Breaking into Product Management (PM) can feel like mission impossible: you need PM experience to get the role, but you need the role to get experience. We built Product Academy to bridge this gap. Designed as a hands-on, immersive pathway, the 12-week programme equips people from diverse tech backgrounds, with the strategy, frameworks, and cross-functional network needed to lead high-impact teams.

Two Product Managers reveal how navigating different paths through the Product Academy shaped their roles, along with key takeaways and advice for aspiring PMs.

The Wise Product Academy Experience at a Glance 

What does it actually take to make a career leap into product management at Wise? Meet Riine Heinsalu and Marta Napa as they share their Product Academy journeys, what drew them to the program, and how they scaled into their roles today. 

Mastering the Product Mindset

Transitioning into product management requires a big shift in mindset, moving from isolated execution to problem solving. For technical backgrounds, the Product Academy teaches how to strip away over-engineering in favor of simple, direct solutions. 

“Simplicity is key,” says Riine. “To find the biggest problem, go to where it’s apparent. Talk to customers, solve their problems for real by actually picking up the phone when they call or text. To then figure out what the #1 problem is, combine your real boots on the ground investigation with data and some more reading of customer contacts to build up the conviction.”

Equally central is applying frameworks directly to live projects rather than studying theory. By working on an active product challenge throughout the 12-week programme, participants test and refine every lesson on real team objectives. Beyond individual skills, the Academy builds strong cross-functional networks. Marta notes: “One of the most valuable outcomes was understanding how Wise operates and building a network across different domains. The PMs who led our sessions, as well as the other Academy participants who still work at Wise, became familiar faces I could reach out to. The hands-on approach was equally valuable. I was assigned a real project and used it throughout the programme, applying each week’s lessons directly to the same project.”

Steering Through Complexity: Lessons in Ownership & Prioritization 

Moving from engineering for Riine meant learning to sit with the feeling of not fixing everything herself, while still being responsible for getting it done. She isn't writing code or negotiating; she ensures the ship moves in the right direction, with everyone rowing together to reach the destination faster. Trying out roles like compliance specialist and analyst during the Academy gave her a deep understanding of what makes each team tick and how to collaborate efficiently today.

As a Product Manager, Marta Napa quickly realized that she often has many different topics competing for your attention at the same time. “Navigating a constant stream of incoming demands across complex domains can easily become overwhelming if you try to tackle everything at once.” The Academy helped her map out the true breadth of a PM’s responsibilities, clarifying what is fundamentally expected of the role day-to-day. 

By combining broad hands-on experience across different functions with a clear grasp of core Product Manager expectations, both Riine and Marta have learned to rise above day-to-day noise. Ultimately, their growth through the Academy equips them to steer their teams through complexity with focus, alignment, and purpose. 

Advice for Future Applicants 

If you are considering applying to the Product Academy, our Product Managers share three core recommendations for putting your best foot forward:

Embrace Curiosity and Step Outside Your Comfort Zone: Be open to continuous learning, experiment freely, and don't hesitate to jump into completely unfamiliar industries.

Methodically Train Your "Product Muscle": Take any ambiguous real-world problem, like improving international payments, and practice breaking it down systematically into smaller, manageable pieces.

Enjoy the Challenge: View product development at Wise as an engaging puzzle, a complex, rewarding Rubik's cube where navigating ambiguity is part of the fun.