On this episode of the podcast, we were joined by Abimbola Omotoyinbo, Program Manager at ProductDive.

Follow Abimbola and ProductDive on LinkedIn

We talked about:

Breakdown:

0:00 Intro

01:23 Icebreaker

04:32 About Abimbola

05:46 From quality control to program management

09:10 Getting into program management

10:23 What ProductDive does and how Abimbola joined the team

13:10 What makes ProductDive stand out

16:07 ProductDive's success stories

17:52 Getting into ProductDive

18:39 Things to consider before getting into the program

20:37 Resources for someone looking to get into product management

22:14 Product management launchpad

23:20 The future of ProductDive

24:27 What else ProductDive is working on

25:14 Final words

26:12 Outro

We referenced:

Product Manager Blueprint Program

Product Management Foundation Program

Pivot to Product Management

Growth Product Management

Don’t forget to follow The Spotlight Podcast on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. You can also subscribe to our YouTube and newsletter

If you have any suggestions or questions, please complete the ⁠Q&A intake form⁠ or send me an email at [email protected] 

P.S: If you are interested in appearing on The Spotlight Podcast, please complete this form to indicate your interest.

On this episode of The Spotlight Podcast, we were joined by award-winning Product Manager, Elizabeth Ajao.

Follow her on LinkedIn and Twitter

We talked about:

Shooting your career shot

How she went from customer support officer to product manager

What product managers do

Why product management probably shouldn't be your first job and the importance of internships

Transferable skills from other roles and skills every product manager should have

Giving valuable feedback and accepting feedback

Measuring success and the importance of being people-driven

Breakdown:

0:00 Intro

1:44 Icebreaker

6:34 Elizabeth's background

8:21 Going from customer support to product management

12:42 How customer support prepared her for product management

16:17 What media is Elizabeth consuming?

17:30 Elizabeth's career highlights

19:53 Being impact-driven

23:04 What being a product manager entails

27:30 Can one be an effective product manager with little leadership experience?

32:28 Skills every product manager should have

35:20 Working with UX designers

39:20 Tools every product manager should master 

45:23 Is product management as glam as people make it out to be?

49:02 Elizabeth's perspective on product management interviews 

51:29 Challenges Elizabeth has faced as a product manager and how she handled them 

54:42 Dealing with problematic stakeholders 

57:35 Measuring success as a product manager 

59:55 What you should know before getting into product management 

1:01:49 Resources and advice for aspiring product managers 

1:07:33 Elizabeth's socials

1:08:09 Other things Elizabeth is working on

1:09:35 Outro

We referenced:

No-Code Tech Summit

VFD Group

Enyata

Polaris Bank

People in Product

The Builders Summit by Founders Connect

The 7 Perspectives of Effective Leaders: A Proven Framework for Improving Decisions and Increasing Your Influence

Jira

Trello

ClickUp

Azure

Miro

Whimsical

Confluence 

Notion

Google Analytics 

Mixpanel

Amplitude 

MySQL

The Product Book by Product School

Lenny's Newsletter

Become a Product Manager | Learn the Skills & Get the Job

Don’t forget to follow The Spotlight Podcast on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. You can also subscribe to our YouTube and newsletter

If you have any suggestions or questions, please complete the ⁠Q&A intake form⁠ or send me an email at [email protected] 

On this episode of the podcast, we spotlight the one and only Emmanuel Faith, a wonderful HR expert.

Follow him on LinkedIn and Twitter

We talked about:

His HR journey and his work providing consulting services through HR Clinic

The dwindling pool of mid-level talent in Nigeria’s tech pipeline 

The importance of succession planning for sustainable businesses

The wisdom in hiring talent your business can reasonably afford instead of chasing “shiny” people

Breakdown:

00:00:00 Intro

00:01:55 Icebreaker

00:05:35 About Emmanuel Faith

00:13:07 Getting into HR

00:17:40 Best temperaments for HR professionals

00:20:58 Emmanuel's proudest achievements

00:28:35 Emmanuel's superpowers in HR

00:34:17 Challenges faced while recruiting talent 

00:38:56 Why we don't have mid-level tech talent in Nigeria 

00:44:40 How HR Clinic helps organisations

00:49:25 Unique strengths of Nigerian tech talents

00:53:16 The technical talent vs non-technical talent conversation 

00:58:47 Emmanuel's perspective on The Peer shutting down

1:05:24 Are people hiring "shiny" talent because of the lack of mid-level talent?

