Cracking Product Management: From Customer Needs to Product Impact

Cracking Product Management: From Customer Needs to Product Impact

Sona School of Business and Management organised an industry-oriented guest lecture on “Cracking Product Management” on 11 September 2026 for its MBA students. The programme was designed to provide students with a practical understanding of Product Management and the strategic, customer-centric and business-oriented thinking required to build and manage successful products.

The programme was led by Mr. Pradeep Kumar V B, Director of Product Management, Sprinklr, and an alumnus of IIM Bangalore. With his industry experience in product management, he shared practical perspectives on the evolving role of Product Managers and the various considerations involved in taking a product from identifying a customer need to creating measurable business impact.

Understanding the Product Management Function

The discussion introduced students to the role and responsibilities of a Product Manager, highlighting the need to work across multiple dimensions of a business. Students explored how Product Managers bring together customer understanding, business strategy, technology and execution while making decisions throughout the product lifecycle.

The programme also focused on the importance of identifying the right customer problems before developing solutions. Students gained insights into how customer needs can be studied and translated into meaningful product opportunities, while considering both user expectations and business priorities.

Product Management Insights

Key areas covered during the programme included:

• Understanding the role and responsibilities of a Product Manager
• Identifying customer problems and recognising product opportunities
• Translating customer needs into relevant product solutions
• Connecting product strategy with business objectives
• Understanding the different aspects of product development
• Applying structured thinking to product-related decision-making
• Balancing customer needs, business priorities, technology and execution

Bridging Management Learning with Industry Practice

The interaction gave students an opportunity to view Product Management from an industry perspective rather than as a purely functional discipline. The discussions highlighted how product decisions require a combination of customer insight, analytical thinking, strategic judgement and execution capability.

The practical insights shared by the resource person helped students understand the complexities involved in developing products that address genuine customer needs while also contributing to organisational goals. The programme also encouraged students to look at product decisions from multiple perspectives and appreciate the role of cross-functional collaboration in successful product development.

Learning Outcome

The guest lecture strengthened students’ understanding of Product Management as a function that connects customer needs with business strategy and product execution. It provided valuable exposure to contemporary industry practices and helped students develop a broader perspective on product thinking, strategic decision-making and customer-centric business development.

The programme reflects Sona School of Business and Management’s continued focus on integrating industry knowledge and practical perspectives into management education, enabling MBA students to connect academic concepts with real-world business challenges.