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Telerik Academy Upskill

Become an in-demand
Product Manager
in the IT industry

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Overview

All Product Management skills packed in one program

Master today's leading product management practices in the most comprehensive hands-on training. Learn from renowned practitioners leading globally successful products and companies.

If you are a Product Manager at the beginning of your career or have relevant experience and want to switch careers, this program is right for you
You'll learn Product Management as implemented in the leading software product companies
Upon graduation, you’ll be able to manage the end-to-end software product development process - from start to finish

Program duration

3 months. You can combine the program with your job or studies

Lectures

2 evenings/week - Monday and Wednesday (7:00-10:00 pm). Start: March 10

Commitment

6+ hrs/week plus self-prep time and optional team consultation (every weekend). 2 weeks of vacation

Format

Lectures will be held online. Onsite networking events (optional)

Language

Conducted in Bulgarian, but all learning materials are in English

Have any questions?

Ask our experts for valuable insights about the program. Submit your question!

Advantages

Unparalleled
learning experience

1The most complete Product Management program For 15+ years, we’ve been perfecting our programs with a fanatic focus on quality and practical experience. So you can supercharge your career in 3 months vs. years with other courses.

2Unique learning experience At par with the leading international programs, minus the impressive price tag. Our holistic program reinvigorates online training. It is meticulously crafted and paced to keep you constantly engaged and to accelerate your progress.

3Instantly transferable skills Work on real-world projects and master new techniques, tools and frameworks you can immediately apply at your job. Level up your career.

4Learning from the best Get access to some of Bulgaria’s best experts and brightest minds, who share real-life experience and know-how and become your mentors. Guiding you every step of the way.

5Strong professional network Work in groups with ambitious like-minded professionals, where you learn from each other, and expand your knowledge and skills. A powerful network that will boost your career.

6Investment in yourself Set yourself apart both inside your company and in the job market. Our alumni share the program pays for itself many times over with the opportunities it creates.

100% success, 100% confidence

15+

years experience

100%

consider their Telerik Academy
education a good investment in
their professional development

100%

confidence in the value of the
program and its impact on the
life of the students

The role of the Product Manager

Product Managers are crucial for the success of IT companies. They drive the strategy behind new products and managе the product development process from idea to creation.

Product Managers bridge the gap between user needs and business opportunities.

They collaborate with various domains, work on exciting new ideas and solve complex problems.

Both rewarding and challenging, the role is at the heart of product software companies.

Product Managers can come from various backgrounds: tech or business, and are highly sought-after professionals worldwide.

Application

Is this for me? Yes, if you're

Product Manager at the beginning of your career
Entrepreneur, Project Manager, Business Analyst, Marketer or a Software Engineer eager to switch careers
Company looking to upskill your employees. Get in touch

Do I need previous experience?

You must have at least 1+ years of relevant experience.

How can I apply?

Submit your online application
Pass an online test on product management fundamentals 
Some candidates might also be invited to attend an interview

Timeline*

nov
dec
jan
feb
mar
apr
may
jun

Nov 14 - Mar 5 | Submit CV and application form
Nov 14 - Mar 5 | Take
online product management test
Mar 10 - Jun 18 |
Study at Telerik Academy Upskill

Important dates

Nov 14 - Mar 5 | Submit CV and application form
Nov 14 - Mar 5 | Take online product management test
Mar 10 - Jun 18 | Study at Telerik Academy Upskill

*Dates, timeline and curriculum are subject to updates.

Program details

Тhe Upskill program at a glance

Hands-on
training
Tailored learning
experience
Learning online
from anywhere
Two-week trial
period
Built to fit
your schedule

Hands-on training

Every topic is paired with hands-on assignments, covering the complete product management process. The culmination - you’ll create a full-blown PM strategy and present it in front of your trainers and fellow learners.

Tailored learning experience

Class sizes are up to 35-45 people for the best possible learning experience. Our trainers become your mentors - track your progress, provide feedback, give you individual and team support and guide you all the way through.

Learning online from anywhere

Enjoy an unparalleled program from the comfort of your home. We transitioned every aspect online to keep the same renowned high quality, engaging experience and hands-on training. You can attend optional networking events.

Two-week trial period

Be 100% confident this is the right training for you, with our thorough candidate selection and two-week trial period. If you drop out in the first two weeks after the program starts, you won’t pay any tuition. Simple as that.

