PM Accelerator Onboarding Guide and FAQ

1. The Basics

Step A: You will receive calendar invites to weekly office hours and live training after we receive your signed contract

Please review and sign 7 day trial contract ASAP

If you have trouble finding it, please search “PandaDoc” in your email inbox.

Please let us know after signing in the Discord group chat.

Step B: How to access course content?

When you purchased the program, the system automatically asked you to create a password to set up your account on Kajabi (the student portal).
You can always use the link below to log in with your purchasing email and password you have set up. If you forgot your password, you can reset it using link below as well.
- https://www.pmaccelerator.io//login
After your registration, please click “Start Learning Today” when you see the screenshot below.

See the screenshot of the course portal below to check if you are in the right place

Step C: Join PMA Discord channel

1. If you do not already have a Discord account, please create one using the link below. Everything in the program will be communicated through Discord, so it's crucially important for you to get on Discord ASAP.

https://discord.com/register

2. After your Discord account is created, please send 3 friend requests over Discord.

Instructions of how to add friends on Discord: https://support.discord.com/hc/en-us/articles/218344397-How-do-I-add-friends-on-Discord#h_01J0KH7RTG27DP54JNAYPH0R1S

Xiya’s discord username: xiya0084

Marla’s discord username: marla_110323

Christine’s Discord username: pmachristine_78379

ALL communication will be conducted through Discord starting from now. Please perform steps above within 12 hours of your 7 day trial.

2. Building up your Discord profile!

Follow instructions in this video linked here.

Step D: Join the New Students Onboarding Session

Check Office Hours Page for more details.

2. WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR EVERY WEEK

The current week's agenda is posted on the Office Hours Page. Sign up link is also on the Office Hour Page.

3. Requirements for the 7-Day Trial

Step A: Schedule a new student assessment with Dr.Nancy this Tuesday/Thursday through the office hours sign-up link below ASAP

Please submit your questions using the link below ahead of time, by 4 hours before the office hours starting time if you wish to participate in that day’s office hour

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe6PYepTPB7D64oHQ1VC_nePI-8v6YW0n_9V-SiXvO9mQcmBA/viewform

Tuesday 1:30-3pm EST[1] OR Thursday 8:00-9:00pm EST[2]
Zoom link for both Tuesday & Thursday:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/98234000570?pwd=NVcvM1UvK3FkRnFmYmhMVTFJUXByUT09
Passcode: 729040

After submitting the Google form, please inform us in the Discord group chat that you have signed up. We would like to confirm on our end in case you did not sign up successfully during your first week of the program.
What is a new student assessment?
- This mock interview is a quick assessment of your skills Level 1-10. Dr.Nancy will pick a question based on your experience that's suitable for you. So don't stress out, no need to study anything before the mock interview.

Dr.Nancy will evaluate your background, and analyze your strengths, weaknesses, and gaps. So that she can create a customized study plan for you.
Dr.Nancy will let you know which module to start with based on your background.
Dr.Nancy will perform a quick mock interview.

[1] (North American time zones) 12:30-2pm CST/ 11:30am-1pm MST/ 10:30am-12pm PST

6:30-8pm Central Europe Time

11:00pm-12:30am Inida Time

7:30-9pm Central Africa Time

[2] (North American time zones) 7:00-8:00pm CST/ 6:00-7:00pm MST/ 5:00-6:00pm PST

Friday 8:00-9:00am China time

Friday 5:30-6:30am India time

Friday 11:00am-12:00pm Australia Time

Step B: Attend Dr.Nancy’s live coaching this Sunday 8-11pm EST[3]

You should have received calendar invites to join this session if you have already signed your document
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/98234000570?pwd=NVcvM1UvK3FkRnFmYmhMVTFJUXByUT09
Passcode: 729040
Topic of this week’s live session is posted in the office hours channel on every Monday’s weekly schedule post
Watch a case study training recording if you are not able to attend the live training

[3] SUNDAY OFFICE HOURS TIME CONVERSION (base time is Sunday, 8-11pm EST)

(North American time zones) 7-10pm CST, 6-9pm MST, 5-8pm PST

Monday 8-11am China Time

Monday 5:30-8:30am India Time

Monday 11am-1pm Australia Time

Step C: Watch the three onboarding videos in your course portal

We created an entire module dedicated to your onboarding. This module includes videos to walk you through our system. These videos should answer most of the frequently asked questions by new students.
Click on onboarding - must watch in your course portal, and watch the 3 videos
https://www.pmaccelerator.io/products/product-manager-accelerator/categories/4360563

Step D: Limitation and Early Access

During the 7-day free trial, you will get access to all the modules from Module 1 to 8 as well as all of our live office hours which happen 3-4 times per week except national holidays, except the downloadable materials from Module 2 to 8, 1:1 resume review and 1:1 strategy session. That’s why you will see “coming soon” in your course portal. It will automatically unlock in 7 days. If you want to get early access to all the above materials and 1:1 sessions, you can sign an early access agreement to confirm that you are satisfied with the program and waive your right to a refund. Then my team will grant you early access.