1:10:42 Hard skills vs soft skills

1:12:33 Advice for aspiring HR professionals

1:14:18 Other things Emmanuel is working on

1:18:31 Final words

1:19:14 Outro

We referenced:

Cowrywise

BCM

Fervora’s African Women’s Football Report

SHRM Podcast on Spotify

HRCI

Why You Act the Way You Do by Tim LaHaye

Spirit-Controlled Temperament by Tim LaHaye

Myers-Briggs Personality Test

16 Personalities 

ProductDive 

AltSchool

Geneza Brands

Geneza School of Design

Innovating Africa: The Rise of Tech in Nigeria by Peace Itimi

HR Clinic

Bloomberg

Asana

No-Code Tech Summit

Luminous Consult

Don’t forget to follow The Spotlight Podcast on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. You can also subscribe to our YouTube and newsletter

If you have any suggestions or questions, please complete the ⁠Q&A intake form⁠ or send me an email at [email protected] 

On this episode of The Spotlight Podcast, we had data expert and Dataphyte CEO Joshua Olufemi with us. 

Follow him on LinkedIn and follow Dataphyte on Twitter

We talked about:

Breakdown:

00:00:00 Intro

00:02:00 Icebreaker game 

00:03:32 Fun facts about Joshua

00:05:37 From economics teacher to CEO

00:09:39 Being a part of the National Endowment for Democracy Fellowship

00:14:44 Proudest achievements of Dataphyte

00:21:20 The Dataphyte and Goloka teams

00:28:54: Major challenges in collecting accurate data

00:37:37 How can Nigeria be more data-driven?

00:43:55 Joshua's dream for Dataphyte and Goloka

00:45:24 Advice for people building something around data

00:47:42 Final words

00:48:30 Outro

We referenced:

Don’t forget to follow The Spotlight Podcast on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. You can also subscribe to our YouTube and newsletter

If you have any suggestions or questions, please complete the ⁠Q&A intake form⁠ or send me an email at [email protected] 

On this episode of The Spotlight Podcast, we had product designer Ayodeji Olagbaiye with us. 

Follow him on LinkedIn and Twitter

We talked about:

Breakdown:

00:00:00 Intro

00:01:52 Icebreaker

00:11:02 Deji's background

00:13:03 Working with developers

00:15:50 What media is Ayodeji consuming?

00:17:18 How Ayodeji got into UX design

00:25:34 Joining Kuda

00:29:06 Working remotely

00:30:05 What he would have done differently

00:34:00 Getting your first job and having a portfolio

00:36:30 What he wishes he knew when building his first portfolio

00:43:26 Key things in a portfolio

00:50:50 Updating your portfolio

00:54:46 Can you get a job without a big project on your portfolio?

00:58:40 What not to do in your portfolio

01:01:39 Is there a best place to host your portfolio?

01:09:06 Can AI help with your portfolio?

01:10:54 Unpopular opinion about design portfolios

01:13:45 Some of the best portfolios Ayodeji has seen

01:21:40 Resources to build your portfolio

01:24:10 Advice for designers

01:31:22 Outro

We referenced:

Don’t forget to follow The Spotlight Podcast on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. You can also subscribe to our YouTube and newsletter

If you have any suggestions or questions, please complete the ⁠Q&A intake form⁠ or send me an email at [email protected] 

After a long hiatus, we're back with a new episode. 

On this episode, the amazing Tochy Udunwa shared some insights on marketing, the unpredictability of the industry, and how to navigate it. 

Follow her on LinkedIn and Instagram

We also we talked about:

Breakdown:

(00:00:00) Intro

(00:02:05) Icebreaker

(00:11:35) Digital Marketing vs Traditional Advertising

(00:12:43) Conversion and community building

(00:18:49) The role of branding in marketing

(00:22:30) Tochy’s background

(00:31:25) The importance of domain experience in marketing

(00:35:47) Tochy’s superpower (project management)

(00:36:37) Tochy’s career milestones

(00:47:25) How to pick the right strategy for an organisation

(00:51:45) What makes the industry so unpredictable?

(00:54:32) Navigating the uncertainties

(00:57:40) Tochy’s future publications

(00:59:31) Defining the success of your strategy

(01:05:10) Advice for aspiring marketing professionals

(01:13:42): Tochy’s online presence

We referenced:

Don’t forget to follow The Spotlight Podcast on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. You can also subscribe to our YouTube and newsletter

If you have any suggestions or questions, please complete the ⁠Q&A intake form⁠ or send me an email at [email protected] 

In episode 15 of the podcast, we had the pleasure of sitting down with Isaac Durotoye, a tech whiz who is deeply entrenched in the world of fintech. Our conversation revolved around the intriguing topics of Banking as a Service (BaaS) and APIs, and how they're reshaping the financial technology landscape. 

