How to Be a Product Person?

Having an educational background that is different from what he is currently working on, is not an obstacle for Pramudono Kumoro, more familiarly called Pram, to become someone who is involved in product management. After graduating from Management at Gadjah Mada University, Pram started his career in BUMN and banking. But he finally decided to change places when he saw other opportunities in other employment sectors.

The hospitality industry has become Pram's anchor in his career path. Amid the rise of COVID-19 and AirBnB, he is trying to create a homestay in the Yogyakarta area. Different from hotels, Pram wants to sell a more local experience. For that, he felt the need for an application.

But at that time, Pram didn't have the skill for that. It was here that he became acquainted with Binar Academy. There, Pram wanted to get to know not only the employees but also the founders and executives. This is where Pram began to enter the world of products.

According to Pram, the mindset that product people must have is an agnostic mindset. This means whatever he does must apply to all industries. This is reflected in Pram's many experiences in various companies and industries.

Not only hard skills, but a product manager must also have good soft skills. Hard skills include knowledge of the job such as coding, and soft skills include communication and leadership techniques.

Pram also admitted that he moved to product management not because he knew about this. But because he loves his role it can give a big impact on the company.

Being a product person is not easy. They are required to be able to do many things. Starting from coding and also communicating. 'Hard skills are easy to get, what is difficult is cultivating soft skills,' said Pram. Because “A product manager is in the middle of everywhere.”

For more details, watch our conversation with Pramudono Kumoro in this episode of #StoriesWorthTelling - Bulls Eyes.