Ponappa Somayanda
Lead Product Manager, Zynga
Ponappa Somayanda is an experienced Product Manager with a proven track record in the gaming industry. His career has included stints at Electronic Arts, KMPG and Unilever in his homeland India. Upon securing an Associate Product Manager position at Zynga in Bengaluru, Ponappa was honored with an “Emerging Star Award”....
More from Ponappa Somayanda
#ProductCon London Summary: Presentations + Videos
What Is Gaming Product Management Like by Zynga Product Manager
ProductCon: The Product Management Conference
- Thursday, February 28th, 2019
- From 8:00am - 05:00pm (GMT)
- CodeNode, 10 South Pl London
What Is Gaming Product Management Like by Zynga Product Manager
- Wednesday, February 21st, 2018
- From 6:30pm to 8:30pm
- 1 Mark Square, London Product Management Event
What our instructors and students say
I find that those who generally transition well into Product Management have Empathy and Growth Mindset as key traits.
The most successful students are proactive and think ahead to aggressively set up their career plan.
The course covers every aspect of the PM process, but also provides real cases & examples from leaders in product.We combine principles with real-life examples, and hands-on exercises to develop Product habits.
What makes for a successful student in the class?
Several students figured out to reach out to companies of interest early in the course, to see if they can get feedback on their class project.
Those students then have a good shot at an interview with their project!
My instructor shared plenty of insightful real-world examples during class discussions, which shed light on the nuances of being a product manager. I was always impressed with how he made himself available for his students even with his busy schedule.
My advice to future students would be to:
1. Take advantage of all the resources that Product School offers.
2. Network with your cohort. Your classmates are future product managers and great colleagues to have in the industry.
3. Reach out to your instructors. Buy them coffee and ask questions! They are a great library of product knowledge.
Jason Zhao
Product Manager at Rally Health
Product Management requires a lot of rigor, as it's important to understand the business, design, development and marketing components of a product. Also, a willingness to give and receive feedback on your work and ideas is very helpful.
In the classroom, I ask them tough questions about applying the lessons from class to their final projects to give them a feel for what it will be like on a product management team.
My instructor was incredible, she has offered to be my mentor and she has always been available to answer all my questions.
I was able to move into a PM position at my company from the Customer Experience position.
What would be your advice for someone starting a Product Management course at Product School?
My advice to future students: Do the readings and talk to your instructor anytime you need clarification. Get a head start on what you want to do for your final project and just have fun! It turns out, that’s also the attitude you need to succeed as a product manager!
Natasha Rogen
Associate Product Manager at Topology
How do you mentor your students for success?
I mentor students by focusing on their goals and setting up a plan to get closer and closer to it.
The course covers every aspect of the PM process, but also provides real cases & examples from leaders in product.
Online training is ideal because you are free from space and time. The future of online education is completely taking education global and to the masses.
This access to top tier education also provides economic opportunity for countries & professionals looking to build better careers & opportunities for both themselves & their families.
I’m a product manager now because I can define my vision for the product and the direction of travel for the project.
What would be your advice for someone starting a Product Management course at Product School?
Do all the assignments, they add a lot of value!
Bruno Batalha
Head of Products and User
Behaviour Analytics at Jüssi
Your Product Management Certificate Path
"Get your first product
management job"
"Move up the product
management ladder"
"Join the C-Suite"