4. Get a Customized Strategy in Day 8-15!

Step A: Schedule 20 min 1-1 strategy call with Dr.Nancy (this session must be completed before Day 30)

Fill in this form

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScC0NyCFzCUWJuOCjOZFNH3o_b9ZhqVlotkI-gE5JPyGlXXfw/viewform

We will send you the specific mentor’s Calendly link in your group chat.
Submit your answers to this Google form - PMA student survey experience

https://forms.gle/jr4LjB2hborYmhW66.

If you are still in your 7-day trial period, the 1:1 strategy call fee of $500 will be charged from your deposit if you decide not to enroll in the program. If you decide to continue the program after the 7-day trial, it will be included in your total package and free of charge.

Step B: Create your 30-second elevator pitch

Visit 1.1 ✅ 30s Elevator Pitch on Kajabi for a guide

Post your self-introduction on our "Alumni" channel on Discord
You may search for other alumni with similar backgrounds like you or find help from other alumni. But before you ask for help, introduce yourself first.

Then use the search function to find others like you. Dr. Nancy Li demoed the search function in the first onboarding video in Kajabi

Step C: Schedule 1 hour 1-1 resume review

Study Module 1 & complete hw first

If you are still in your 7-day trial period, the resume review fee of $500 will be charged from your deposit.
The resume is part of the total package and it's free of charge if you have passed the trial period. This is stated in the DocuSign contract.
If you would like to complete your 1 hour 1:1 resume review, you can register using the link below.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfdgEBCTF_xJ3XjVvJPmLfA2NtxqNjsK2QHJvGsUIZIxS4hMQ/viewform

We will send you the specific resume mentor's Calendly link in the Discord group chat.
After you complete your resume, please post your resume in the Discord group chat so we can leave a record of your progress.

Our 1:1 resume review usually takes one hour with our mentor. Make sure to study module 1 and use our template and examples to update your resume first. Then schedule a call with our resume coach. 95% of students can finish in a one-hour session if they have done the homework ahead of time. If you need additional time to complete the resume, you can discuss it with our resume coach. As long as you both agree, you are fine adjusting the resume review process. Their goal is to help you complete your resume and see you succeed!

However, if some students abuse our coach’s time, take forever to understand the concept, don’t do preparation before you come to the resume review call, or fake your experience on your resume, you may be charged an additional fee. So far this has never happened in our coaching history. :) So do the work, and you will be fine. We will help you out.

After the live 1:1 resume review, if you make some small changes to your resume, you can send it back to our resume coach and ask them to do a quick 5-minute offline review and see if the changes are OK. This is free of charge as well.

However, if you already landed and accepted an offer, start your new job already. Later on, you want our help to land your second PM job. We will charge you for the new resume review fee and access to our coaching program.

When you need to upgrade your career again, contact our team, we will give you an alumni discount rate to land your next high-paying job offer!

5. PMA Study Path

https://www.pmaccelerator.io/studypath

Check Link above for both Aspiring PM and Experienced PM study paths. Walk through the study paths with Dr.Nancy using videos linked on the Study Path page.

6. List PMA In Your School Session on Linkedin and Connect With Your Alumni

1. Put the link to your Linkedin profile in your own Discord Profile.

2. You can list the PM Certification in the education session of Linkedin and/or inthe Experience session: Product Fellow @ Product Manager Accelerator. You can link it to my company's Linkedin page. You will receive the certification after you finish all the 8 modules. Your alumni have the same association with PMAccelerator.

Put the following coursework in the description

Coursework

- Product Roadmaps

- Customer Interviews

- Product Requirement Documentation

- A/B Testing

- Go-to-market Strategy

- System Architecture Design

- Agile Development Process

- Product Success Metrics

3. Click other alumni's profile, locate their LinkedIn profile and send them a friend request.

4. In your connection message to your alumni, you must use the PMA secret code: DancingElephant. For example, Hi Tom, this is Jerry from Dr. Nancy Li' PM Accelerator Program. My favorite movie is DancingElephant.

