Northwestern MEM Students Learn From Silicon Valley Product Executive

Product managers frequently have to wear multiple hats in their roles, and Birju Shah is no exception. Technically, he is the Head of Product for Cities, Operations, Identity, Sensors, Computer Vision and Artificial Intelligence at Uber, and as such, he oversees the vision, strategy, and execution for each of those teams. Each team's vision differs, but in Shah's eyes, they all work toward the ultimate goal of launching products at scale that unlock the power of Uber's platform to enable transportation or delivery from Point A to Point B.

Getting from Point A to Point B is also what Shah tries to do with students in his Product Management course within Northwestern's Master of Engineering Management (MEM) program. He recently took the time to talk about helping students get from product idea to product creation, as well as life as a product manager and the goals he has for his students.

How do you like to describe your product management course?

The course teaches students how to pitch, launch, and scale their own product ideas. Product managers (PMs) define a product’s detailed requirements by creating user stories and then work with engineers to break down those stories into executable tasks. PMs then lead a team responsible for the product's development, launch, and ongoing improvement. This course aims to help students build an understanding of the PM role and develop the skills required to perform the role.

How do you describe product management to someone with no idea what the concept is?

First of all, I make sure people understand product management and project management are two different things. Product managers need to have a wide skill set. You have to be a storyteller. You have to be a marketer and a manager. And you have to have a savvy business skill set that continuously values what you are launching and why. 

Like I say in my syllabus, a typical product manager’s day might include everything from a business development meeting to a problem-solving session with engineers. A PM could be looking at the birds’ eye view of the big picture one minute and answering a customer call about a failed payment transaction the next. A PM jumps from design to business development and engineering to recruiting, all within a given day. That’s the beauty of being a product manager. You are the quarterback of the product for all the stakeholders, and thus have to be an expert at what you are building and why. And, like an architect, you truly get to be involved with every step of the building process, from vision to execution.

Product management is for anyone who goes around day-to-day and sees problems and then has ideas of how to solve those problems. If you ask, "What if this existed?" and have a propensity to build, this is the role for you. 

How has product management evolved in the past few years?

Five years ago, product managers were kind of like janitors. Not only was there "clean up" to do, but you also had to get down and dirty and actually execute the creation for some products. While you still have to be involved in the process today, PMs are also seen more like general managers or mini CEOs because they managed a portfolio of ideas and products, and they also understand profit and loss for the business. 

Just as importantly, most product managers I know are able to talk to the executive suite and manage their product from a business standpoint and also be able to sit down with an engineer and talk technology.

What do you enjoy most about product management?

I love building for the user and the earliest stages of that process. When you discover what their problem is and find repeatability in that problem for other people, there is satisfaction in then knowing they will rely on you to solve their problem. And then, once the creative process starts, seeing that "aha" moment in their eyes when you show them a prototype, you know you have something special.

When you actually launch and scale and you start seeing people use your product every day, that's also pretty cool.

What is your goal for students who take your course?

My goal is two-fold: For individuals who are passionate about their idea, I want to teach them a process to launch not just a good product, but an excellent whole-offer product. That means they will think through the core transactions of a product, the log-in pages, the customer support, the partnerships to scale their product, and so on.

For individuals interested in learning how to get a job in product management, our class teaches all the competencies and terminology while taking students through an action learning product process that will prepare them to be successful in future interviews and at a company as a PM.