of software developers and a UX/UI designer, where you collaborate to solve a real-life problem.
With that MVP, you’ll build that demonstrative portfolio where you can prove your ability to create value on the job hunt. Companies just may be drooling over you. ; )
Here’s an example of an MVP from Co.Lab Product Manager Fawkes’ team.
Learn more about Co.Lab. Use code CAREERHACKERS for an extra $50 off the Sprint program.
Community Community Community
The community at Co.Lab is one of the most valuable elements of the culture. As you build your product, you get support from others as you show your work and learn out loud.
For example, people often share their #wins and #struggles in Slack. There’s a true environment of camaraderie, and even fun.
Environment is everything when it comes to making a life or career pivot. Co.lab is keen to cultivate one that nurtures both your growth and wellbeing.
Beyond Theory – How Muse Launched Her PM Career with Co.Lab
After talking to her friends to learn more about Product Management, Muse realized that the best way to break into the field was to actually solve customer problems.
She needed proof of work to show a hiring manager.
She got that at Co.Lab.
“I was sick of doing theoretical things, I wanted to build something tangible….Co.Lab gave me the end-to-end product process experience of shipping an MVP. It allowed me to strengthen the building blocks that I needed in order to break into Product.”
— Muse, Co.Lab alum
She and her team build HelloStocks, a web app to make stock research easier. Here’s their portfolio showcase!
Be Willing to Go Raw
There’s a saying that “learning is doing what you don’t know how to do, WHILE you don’t know how to do it.”
At the end of the day, there’s no substitute for figuring out as you go. While in school we learned to avoid errors out of fear of the teacher’s red pen, in reality, the rawness of the real world is what the marketplace most values.
So, if a career in Product Management sounds exciting, will you stand on the sidelines, or enter the playing field?
At only $500, the Sprint program by Co.Lab is basically 1% of a semester of college…. but probably 1000x more valuable!!
Apply now. Use code CAREERHACKERS for an extra $50 off.