7. Office Hours Rules

https://www.pmaccelerator.io/office-hour-rules

8. Accountability Strategies

To continuously support our student's entire job-hunting journey, we implemented the following accountability strategies.

Each person who finishes their 1:1 strategy session with me or my coaches, we will record the last 5min or so where we give a summary of the blueprint we created for you, for example, learn module 3 and 4 first, network with 20 people per day and interview with startups in January to warm up, target large companies in Feb ...

Then my team shared the recorded video, AI summary, and video caption in your Discord group chat created by my team.

Every week you proactively update your progress in the Discord channel following the blueprint we layout for you. For example, I finished my product portfolio this weekend, Yay!

Progress also include your interview progress. For example, I moved to the second round at Amazon! If you are not able to make progress some weeks you should still update with my team saying : hey, I'd like to take a mental break this week and continue executing the plan next week. If you don't update the progress, @pmachristine_78379 in my team will give a gentle reminder and check in with you through Discord messages.

Every month, you will join @marla_110323 for monthly check-in calls.

UNTIL you accept an offer~

Let us know if you have any questions.

FAQs

How do office hours / live sessions work?

There are 8 Modules in the program. We cover modules in a loop on Sunday. Each week we focus on 1 module.

When you join the program, we may not be starting on Module 1. You are free to begin going through Module 1 on your own and join the live session as well to learn that week's content.

We have 6 office hours sessions per week

https://www.pmaccelerator.io/office-hours
Senior. PM Office Hours will be Thursdays 8:00pm EST hosted by Dr. Nancy
You should have received calendar invites through your email that contains the Zoom link. If you haven't, please contact Marla/Christine on Discord.

How do I schedule/prepare for mock interviews?

We cover mock interviews as a group during Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday office hours sessions. You can join to practice your answers to the behavioral PM questions list.

Please find the question list in Module 2 Prep-Work and prepare your answer.

If you want to practice product case interviews, please write down your answers and our coaches will provide live review during office hours. Once your skills have improved, coaches will pick some random questions to do mock interviews, but before you are good enough to do it, you must have some prepared answers to review with our coaches. We will tell you if you are ready for the next level.

In addition to office hours mock interviews, you should make a request in the #mock-interviews channel on Discord and find another student to practice with.

I missed office hours, where/when can I review the recording?

All office hour sessions are reocrded except Monday's office hour.

Office hours recordings are posted within 24 hours after the office hours session ends. Recordings are posted here.

Sunday office hours recordings are posted in the corresponding Module # in Kajabi as a new case study. When there is a new case study, we will also cover the old cases as well. [Modules 3-8 have new case studies]. If you can't find the recording, please DM Marla/Christine on Discord (If no Discord group chat has been created under your name, send an email to [email protected]).
Otherwise, send your message on the Discord group chat under your name and ping Marla/Christine.

How do I use Discord?

We use Discord for most of our communication about live group trainings, referrals, and interview preparation.

Our community has a growing culture of learning and sharing. It's a place where you can set up mock interviews or ask for feedback/help in preparing for interviews.

Channel Guide

Announcements

#announcements - quick update for any changes on office hours and live group training

Support

#office-hours - updates on office hours agendas and reminders about submitting questions and completing the prep work
#celebration - post your weekly small wins, enjoy and celebrate your progress
#course-feedback is where you tell us how to improve!

The Community

#accountability - to hold each other accountable to make sure we are maximizing this program
#alumni - community for those who received offers :)
#business-to-pm - a place for business background
#engineer-to-pm - a place for engineer background
#experienced-pm - a place for experienced PM
#general - make introductions and talk about what's happening in the market/industries

Resources

#job-advice - ask questions about starting a new role after accepting an offer
#job-opportunities - job referral opportunities
#mock-interviews - find your mock interview partner here!
#networking - updates on networking events and get feedback on networking pitches
#onboarding - any questions about onboarding
#portfoliodevelopment - ask for help and feedback on product portfolios
#resource-sharing - a place for sharing books, articles, courses, podcasts etc.
#youtube-video - first-hand information about our live!
#web3 - sharing some web3 information
#system-design - ask questions about system design
#30s-elevator-pitch - post and review your pitch right here

Interview Prep

#interview-prep - submit questions about preparing for interviews, ask for feedback on elevator pitches and interview answers, and anything else you need to prepare for interviews
You can join specific FAANG preparation channels #prep-buds-amazon, #prep-buds-google, #prep-buds-facebook, #prep-buds-startup

I have a question about _____, who do I ask?

Onboarding (Kajabi, Office Hours)

Marla/Christine

You can ask questions in your group chat that starts with your first name and last name. Please don’t forget to tag Marla/Christine.

