Overall, the project was a great chance for us to apply concepts learned in class. It was a very different approach to what I was exposed earlier in entrepreneurship classes where I get the chance to develop an idea from the ground up. Instead, we were given a company and prompt this time which simulated a task that could be given to a PM. I learned to not only develop an idea but also to constantly benchmark the idea against feasibility, the company’s capabilities and competive advantage, and existing customers.
The pitch presentation gave our team in particular valuable feedback on our project which made us pivot our initial idea effectively. It was also a chance for our team to reflect on our progress, change how we approach our team norms, and work better together as a team. Our PM mentor, Shon, also took time to really walk through our slide deck with us and give us guidance as to how to improve upon what we had at the time. However, although there were opportunities to check in with the team, receive feedback, and reflect together, I would definitely favour clearer guidlines (submission deadline and requirements, milestones, etc.). Since our project is confined by the course to begin with, more guidance and early guidance would be extremely helpful. Last but not least, greater flexibility to choose a company that we are passionate about in the beginning would be amazing too.
Nonetheless, I enjoyed spending time with our team to ideate and go through the project together, even when we had to pivot our idea and basically build a different deck. It was also a great experience for me to get a taste of what a PM role entails.
