Final presentation: https://pitch.com/v/wellwave-svgdrc
Joshua
This presentation project helped me get into the mindset of a PM while learning about how to be a PM. For WellWave, we created a fourth option by synthesizing market reality with a sustainable business model, driven by customer interviews and competitive analysis. I learned to define the problem before defining the solution. This experience solidified the core PM skill of leading through influence and data, not through pre-approved mandates.
Anthony
This presentation helped me think deeply about what truly matters when building a project. For Well Wave, it was crucial to consider elements like pricing, strategy, customer understanding, and our position within the broader competitive space. One of the biggest takeaways for me was realizing the importance of articulating the problem and our solution effectively. Moving forward, I want to continue developing this skill and strengthen my ability to communicate the “why” behind what we build.
Eva
Preparing for the pitch challenged us to transform a failing fitness tracker company into a viable business through strategic repositioning. The most valuable lesson for me was learning how to identify the white space in crowded markets, and not by competing head-on with giants like Apple, but by finding underserved niches. This was a new way of looking at the problem for me, and finding a solution that differentiated us from existing players in the market. From conducting user interviews, we found out that endurance athletes crave actionable insights, not just data dumps. This insight drove our entire strategy. I also gained appreciation for the tension between hardware and software business models, and how subscription services can create sustainable revenue. Most importantly, I learned that successful pivots require deep market understanding and the courage to narrow your focus rather than trying to serve everyone.
Estella
First of all, my team was fantastic to work with on this project, which made for a smooth and enjoyable process. Secondly, my main takeaway from a product perspective was the importance of targeting a niche beachhead market– this sort of “land and expand” model. I walk away from this project with the insight that you should start by solving very real, concrete, and specific problems for a niche audience of people who care super strongly about their experience and the problem. Apathy is the worst; on the other hand, if your wedge is an audience that has strong opinions and feels intensely about what you’re building, you get much faster iteration loops and better customer feedback. People often make the mistake of starting too broad – I think our key “unlock” moment as a team was deciding to zero in on a very specific audience and sport, which is ultra-endurance athletes (triathletes, marathoners, etc.). Then, what’s also key is ensuring you have a broad enough market to expand to, once you’ve found PMF with that first niche.
Eduardo
I really liked the project! Entering such a delicate situation with WellWave was quite daunting at the beginning. As we started exploring paths it became clear that not all hope was lost, there were gaps in the market that we could take advantage of. Getting to reimagine a company from a dire position to a path forward was a very satisfying experience. I had a lot of fun doing some mock designs to share with our investors, and getting to pitch in front of other PMs and VCs was a great way to get experience in an environment that I had not really experienced before.
Jason
Working on this WellWave Endure fitness band taught me that product management is in essence a synthesis of many different things – customer interviews and insights, storytelling, and all sorts of teamwork, just to name a few. We settled on our product because it was clear to us through our research that endurance athletes were underserved in the fitness wearables space, and it was very cool to see how our team eventually shaped our product not just into a tracker but also a community platform. I’m very grateful to have been on such a proactive, communicative team and to have learned so much about what it means to be a PM, a possible job I’ll have someday.