Preparing for an Interview / Interview Feedback

Mentor Soumya Suman

Post in #interview-prep with questions on preparing for an interview and tag Soumya Suman
If you want feedback on your responses during an interview, post in interview-prep and tag Soumya Suman

Networking Questions (LinkedIn, Networking Pitch, Job Search)

Mentor Lee Ann

Post your questions on #networking on Discord and tag Lee Ann

Portfolio

Mentor Dana Zhang

Post the link in #portfolio-development and tag @Portfolio
Any general portfolio questions, post in #portfolio-development and tag @Portfolio

Behavioral PM Interview

Mentor Soumya Suman

Post your answers to behavioral PM interview questions in #interview-prep on Discord and tag @Behavior PM Interview for feedback.

Product Sense

Dr. Nancy Li, Sowmya Rao, and Soumya Suman

Post questions in #interview-prep and tag @Product Sense

Product Metrics

Dr. Nancy Li

Post questions in #interview-prep and tag @Product Metrics.

Take Home Assignment

Mentor Soumya Suman

Post questions in #interview-prep and tag @Take Home Assignment

I messaged or tagged a mentor in Discord, when should I expect a reply?

Mentors Soumya Suman, Lee Ann, and Dana Zhang answer questions in bulk every 2 business days.
Please don't expect an overnight response
Dr. Nancy’s team will filter questions that can only be answered by Dr. Nancy and escalate to her.

Expect low response rates on weekends and national holidays.

I just joined the program, why does my Kajabi have content that says "COMING SOON"?

During the 7-day free trial, you will get access to all the modules from Module 1 to 8 as well as all of our live office hours which happen 3-4 times per week except national holidays, except the downloadable materials from Module 2 to 8, 1:1 resume review and 1:1 strategy session. If you want to get early access to all the above materials and 1:1 sessions, you can sign an early access agreement to confirm that you are satisfied with the program and waive your right to a refund. Then my team will grant you early access.

How do I complete prep-work?

Every week before joining the live office hours session, you must complete the required prep-work to prepare for the content that week. If you can’t finish before the group lesson, please watch it later on.

Go to the Module's Prep-Work section on Kajabi and watch all the videos in the section and complete all the required written preparation.
Go into the #office-hours channel on Discord. Look at the most recent announcement from Monday for the week's case topic and prepare ideas for how you would answer.

What are 1:1 strategy sessions? How do I schedule it?

You are allowed one 1:1 strategy session with your admission to the program! You can schedule one session with any mentor to discuss anything you want - each mentor also has a list of recommended topics. These sessions will last 15-20 minutes.

View the list of mentors and their details and topics here: https://www.drnancyli.com/mentorsession

Schedule your session here: https://forms.gle/uafK15Y1LE3oiK9z8

Requirements

You can only schedule 1 session total (NOT 1 session per mentor)
You don’t need to complete your resume review with our mentor prior to scheduling

If you're interested in additional sessions with mentors, they're also available at a discounted rate. Ping Marla/Christine on Discord for more details.

What other 1:1 sessions can I take advantage of?

You may book your MONTHLY FREE SESSION.

Every month, you get one 1:1 free session with a mentor. You will be given a list of mentors to select from, then you choose from there.
Free session registrations are opened up at the LAST MONDAY OF EACH MONTH and will close on the LAST DAY OF EACH MONTH.
Students may schedule on a first come first serve basis.
Marla makes an announcement about Free Sessions on this Discord page

How do I get my elevator pitch, networking pitch, or PM behavioral interview questions reviewed?

Follow the guide on where to post and who to tag.

Elevator Pitch

Post your elevator pitch for review in the #30s-elevator-pitch on Discord
Tag @Elevator Pitch

Networking Pitch

Post in #networking on Discord
Tag @Networking Questions

Your Answers to PM Behavioral Questions

Post in #interview-prep on Discord
Tag @Behavioral PM interview

Preparing for an Interview / Interview Feedback

Post in #interview-prep on Discord
Tag @Interview Feedback

How do I get my portfolio reviewed?

Submit link in #portfolio-development on Discord
https://discord.com/channels/937194899294548059/937194899294548066
Tag @Portfolio

Who are the mentors?