Together, we dissected the unique challenges and opportunities facing fintech in Africa, broke down the opportunities presented by Baas, and reflected on the critical role of technical expertise in product management practice. If you're passionate about fintech, product management, and the future of digital finance, this episode holds insights you won't want to miss.

Book mentioned:

Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products by Nil Eyal

Subscribe now and engage with us on our social media, links below.

Don't forget to follow Isaac Durotoye on ⁠LinkedIn. Check out his blog at blog.jnrjose.org 

Follow The Spotlight:

Follow Iwalola Sobowale on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ and ⁠Twitter⁠ (@iwalolasobowale)

Also, check out and subscribe to my ⁠Substack newsletter⁠ ⁠“The Spotlight”⁠.

New episodes of the podcast will be published weekly. If you have any suggestions or questions, please complete the ⁠Q&A intake form⁠ or send me an email at [email protected]

In our 14th episode, we uncover why Product Management can sometimes hit roadblocks in organisations with Nnamdi Azodo, a distinguished Product Manager with over 12 years of experience. Nnamdi, known for transforming the financial landscape in Nigerian banks and fintech startups, shares his journey, insights, and solutions. 

We dig deep into the challenges and misconceptions surrounding Product Management, the impact of organisational structures, the power of clarity, and how to overcome resistance to change. Join us for an engaging conversation that sheds light on the intricacies of this vital discipline. If you're looking for inspiration and practical insights into Product Management, this episode is a must-listen.

Subscribe now and engage with us on our social media, links below.

Don't forget to follow Nnamdi Azodo on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ and Twitter. Check out his Substack newsletter WorkplaceHQ and his course The Complete Product Management Course 

Follow The Spotlight:

Follow Iwalola Sobowale on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ and ⁠Twitter⁠ (@iwalolasobowale)

Also, check out and subscribe to my ⁠Substack newsletter⁠ ⁠“The Spotlight”⁠.

New episodes of the podcast will be published weekly. If you have any suggestions or questions, please complete the ⁠Q&A intake form⁠ or send me an email at [email protected]

In this episode, we discussed the importance of tech advocacy and community building with Elizabeth Okaome, a passionate Developer Relations Community Manager and founder of Empower Her Community. Elizabeth shares her journey, highlighting the crucial role of developer relations in the tech ecosystem.

She discusses community engagement, advocating for developers, and leveraging feedback for product improvements. We also talked about the importance of NOT comparing Tech to fraud “yahoo”.

This episode offers valuable insights and inspiring stories for tech enthusiasts and community builders. Tune in to gain a fresh perspective on the significance of developer relations in tech.

Book mentioned: The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k by Mark Manson

Follow Elizabeth Okaome on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ and Twitter and be sure to check out Empower Her Community!

Follow The Spotlight:

Follow Iwalola Sobowale on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ and ⁠Twitter⁠ (@iwalolasobowale)

Also check out and subscribe to my ⁠Substack newsletter⁠ ⁠“The Spotlight: Product Research and Strategy”⁠.

New episodes of the podcast will be published weekly. If you have any suggestions or questions, please complete the ⁠Q&A intake form⁠ or send me an email at [email protected]

Join us as we take a look back into the inspiring journey of Evans Akanno, founder of Vzy. With a remarkable track record in entrepreneurship and design, Evans shares his experiences from bootstrapping ventures like Cregital and Disha to the creation of Vzy.

His insights reveal the power of strategic thinking, customer-centricity, and creativity in achieving impressive revenue milestones while overcoming budget constraints. Learn from Evans' stories of challenges, triumphs, and the potential rewards of bootstrapping, as he aims to democratise digital brand design through Vzy.

Don't miss this episode for valuable advice and inspiration for entrepreneurs and design enthusiasts. Subscribe now and engage with us on our social media, links below.

Follow Evans Akanno on LinkedIn and be sure to check out Vzy www.vzy.co to create websites 10x faster with AI!

Follow The Spotlight:

Follow Iwalola Sobowale on LinkedIn and Twitter (@iwalolasobowale)

Also check out and subscribe to my Substack newsletter ⁠“The Spotlight: Product Research and Strategy”⁠.

New episodes of the podcast will be published weekly. If you have any suggestions or questions, please complete the Q&A intake form or send me an email at [email protected]