Who am I?
I'm a Product Manager in South Africa. I'm passionate about software and specifically the mobile app space. There's quite a well developed software industry in SA and I'm gung-ho for contributing and making it better.
What I'm doing?
There are two projects which I'm running in my not-paid-for spare time: starting a Product Managers association in SA and a 'Netflix' for books.
South Africa doesn't have great access to books (expensive) and the public reading infrastructure is poor. I believe you are what you read and for our people to grow and develop, we need inexpensive access to top reading material and hence I started the John Galt Library: www.johngaltlibrary.com. One of our niches is in the collection of software books I make available. If you're serious about software development there is a 'biblical' list one should read and I'm continuously investing in adding these books to the library. Attending BoS would help me, and indirectly help others, to find the best software reads.
Product Management is not a well known discipline in South Africa (even in software circles). I've really found a calling in it as a vocation and am gathering together other Product Managers and folk who perform product management functions in order that we can all learn from each other and collectively lift our game. Attending BoS is a definite product management skill enhancer which I intend to share with Product Managers in SA.
Why I can't come?
Cost. From Johannesburg, it's a long expensive flight - 21hrs. Accommodation and conference fee are even more than the flight. The 7:1 exchange rate doesn't help either :-p
Thanks
Neil, I've followed BoS for a while now. Its a great resource so thanks for the initiative.
What I'm doing? There are two projects which I'm running in my not-paid-for spare time: starting a Product Managers association in SA and a 'Netflix' for books.
South Africa doesn't have great access to books (expensive) and the public reading infrastructure is poor. I believe you are what you read and for our people to grow and develop, we need inexpensive access to top reading material and hence I started the John Galt Library: www.johngaltlibrary.com. One of our niches is in the collection of software books I make available. If you're serious about software development there is a 'biblical' list one should read and I'm continuously investing in adding these books to the library. Attending BoS would help me, and indirectly help others, to find the best software reads.
Product Management is not a well known discipline in South Africa (even in software circles). I've really found a calling in it as a vocation and am gathering together other Product Managers and folk who perform product management functions in order that we can all learn from each other and collectively lift our game. Attending BoS is a definite product management skill enhancer which I intend to share with Product Managers in SA.
Why I can't come? Cost. From Johannesburg, it's a long expensive flight - 21hrs. Accommodation and conference fee are even more than the flight. The 7:1 exchange rate doesn't help either :-p
Thanks Neil, I've followed BoS for a while now. Its a great resource so thanks for the initiative.
Adriano adriano(at)johngaltlibrary.com