Mentor page: https://www.drnancyli.com/mentorsession

Here are our current mentors:

Dr. Nancy Li, head of the program and lead mentor
Sherry Wang, Sr. PM @ Microsoft
Al Pineda, TPM @ Facebook
Soumya Suman, Co-Founder @ ProductVision & RPM at PTC
Zerlina Zeng, PM @ AWS
Cheng-Yuan Ke, Sr. PM @ Taelor
Shikha Valsalan, TPM @ Optum
Maya Keekattil, VP of PM @ RiverRock
Mulin Shen, Sr. PM @ Amazon
Atilade Ariba, Co-Founder @ Pins Integrated Solutions & Sr. TPM @ Tucows
Sowmya Subramanian, Product Owner @ Development Seed
Sowmya Rao Donekal, Staff PM @ Intuit
Jacqui Teng, Technical Product Manager @ AmEx
Vatsalya Verma, Product Manager Intern @ AWS
Cami Chen, Senior Technical Product Manager @ CVS Health
Paul Tran, Technical Recruiter @ Expertlead
Minnie Wu, Product Manager @ Cresicor
Euphie Zhou, Product Manager @ CRIO
Tracy Ji | Seasoned Product Manager
Shelly Choudhary | Product Manager at Deloitte
Ke Du | Senior Product Manager at Apple & Amazon
Yumeng Wang | Certified Product Manager|Creative Product Manager|Certified Scrum Master
Anthony Janicas | Senior PM @ GoDaddy
Iris Yuning Ye, Product Lead @ Impartial
Sam Montoya | Sr. AI Product Manager @ Weedmaps
Brian Sun | APM @ Mastercard
Lee Ann Chan | Professional "Career Matchmaker" | Recruitment Expert
Katherine "Kat" Sao | AI Product Manager @ CallMiner

You can directly message mentors, but they may often ask you to post in a Discord channel, so other students can learn as well.

How to see all the Discord channels in the Product Manager Accelerator community server?

Make sure to go to “Product Manager Accelerator” at the top
Click the drop-down triangle
Select “SHOW ALL CHANNELS” to view everything

PM Accelerator Onboarding Guide and FAQ

***Please walk through the onboarding link with Dr.Nancy in this Video ***

5) Study Plan (for no experience/experienced PM)

1. The Basics

Step A: You will receive calendar invites to weekly office hours and live training after we receive your signed contract

Step B: How to access course content?

Step C: Join PMA Discord channel

Step D: Join the New Students Onboarding Session

2. WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR EVERY WEEK

3. Requirements for the 7-Day Trial

Step A: Schedule a new student assessment with Dr.Nancy this Tuesday/Thursday through the office hours sign-up link below ASAP

[1] (North American time zones) 12:30-2pm CST/ 11:30am-1pm MST/ 10:30am-12pm PST

6:30-8pm Central Europe Time

11:00pm-12:30am Inida Time

7:30-9pm Central Africa Time

[2] (North American time zones) 7:00-8:00pm CST/ 6:00-7:00pm MST/ 5:00-6:00pm PST

Friday 8:00-9:00am China time

Friday 5:30-6:30am India time

Friday 11:00am-12:00pm Australia Time

Step B: Attend Dr.Nancy’s live coaching this Sunday 8-11pm EST[3]

[3] SUNDAY OFFICE HOURS TIME CONVERSION (base time is Sunday, 8-11pm EST)

(North American time zones) 7-10pm CST, 6-9pm MST, 5-8pm PST

Monday 8-11am China Time

Monday 5:30-8:30am India Time

Monday 11am-1pm Australia Time

Step C: Watch the three onboarding videos in your course portal

Step D: Limitation and Early Access

4. Get a Customized Strategy in Day 8-15!

Step A: Schedule 20 min 1-1 strategy call with Dr.Nancy (this session must be completed before Day 30)

Step B: Create your 30-second elevator pitch

Step C: Schedule 1 hour 1-1 resume review

5. PMA Study Path

6. List PMA In Your School Session on Linkedin and Connect With Your Alumni

To continuously support our student's entire job-hunting journey, we implemented the following accountability strategies.

FAQs

How do office hours / live sessions work?

How do I schedule/prepare for mock interviews?

I missed office hours, where/when can I review the recording?

How do I use Discord?

Channel Guide

I have a question about _____, who do I ask?

I messaged or tagged a mentor in Discord, when should I expect a reply?

I just joined the program, why does my Kajabi have content that says "COMING SOON"?

How do I complete prep-work?

What are 1:1 strategy sessions? How do I schedule it?

What other 1:1 sessions can I take advantage of?

How do I get my elevator pitch, networking pitch, or PM behavioral interview questions reviewed?

How do I get my portfolio reviewed?

Who are the mentors?

How to see all the Discord channels in the Product Manager Accelerator community server?

Join Our Free Trial

Please walk through the onboarding link with Dr.Nancy in this Video