Built to fit your schedule

With classes 2 nights a week and optional team consultations every Saturday, this Upskill program allows you to balance all your responsibilities. Perfectly fitting your busy schedule.

Validated by the industry

Curriculum

Meticulously designed curriculum

Crafted in collaboration with the business, our Upskill Product Management program equips you with the skills companies demand.

01Weeks 1-2
02Weeks 3-4
03Weeks 5-6
04Weeks 7-8
05Weeks 9-11
06Weeks 12-13
07Weeks 14-15
08Graduation

Product management fundamentals

Get familiar with the product lifecycle, the product management phases and product-market fit
Populate the lean canvas for your product and start validating your hypotheses by talking to prospective customers

Market research

Learn about the different types of research and where to find research data
Put what you have learned into practice and find reliable sources of data for your industry

Customer interviews. Customers segments and personas

Learn how to structure the problem, validation interview
Define and prioritize the customer segments
Create the primary persona for your product and get familiar with the best practices for conducting persona validation

Customer needs

Understand the applications of Jobs to be Done

Managing creativity in product development

Learn more about Design Thinking
Learn different brainstorming methods that cover generation, co-creation and evaluation of ideas and use them in a creative brainstorming workshop with your team

Value proposition. Competitive analysis

Design the value proposition. Define performance, must-have and delighted features for your product
Gain a good understanding of data sources and tactics you can use to analyze competitors
Learn what types of competitors you have
Gather data and conduct a product and strategy comparison

Financials and pricing

Get familiar with basic concepts in accounting and finance
Understand key principles applied in pricing
Prepare market size estimates
Learn how business models are built

Product strategy

Differentiate between the four types of innovation
Get familiar with the CHASM model
Learn how to make strategic decisions about pivoting and pricing

Vacation

One week free of classes to unwind. You’ll be able to further strengthen your skills through team assignments.

Mid-term project presentation

Present your current findings in front of your trainers and fellow learners, explaining all steps of the process

Testing the biggest risks

Identify your riskiest assumptions and get tips and tricks on how to test your ideas

Technology for Product Managers

Get familiar with the types of applications and application architecture in software development
Learn how to collaborate effectively with the engineering team

Prototyping. Solution validation

Discover how to create your own prototype and what tools you can use
Get familiar with UX principles and best practices
Master structuring solutions validation interviews

Frameworks and methodologies

Get familiar with the most popular frameworks and methodologies in software development: Scrum, Agile, Kanban and Waterfall

Backlog Development

Define use cases, user journeys, epics, stories, tasks, chores

Vacation

One week free of classes to unwind. You’ll be able to further strengthen your skills through team assignments

OKRs and Roadmaps

Learn how to define and align Objectives and Key Results (OKRs)
Build your product roadmap

Metrics and analytics

Learn how to choose useful metrics
Define a North Star metric for your product
Learn how to conduct data-driven product optimization
Design, run and analyze A/B experiments

Collaborating with your stakeholders

Learn how to identify and understand your stakeholders
Define a strategy to influence them to build your product
Define what the marketing team needs from product managers
Get acquainted with the marketing funnel concept and marketing strategy basics

Innovation and Disruption

Get familiar with the basic tenets of disruptive innovation
Learn how and when to use innovation and disruption to make your business grow

Final project presentation

By the end of the program, you will have developed a complete Product Management strategy, using everything you’ve learned throughout the program
You will present it in front of your trainers and fellow learners, explaining all steps in the process

Graduation

Congratulations! You’ve successfully completed the Upskill Product Management program.

Upon graduation, you will receive a Telerik Academy certificate – widely recognized in Bulgaria.

Your team

Leading industry
experts – your trainers

Learn from the best. You'll be trained by leading practitioners eager to share their know-how and experience.

Lead
trainer

Nikolay Kazmin

Co-founder and CTO,
Domestina

Contributed to the success of:
Philanthropedia, GuideStar

Nikolay has extensive experience as an entrepreneur. Currently, he's the CTO and co-founder of the cleaning platform Domestina. He's proficient both in technology (MSc) as well as in business (EMBA). He introduced the course Product Management at AUBG and is teaching at both bachelor's and master's levels.

