“Rather than scattering applications across diverse fields, my advice is to channel efforts into a singular focus. This approach significantly increases the likelihood of getting opportunities in a specific domain, as opposed to spreading oneself thin.”
Prashant Tomar (MBA ‘15) is a Lead Product Manager at Meta leading Whatsapp Business Platform. Prashant started his career as a Software Engineer in AmDocs after graduating from Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology with a Bachelor of Computer Science degree in the summer of 2008. He moved to Informatica after a year and transitioned internally to Sales Engineer in April 2011. During his MBA in Ross, he interned in Booz & Company in the summer of 2014 and returned to it as an Senior Associate after graduating from MBA in May 2015. After an amazing three years, he joined PwC Product & Technology sector as a Senior Product Manager in January 2019, where he led several products from 0 to 1. With a diverse background in engineering, consulting and product management, he joined Meta in July 2021 as a Lead Product Manager.
1 What was your career plan in college?
When I was in college, I was an open book. Engineering was appealing to me because of its analytical and logical thinking components. I worked in SWE for approximately two and half years. We were building a data privacy product. It was during this time that my interest expanded beyond the engineering realm. Observing discussions led by the product manager and sales team about the business aspects of our product piqued my curiosity – How are we approaching customers? How can this product be turned into revenue? I found myself contemplating a shift towards Product Management (PM) or Sales, eventually seizing the opportunity to join as a Sales Engineer.
The role of a Sales Engineer revolves around technical selling, acting as a bridge between the technical intricacies of a product and the client’s needs. In essence, a Sales Engineer partners with sales representatives to ensure clients not only understand the technical solutions but also find them satisfactory in addressing their business pain points. Responsibilities include presenting products to clients, implementing the first Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and pilot programs, and serving as a liaison between product engineers and clients.
This transition marked the most dramatic shift in my career, exposing me to the distinct culture of Sales compared to my engineering background. Despite not being inherently introverted, Sales pushed me out of my comfort zone, motivated me to become more “extroverted” by communicating and convincing. While engineering discussions often revolved around the coolest features to develop, Sales taught me the paramount importance of communicating how a product addresses specific business challenges. It became clear that the value of a feature lies not in its coolness but in its ability to solve a problem for the target customer. The experience as a Sales Engineer provided me valuable context, offering a balance in understanding what to build as an engineer and how it is utilized in the real world.
I still wanted to keep my career open-ended after years in Sales Engineering so I thought about what’s next. I knew I wanted to be in tech, however, I was more drawn to the product and business side which required understanding of concepts such as marketing, accounting, finance and valuations. Realizing this gap, I decided that “Let me go to business school to pick up business skills.”
2 How did you get into Product Management?
Upon completing my MBA, consulting emerged as a compelling career path for me. While I had considered becoming a Product Manager, the intricacies of that role remained somewhat elusive. Consulting, on the other hand, impressed me as professionals in the field discussed tackling some of the world’s most significant challenges. The broad exposure to diverse industries, and problems types across M&A, analytics, go to market, and the access to the C-Suite decision makers, appealed to my experimental career approach. Opting for consulting allowed me to extend my experimental phase, providing several more years to explore before committing to a definitive career path. Even during my time in business school, where thoughts of pursuing Product Management or general management crossed my mind, it was a consulting presentation that caught my attention due to its extensive and diverse field.
My consulting journey led me to engage in projects spanning various industries, from contributing to an oil and gas project for a Saudi Arabian company to working on automotive initiatives in Michigan and environmental projects in Vancouver. The transition moment of my consulting experience came when I found myself in a pseudo-Product Manager role within a technology company. Tasked with launching a new product, my responsibilities included determining the optimal capabilities for the offering. This experience allowed me to delve into user experience considerations, employ analytical rigor to prioritize features, and comprehend the critical business aspects of ensuring profitability.
The convergence of these three skill sets – user experience, analytical prioritization, and business acumen – resonated deeply with me. Moreover, the PM role gave me the opportunity to influence and make strategic decisions, solve challenging user problems and drive meaningful impact. At that moment, I decided that PM would be a great fit for me.
3 What were the skill sets you found helpful leading yourself to the PM role? Any recruiting advice on MBA who are not sure about the path they’re going on?
During recruiting , I knew I wanted a role that is more experimental and deliberately chose to concentrate on consulting, avoiding the dispersion of my efforts across various fields. This focus proved instrumental in propelling my progress in interviews and honing the skills necessary for a successful consulting career.
Rather than scattering applications across diverse fields, my advice is to channel efforts into a singular focus. This approach significantly increases the likelihood of getting opportunities in a specific domain, as opposed to spreading oneself thin.
