Gujarat: Discipline outpaces textbook, students write new one

AHMEDABAD: When Arun Nandewal, a 2018-20 batch PGP student at IIM-Ahmedabad (IIM-A), and his batchmates searched for textbooks on product management in India, they found just one. It was a book by IIT-Madras alumnus.
So Nandewal and 20 batchmates decided to write a textbook themselves, incorporating the latest developments in e-commerce websites, cab aggregators, massive multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG) including PUBG, blockchain, and many other aspects.Also included were the best practices and product development, and their connect with other business verticals.
The team began writing the book in June last year and within six months it was ready with a 125-page book titled 'Futuristic Outlook to Product Management Industry Review Guide 2019'. Nandewal, the lead author, said that the group is now attempting to introduce the book for course learning at IIM-A.
Ananya Dalal, one of the youngest members on the team, said that the book will be a valuable resource. "It's a dynamic book and our team expects it to be updated by each batch that comes after us," he said. "The textbook is being peer reviewed and we have already taken suggestions from our professors."
Nandewal said the book is for absolute beginners, and those who want to switch jobs or prepare for interviews. He said that each of his batchmates involved in writing the chapters had working experience in new domains such as blockchain, brand lifecycle, gaming, and OTT platforms. "We decided to collect and write case studies for the team," he said. "The project soon attracted students from PGPX, PGP-FABM, and FPM programmes as well - bringing in the mix of experience."
Anshuman Singh, a PGPX student, said that with his 14 years of experience in technology firms such as Satyam, HP, Apple, and Adobe, he contributed a real-time product management case in the book. "Product management is an emerging area and almost all tech giants are hiring for it," he said. "One of the motives to write the book was to create a repository for students who will attend placement interviews." The placement report of PGP for IIM-A says that 51 were placed for product/category management roles in 2019, a rise from 29 in 2017.