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Duke Fuqua 25 Random Things Example: Indian Product Manager

Profile 2: Indian Product Manager with International Ambitions

In this example, we cover the profile of an Indian product engineer who started a venture in college to address the alarmingly high farmer suicide rate in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Coming from an engineering background, she began applying the power of Data Science to tackle social issues. One such idea was to streamline the procurement, distribution, and sales of crops directly from farmers.

In partnership with a leading bank, the applicant created an App that offered emergency credit and empowered the farmers by offering a dashboard that clearly broke down the revenue earned and the fluctuation in demand for each crop.

The applicant discontinued the venture when the product pivoted to a FinTech niche. To gain further exposure in Finance, she joins X – a leading international bank in their FinTech advisory division, and finally in a startup venture as a Product Manager for a FinTech product that assists low-income customers across India.

Duke Fuqua 25 Random Things: Indian Product Manager with Strong Community Engagement

1. My sister and I used to watch Jumanji - the Robin Williams movie on a loop. When the scene where the flood arrives, we pretended to be in the scene. My parents would rush to the room and continue with our pretend game.

2.  Although we were comfortable financially, my father never wanted us to feel privileged. House chores were divided, and summers were planned around working as an administrative assistant for his staff.

3. My mother’s passion for educating the underprivileged rubbed off on me. I dedicated 10 hours every week, traveling to the remote villages in Maharashtra, an Indian State, and assisted her teaching sessions for Grade 6th to Grade 9th.  

4. On one of my weekend volunteering engagements in <y>, I met Diya, whose father – a farmer, overburdened by debt committed suicide. My passion for technology and for helping the farming community arose after watching Diya cross several obstacles.

5. I had no interest in technology. I have always been fascinated by art. In my first class in Computer Programming, I was more interested in the indentation of the code over the actual logic.

6. From grade 6th to 8th, I became obsessed with the design of video games and began tinkering with the code of Battle for Wesnoth. The review of the code sparked my love of programming, technology, and Apps.

7. When a student in <y> submitted the answer to the Quiz hosted on the App I developed, the challenges of travel and mentoring someone from afar became a non-issue.

8. Working under the shadows of my mother’s non-profit and my father’s marketing agency made me feel like an imposter. I started my Data Science consulting company in college partly to find my voice.

9. My father made it a ritual that we travel around the world and stay in budget hotels. The friends we made and the conversations we had taught me so much about diverse cultures, their struggles, and worldviews.
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About the Author 

Atul Jose

I am Atul Jose, Founding Consultant of F1GMAT, an MBA admissions consultancy that has worked with applicants since 2009.

 

For the past 15 years I have edited the application files of admits to the M7 programs: Harvard Business School, Stanford Graduate School of Business, the Wharton School, MIT Sloan, Chicago Booth, Kellogg School of Management, and Columbia Business School, together with admits to Berkeley Haas, Yale School of Management, NYU Stern, Michigan Ross, Duke Fuqua, Darden, Tuck, IMD, London Business School, INSEAD, SDA Bocconi, IESE Business School, HEC Paris, McCombs, and Tepper, plus other programs inside the global top 30.

 

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