This as-to-told-tos Essay is basic on a conversation with PHANI SAI RAM MUNIPALL, A 28-YEAR-OLD full-time it/tech manager from Santa clara, california. Its been edited for Length and Clarity.
I WORKED FOR FOUR YEARS AS A FULL-TIME SOFTWARE ENGINEER-Two Years at IBM and Two Years at Walmart Global Tech-after Completing My Undergraduate Program in India 2017.
In July 2022, I Left Software Engineering and Chose to Shift My Career Path to Compete for an AI/Tech Product Role at Walmart in the us, thus of HAD Little Experience in that Field.
My Career Change was motivated by the idea of potentially making MONEY – I Believe in Technology that Can Change Lives.
This Journey Begin Not With A Job Application But With A Realization In 2022
Right as chatgt was introded to the world, I knew a massive shift was coming, and my technical background was my unique entry point into the hent wars.
I Started My Master’s Program in Computer Software Engineering at San Jose State University in August 2022. During My Master’s Summer, i did a product management internship at walmart. I Graduated from my degree in May 2024 and joined walmart as a full-time product manager in July 2024.
I love coding and still do it for my side projects, but i wanted to go beyond just Writing Code. I WANTED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT PRODUCTS CAN BE BUILT Leveraging it, who the users are, and how it Helping say.
This Recognition LED to a Self-Assessment and a Personal Road map to create my own ai-centric playbook Around three core strategies.
1. I rewired my brain for he product thinking
My Technical Background Helped with GRASP he concepts, but neonded to learn how to think like it Product Leader. In 2023, I tooch on an additional roles at my university as an ai research assistant in conversational he.
To add to my he expertise and rewire my brain for he product thin, i went all in a self-educational sprint. I LISTENED TO PODCASTS LIKE Lenny’s podcast and the Nvidia he podcastWhich Focus on the Complexities of ProductionIizing he and learning the crucial lesson that he is never the product itelf – solving a user’s problem is.
I ALSO Completed Google “Responsible He: Applying He Principles With Google Cloud” Credential in December 2023 and the He Product Management Bootcamp LED by Marily Nika, a former Google he Product Manager, in April 2024.
Finally, of Put Theory Into Practice by Building Several Web Apps – Including LinkPlus, Vibecardand Safeword he -USING Both Openai’s and Google Gemini Apis, Teaching MySelf the Real-World Challenges of Prompt Engineering and Leveraging LLMs.
2. I Ditched Popular Frameworks in Interviews
When it came time to intervene for my Summer Product Management Internship at Walmart, I knew that recitation standard Product frameworks would be a failing strategy.
I was an underdog Among 20+ Intern Candidates from Top Schools. I knew i had to test myself. My Difference Wasn’t a Textbook Answer; It was the portfolio of it projects i’d built and the platform i’d created.
Instead of Trying to Impress with Pure Technical KnowLEDGE, FOCUED ON TRANSLATING IT. I used storytelling – especally the “Hero’s Journey” Technique in My Presentations – to CRAFT Compelling Narratives Explaining How to AI Solutions COULD SOLVE, HUMAN PROBLEMS FOR WALMART’S GIG DRIVERS.
This approach – proving i coulud not only underestand he but also budild with it and communica its value – is what landed with the internship at walmart. This Focus on Bridging the Gap BetWeen Complex Tech and User Needs SOCCESESFUL THAT ITO SECURED WITH A FULL-TIME RETURN OFFER AT WALMART FOR MY CURRENT POSITION, WHICH I STARTED IN JULY 2024.
3. I BUILT A PLANT to Give First and Networked Second
I Believed an AI-Focused Product Manager SHOULD Have their Own Product, SO in March 2023, I Started A Podcast, The Hustle Chaptersand a newsletter, PHANI’S PRODUCT.
My podcast platform Completely flipped the dynamic networking. Instead of incision for 15-minute coffee chats, I invited directors and founders onto my show, offering say VALUE first.
I Hosted 21 Builders from the AI Space, Learning Directly from saying the Myths of Building he. This Approach Built Genuine Connections and Directly LED to A Spring Internship Offer FROM vComply in 2024.
THEN-AFTER AFTER MY ROLLS AT WALMART-I TOOK ON A SUBSEQUENT SPRING INTERNSHIP FOCUED ENTERIRELY ON THE COMPLEX Challenge of Productization an Llm-Baised Application for Enterprise USSERS. I Experiment with Running llms on my Local Machine and Then Documented the Entire Setup process in a Technical Guide for my newsletter.
This Trial-by-Fire Experience-Tackling the nuances of the confinement-edge llms into a real-World Business context-Gave with the Deeper Level of Practical Knowledge to my full-time possession.
I also regularly published One-Pagers and newsletters Analyzing How Big Tech Companies use he and data to create superior customer experiences, building a small but engaged audience of tech professionals.
This Three -pronged Approach Helped with Pivot SuccessFully
I’ve spent a year on my team full-time, solving fascinating problems for gig drivers in walmart’s last mile delivery ecosystem. I work in the realm of he, llm, and ml in product management-a Complete gearshift from my Full-time roles as a software Engineer.
Ultimately, my journey is a playbook for forging your owing, proving that the right strategy and mindset about pivoting into it or anoter are more powerful than a traditional background.
