Before MTN launched its mobile money service popularly known as (Momo), making micro payments across long distances was risky, inefficient and time consuming. Depositors had to go to the nearest bus station and hand out cash to the driver to deliver the funds to that individual (express), or take it to the post office and request a money order which took 5 days.
Momo was a relief, a seemingly simple product with a mission of enabling payments across mobile phones once the user had a registered phone number. 15 Years on, MTN’s mobile money has undoubtedly been a game changer and has provided employment for people as agents.
We write about MTN Momo as a shining example of a quality tech product solving a real need because this article takes a deep dive in product management and the career of a Product Manager. We are specifically looking at relevant products in tech such as MTN Mobile money, Google, Spotify, Whatsapp etc.
Quality tech products possess the following characteristics
-Useful:
They solve a specific problem and make our lives better. Usability is a key differentiator that compels quality tech products to the top of the chain beating their competition
Examples below depict the specific solutions these tech products deliver to its users.
MTN Momo App = Make simple micro-payments to anyone
Spotify = Stream Music on demand anytime anywhere
Whatsapp = Chat and make long distance calls over the internet
This borrows from Peter Thiel’s analogy in his bestselling book “0 to 1”. The analogy is that great products are far ahead and advanced from their competitors making them the most logical and obvious choice. If a product has numerous competitors with equal level of satisfaction then there’s a clear gap in the market.
– Simple to use
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication” this quote is attributed to renowned artist Leonard da Vinci and it rings true. Tech products such as MTN Momo has succeeded because it’s a common denominator product and benefits from the long tail and network effect. Quality tech products strip off all bells and whistles and focus on making an easy to use product.
Google Search exemplifies simplicity by offering a clean, straightforward interface that allows users to quickly find information without unnecessary complexity. This ease of use has contributed significantly to its widespread adoption and user satisfaction.
The iphone is another example, Steve Jobs hammered the importance of designing a simple operating System and interface everyone can use.
-benefits from the network effect
Metcalfe’s law states that the value of a network increases proportionally to the square of the number of users connected to it. This means that the value of a network grows exponentially with each new connection. Good tech products benefits from the network effect.
Platforms with strong network effects, like Facebook, have demonstrated that as more users join, the platform’s utility increases, leading to a vast network of over 2.8 billion users.
-User Retention (sticky): stickiness of a product refers to its ability to continually pull users in after they’re done using the product. Product stickiness is a tricky area which, when not executed properly can have damaging effects.
Global Demand for Product Managers
Quality tech products are built by Product Managers within tech companies
As technology continues to shape our lives and play a major impact in how we do business, there hasn’t been a time that demand has soared for product managers such as this period. Glassdoor ranks Product Manager as one of the top ten career paths for Americans. Product Management Market size was valued at USD 28.27 Billion in 2023 and is projected to reach USD 49.3 Billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 7.2% from 2024 to 2031.
According to job aggregation site Indeed the average salary for a Product Manager in the United States is $122,922
Starting a Career in Project Management
The Great thing about a career in product development is there is no straight path in building such a career. An interest in the field combined with managerial and project management skills is enough to start in Product Management
A 2024 survey of professionals within the product management space mentioned the following skills as relevant for building a career in product management according to website The Product Manager
These skills are
- Understanding Of Web Development
- Writing Technical Specs And Requirements
- Conducting Market Research
- Knowledge Of User Experience Best Practices
There are both paid and free options for readers interested in starting a career in Product Management
Below is a grid of resources both free and paid to kick start your career in Product Management
| COURSE | LEVEL | FEES | CERTIFICATION | LINK |
| Product Management Basics Certification by Pendo | Beginner | Free | Yes | Pendo Product Management Basics |
| Product Management A-Z by Udemy | Beginner | Free | No | Udemy Product Management A-Z |
| Product Management First Steps by LinkedIn Learning | Beginner | Free (with LinkedIn Learning subscription) | Yes | LinkedIn Learning Product Management First Steps |
| Certificate in Product Management by OpenLabs Ghana | Intermediate | $650 | Yes | OpenLabs Certificate in Product Management |
| Product Management Course by The Knowledge Academy | Intermediate | Contact for pricing | Yes | The Knowledge Academy Product Management Course |
