Adeola is another reason you should not fear a career pivot. From childhood aspirations of becoming a pediatrician to finding her passion in building products within the fintech industry. We explore her educational journey and the challenges and rewards of being a Product Manager.
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Hi Adeola, I want to know a bit about you. What does an ideal free day look like for you?
Adeola: Hmmm. I’d probably grab a book to read. I mostly read a lot of African fiction or memoirs, but recently I’ve been having to do “serious reading” because I’m building something.
Current read: Hooked, how to build habit-forming products by Nir Eyal.
When you say serious reading I’m sure it’s non-fiction and it has to do with work right?
A: Yup! Hence the current read. It’s a book on building products.
Let’s backtrack to when you were little. When asked what you wanted to be in the future, what did you say?
A: Haha. I would always say a Doctor. When I grew older, I learnt I had to specialise so it would’ve been in Paediatrics because I love children.
Aww. So what stopped you from pursuing this dream? Was it because you had to specialise?
A: No oh. I didn’t like chemistry and physics enough to continue in that line of profession. Plus I heard that they have to write a ton of exams every once in a while. Lol. Thank God for the diversion.
Hahaha. Most science students usually prefer one and hate the other. I love that for you it’s both.
A: Biology dey now. Na that one I like.
So what did you end up studying in school?
A: I studied Economics. After high school, I decided to switch to business for foundation year. The subjects were Economics, Business Studies and Maths. I liked maths a lot. Still do. I ended up doing really well with those subjects. Well enough to gain a part scholarship to study abroad. Also graduated as one of the best students at Foundation year.
Ah, ahn look at you! Efiko 😍😍
A: 😀 I loved working on my research topic at the end of third year, and decided that I wanted a job that had to do with manipulating data. The topic was ‘International trade as a cause of Income Inequality in Sub-Saharan Africa’. I started off as a Data Analyst at a Fintech firm, and then transitioned into the Product Management role at the same company a year after. 6+ years later and here we are.
Yo!!! You’ve been doing this for 6+ years! That’s some grind! How did the transition from Data to PM affect you?
A: The biggest effect is definitely speaking to external stakeholders as a newbie. I had to learn a lot very quickly so I figured it out eventually.
How did you learn? Was it on the job, like did you just wing it and learn from the mistakes?
A: I mostly learnt on the job and I did some research. I also wasn’t afraid to ask my bosses hard questions. But honestly, some experiences can’t be taught. They have to be experienced first.
What does Product Management look like on a day to day basis?
A: The approach is different everyday. I usually start out my week with some planning of tasks I need to handle. On a typical work day, I meet with the development team. In fact, I have a lot of meetings like mad. I have some blocked time in my calendar for some personal work. I do documentation with notion. Then I respond to emails.
Wooosh, sounds like a lot. What challenges have you faced so far and how have you solved them?
A: The challenges can be grouped differently. There are issues where the product is affected thereby affecting customer experience, helping to lift up the team spirit or zeal, fixing bugs, internal or external stakeholder issues etc. All of them have their specific ways which they can be addressed but I’ll speak from a skill standpoint. A good PM is one that can handle these issues with grit, emotional intelligence and some critical thinking. Where feedback is concerned, try to separate “self” from work. To summarise, understand the issue at hand (ask questions if the problem is not clear), do some investigation, check if there’s some data that can corroborate your response and articulate yourself well.
Do you ever think you will switch from no-code tech to code?
A: No way, I don’t write code 😂
And any advice for people who want to go into product management?
A: They should run away oh 😂 Just kidding. I’ll say, stay curious. Ask questions A LOT. Connect with other PM’s by joining relevant societies, attending events or utilising social media: Linkedin, IG and X. Understand and utilise data. Customers should always be your focal point. You’re building for them not for Oga-boss.
Thank you Adeola.
