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At a glance
- Before: Software engineering intern, then senior analyst at KPMG
- Now: Associate Product Manager at Muthoot FinCorp
- Program: NextLeap Product Manager Fellowship
- What made the difference: A curated course, blunt mock-interview feedback and consistency
- Biggest lesson: "It seems impossible until it's done."
Aditya's move from KPMG analyst to product manager began with a friend and a habit of scrolling LinkedIn. He had wanted to return to software engineering, but then learned about a role that owns a product from business to release. He is now an associate product manager at Muthoot FinCorp. On the NextLeap Alumni Podcast he explained how a curated fellowship, blunt mock-interview feedback and consistency turned scattered YouTube learning into a first product role.
How did Aditya go from KPMG analyst to product manager?
By finding out that product management was not only an MBA job. Aditya worked as an intern at KPMG, moved into a full-time role there, and says he wanted to switch back to software engineering rather than play with numbers or handle client discussions. He wanted to build solutions for companies and get back into coding.
Then a friend introduced him to a product manager, who he believes worked at Swiggy. Aditya asked what product management was. He assumed it was something MBA people, finance people or business people did. As he dug in, he learned the role has a technical side too, where "you need to build a product from end to end."
He kept scrolling LinkedIn and found engineers who had moved into product management, and some who had started there. That made him wonder whether getting in was really so difficult, and the transition began.
What excited him about product management?
Ownership and curiosity. Aditya says a product manager owns everything: "starting from business to the tech side to the QA side and to the releasing side, you are end to end owner of a product."
The role also matched how he already behaved. If he is using Zomato and spots a small bug, he says, he thinks it could have been solved or should not have been there. He says the responsibility factor and the curiosity factor led him to product management.
Why did learning alone feel scattered?
Because the internet has everything, but not in order. Aditya started with YouTube, and soon had ten different sources of knowledge. "It has everything but it's way too scattered."
NextLeap then showed up in his feed. He first saw Arindam taking an interview session for a single person on YouTube, and realised there was a curated program. He scrolled through the courses and syllabus, and says they resonated with him. That is why he joined.
What was the NextLeap fellowship like for him?
Structured and demanding. Aditya joined the Product Manager Fellowship and says that on the very first day Arindam told the cohort they needed to be consistent. He was blunt, Aditya says: if you do not want to transition, take your step away.
The advice was to give one hour a day, or about five hours a week, to the learning. Aditya calls it a well-curated course with milestones, assignments and a graduation project, which he still shows off. He also names the mock interview classes taken by Prashant, who showed the cohort how to elaborate on themselves in interviews and how to ace them. He says the Aditya who learned from YouTube and the Aditya who learned from NextLeap were very different.
How did he land his first product manager role?
After some breakdowns. Aditya says there were interviews he could not ace, and before landing the role he gave two to three that he could not crack. He learned from each. The continuous learning and the mock interviews, where he got honest and blunt feedback, helped him present himself naturally in front of interviewers.
His rapid-fire answer for the advice that stuck with him most: "Consistency is the key."
The switch was not smooth emotionally. He says the last phase at KPMG was a low point, because he was trying to transition and could not concentrate on the work itself.
What edge did engineering and analytics give him?
A feel for solutions and for numbers. Aditya says a software engineer builds a solution based on what people or the company demand, and an analyst works with clients and numbers to reach a solution. A product manager has to see the whole loop: what users want, what the business wants, and how to structure the product around both. "If you don't have a business you will not run a product," he says, so the money factor matters too.
He describes the job as taking a product through business, engineering, QA and release, then tracking how users come in and what they like or dislike afterwards. He compares it to a baby you take to doctors and schools to nurture. The habit from his analyst days that he still uses is looking at numbers.
What advice does he give non-tech candidates?
Dig into the role first. Aditya says to research what product management looks like end to end, and to know the challenges of the company and role you are targeting. Look up the kinds of questions asked, such as RCA and product design, and think about how you would solve them.
In interviews, he says, product management is not only about the solution. It is about how deep you can get into the problem. The solution comes later, and even if it is rejected, "people should know your mindset by your digging part into the question."
His view on degrees is direct: "you actually do not need a proper tech degree to get into product management. Anyone can be a product manager."
What does he say about AI and staying motivated?
On AI, Aditya says it still needs direction from engineers, product managers and business people, and it has to evolve a lot. He suggests using the resources you have and not scaring yourself, because "everybody needs to know AI today."
What kept him going was one line that stuck with him: let's give it a try. He also holds on to a saying:
It seems impossible until it's done.
Hardships are part of life, he says, and if you keep going you will eventually crack it.
Watch the full conversation
Aditya shared his story on the NextLeap Podcast.
Start your own switch
Aditya's switch came from a curated course, honest feedback and staying consistent. If you are coming from engineering, analytics or another non-product background, the NextLeap Product Manager Fellowship offers structure, mentors and mock interviews to practise with.
Frequently asked questions
Can a KPMG analyst become a product manager?
Yes. Aditya worked as an intern and then a senior analyst at KPMG, and is now an associate product manager at Muthoot FinCorp. He says there is no bar of being an engineer or an MBA graduate. His advice is to research the role deeply, learn from a curated course and keep practising interviews until it works.
Do you need an MBA or a tech degree to become a product manager?
Not according to Aditya. He first assumed product management was for MBA people, then found engineers who had moved into it. He says it is open to all kinds of people, and that if you research the role and join a curated course, you can transition yourself without a proper tech degree.
How did mock interviews help Aditya land a PM role?
Aditya gave two to three interviews he could not crack before landing his role. Mock interviews, including the classes taken by Prashant on the fellowship, gave him honest and blunt feedback. That helped him present himself naturally in front of interviewers and dig into the question before offering a solution.
How much time should you give a product management course?
Aditya says that on day one Arindam told the cohort to give one hour a day, or about five hours a week, and to stay consistent. He followed the curated milestones and assignments and finished a graduation project he still shows off. He says results come eventually if you keep at it.
