By the 2024 intake I will have completed more than 4 years of work in the industry. Out of which nearly 22 months would be in Product Management.

That's an awesome position to be in for Product Management. Though I have no idea how ISB placement is but PM roles have been very popular and having background will make you a desired candidate. MBA can definitely help get a better/stronger and must better paid role. The only other element that would help is having a brand name on your resume. A name such as Amazon or another well known locally name would make recruiting a breeze.

Hey Ayush,

Your academics are good, but you havent mentioned you GRE/GMAT score and your ECs. At a preliminary glance, your career progression has been strong moving from an Engineer to a PM, which shows that you would have done well in these. ISB can be a great domestic option for PM roles within India, in your case that will be pretty much the only option in the domestic market as the IIM PGPx programs required a minimum of 5 years of work experience. My only advice will be to hedge your bets with some other schools (maybe international) along with the ISB application in case you are heavily inclined to pursue your MBA this year. I have seen some really good candidates get rejects at ISB purely due to some circumstances that were out of their control, hence will be prudent to not put all eggs in one basket and apply to a portfolio of schools.

All the best! Drop us a mail at info@thembaedge.com if you have any further questions.

Hi, hope you are doing well

Moving into Product pre-MBA, you demonstrate a genuine interest in the field, as well as your desire to develop skills and gain knowledge. To bolster your application, reflect on challenges you faced early in your stint as a PM and outline how you overcame them. Business schools evaluate applicants objectively.

A key point to explain in your application is why you need an MBA at this time to advance your career in product management (many PMs on fast-track careers do not choose to pursue an MBA). Think about situations where your limited understanding of business dynamics as a PM has impacted your work or hindered your interactions with business stakeholders. By reflecting on these instances honestly and authentically, you can emphasize how important an MBA degree is for you to excel as a product leader and successfully establish product-market fit. An MBA degree will provide you with the necessary business knowledge and a deep understanding of the needs of the marketplace. ISB surely has strong positioning in India's tech industry, but as you have completed 4 years of work experience, you could also consider IIM A, which is perhaps a legacy brand in India.

No mention of your ECs but remember, demonstrating a balanced right brain thinking is also important for techies.

Feel free to connect for applications strategy.

Aanchal Sahni (INSEAD alum, ex admissions interviewer)
MBAGuideConsulting
LinkedIn |WEBSITE: https://mbaguideconsulting.com/ | Message: +91 9971200927| email- mbaguideconsulting@gmail.com