For example, during my MBA years, opportunities for Product Manager positions on campus were scarce. However, my MBA peers determined alternative pathways, engaging in off-campus recruiting, joining startups, and even venturing to the Bay Area to connect with companies. Their resourcefulness serves as a testament to their focus, with almost all getting into a PM role post MBA.
In the context of skills, few important things come to mind for aspiring PM candidates. Prioritization is imperative for Product Managers who encounter requests from a variety of sources, demanding to identify the most impactful features among numerous possibilities. Collaboration is a crucial skill to unite stakeholders around a shared vision and common goals. Leadership skills are important , as readiness to undertake challenging leadership roles, including presenting decisions to executives, became a defining aspect.
4 As a hiring manager, what skill sets are you looking for in junior/associate level PMs, such as BBAs vs. Senior level PMs, such as MBAs?
I think the requirements for associate levels are very similar across different types of functions.
No matter if it’s PM or consulting, analytical rigor and problem solving are must-have. If we look into how Meta interviews entry-level PMs, it’s really trying to identify two qualities. The first one is product sense. It is looking into how you think through a product or business problem, how you break it down and transform it into a product MVP plan.
Second, communication is critical. It’s about how you can communicate and articulate an idea. Even as an Associate Product Manager, you will suddenly have five to six stakeholders. To name a few, an APM will at least collaborate with data scientists, designers, engineers, finance and customers. Then you might have a PMO or sales depending on what kind of product you work on. Of course, you have your manager to manage as well. It’s about communication and relationship management.
If we look into senior level PM positions, there are two more dimensions added: One is execution, and the other is leadership.
Execution means the ability to think through a problem holistically, build a thorough plan to solve it while balancing any trade-offs that come up during the decision making process. For example, if you are given a problem that your product’s daily active users are suddenly down by 10%, as a PM for the product, how will you do the root cause analysis, what data would you need, and once you have the solution what trade-offs would you consider before deploying it.
Finally, leadership comes into play. For example, how you handle conflicts between setting product release priorities, or how to encourage and inspire a team that is not motivated enough.
5 What are the career paths of a PM?
Within most of the large tech companies, there are typically two paths for PMs – the Individual Contributor (IC) track and the managerial track. In these positions, your focus is on problem-solving and influencing the company’s direction. ICs in Meta are usually those who solve the most intricate and critical product problems. For example, enhancing Instagram’s feed ranking could be a problem that would be led by a senior IC PM.
On the managerial track, the journey involves becoming a Director or VP of Product Management. In managerial roles, particularly at the director or VP level, the emphasis shifts from individual contributions to team dynamics and leadership. Evaluations become more team-centric, where success is measured by the accomplishments and progression of the entire team. The transition from an individual contributor to a managerial position involves a shift in skills and mindset.
If one is passionate about people management, creating teams, and driving career growth, the managerial path is an ideal fit. However, for those who derive satisfaction from solving complex problems without the direct management of individuals, the individual contributor track remains a rewarding choice.
However, it’s important to note that this dual-track structure may not be universally applicable to smaller companies. In such organizations, the hierarchy might not support distinct IC and managerial tracks due to limited scale. However, even in smaller companies, leaders and directors often find themselves involved in both managerial responsibilities and hands-on project management, given the inherent need for flexibility in smaller organizational structures.
There is no single track, but rather depends on individual strengths, timing within the company, and personal goals. Progression in a career often mirrors the structure of educational paths, where continuous learning and skill development are key. Unlike the clear trajectory in academia, the corporate landscape is more dynamic and demands ongoing self-assessment and strategic skill acquisition. And no matter what you choose, you can still make good money while solving some interesting problems. (laughter)
6 Tell us something not on your LinkedIn/resume
I love Muay Thai, Thai martial arts.
When I was in consulting, I was debating to move to PM and I was procrastinating a lot. So I took a break and went to Thailand for three months. That sabbatical gave me so much clarity about what I wanted to do. I came back, interviewed, and got my first PM role. It was one of the best decisions I made because it turned out I enjoyed that role a lot.
There were two things that helped. Because it was my sabbatical, I completely stepped away from my city life and my job. I think in any sport, when you’re in combat sport, you are completely disconnected from the day-to-day work. When the punch was coming in, I stepped into a focus zone where my attention was only on the high velocity combats.
It’s random advice but I always encourage people to take a break when needed. I know we feel that taking a break slows down my career. But I think taking a break truly accelerated my career in the long term. Sabbatical helps you to connect with your mind and clarify what your priorities are.
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