Guest
lecturers

Svetozar Georgiev

Co-founder, Telerik, Telerik Academy & Campus X

Contributes to the success of:
the BG startup ecosystem

Svetozar is a co-founder of Telerik, Telerik Academy and Campus X. He is an active angel investor in up-and-coming Bulgarian startups and an active mentor to young entrepreneurs. He is a Chairman of the board of the Bulgarian Startup Association BESCO.

Alex Marinov

Senior Product Manager

Contributed to the success of:
Glassdoor, Alliance Data, AT&T, Uber

Alex is a Product Manager with 10+ years of experience at software and internet companies including AMPECO, Uber, Glassdoor, Epsilon/Alliance Data and Microsoft. He's passionate about solving real-life problems through technology for the benefit of millions of people around the world and he finds inspiration in the art of making something out of nothing.

Emil Tabakov

Product Manager,
Icanpreneur

Contributed to the success of:
Coursera, Progress, Telerik

Emo has more than 10 years of experience in the Software Development field. He has a solid technical background as a software engineer and leader of engineering teams with all kind of technologies. Recently, he enjoys the role of a Product Manager at Coursera - a leading world-wide online learning platform, focused on revolutionary hands-on learning experience.

Elina Zheleva

CEO,
launchlabs Sofia

Contributed to the success of:
ING, Accenture, Telenor, Roche

Elina has 13+ years of experience in international Project Management, Strategy, Finance and Biz Dev before converting to design thinking in 2013. Since then, she has melted design and business disciplines to create a unique launchlabs approach to redesigning organizations into more customer-centric and innovative workplaces. She has worked with clients world-wide, including ING, Accenture, Telenor, Roche. Elina and her team will have the pleasure to co-facilitate the class on "Managing Creativity in Product Development."

Ivaylo Ivanov

VP of Product Management,
CleverTap

Contributed to the success of:
Progress, Telerik

Ivailo is an experienced B2B Product Manager focused on product strategy and data-driven product planning. Currently he is leading the Product Management org at CleverTap, implementing best practices and supporting PMs' career development.

Antoaneta Tsaneva

VP Product and Product Design,
Quantive

Contributed to the success of:
Telerik, Progress, HP, Lucrat

Product and design leader with over 17 years of expertise in developing and leading product and design organisations, developing and executing UX and product strategy. Committed to effectively leading product and design teams and operations. Enjoys mentoring and advising individuals and startups to help them grow.

Ivo Kanev

Product Builder,
Tiger Health

Contributed to the success of:
PAY.COM, Nuvei, PhoneArena, OneBit Software

Ivo is a seasoned product leader who has built and launched one of the first disposable virtual card solutions in a fintech product. He had two successful exits, and he now advises a number of companies in the fintech and digital healthcare industries.

Alexander Kitov

VP of Product,
Telerik Academy

Contributed to the success of:
ZenGo, Paysafe, betahaus

Alexander has over 12 years of experience as a product manager and entrepreneur. Before joining Telerik Academy, he worked for Paysafe and ZenGo. Before that, Alex co-founded betahaus (the first coworking space in BG home to startups and freelancers) and Perpetto, an ML-driven product discovery and personalization software. His responsibilities today cover the full product management spectrum - from upgrading Telerik Academy products and services to developing entirely new ones.

Nikolay Georgiev

Senior Product Marketing Manager, Bynder

Contributed to the success of:
Brithish American Tabacco, BRITVIC PLC

Nikolay brings over 14 years of marketing experience spanning B2B, B2C, and various industries including FMCG and tech. He has held marketing roles at local, regional, and global levels in both large multinational corporations and smaller businesses. Currently, Nikolay is based on Amsterdam and works at Bynder, a leading scale-up recognized as a leader in the DAM industry by Forrester.

Vesna Stojanovska

Senior Growth Product Manager,
Insurify

Contributed to the success of:
Skyscanner, Progress, Telerik

Vesna has 12+ years of experience in managing and scaling products. She is a Senior Growth Product Manager at Insurify. Previously, she has helped Skyscanner in speeding and scaling the search results and acted as a division manager at Telerik and Progress, driving their B2B and SaaS solutions. She has built successful products from their inception, validation and the entire product delivery lifecycle.

Hristo Pentchev

Site Lead Bulgaria and Director of Product Development Operations,
CleverTap

Contributed to the success of:
Leanplum, Microsoft, IT Inkubator

As a Director of Product Development Operations, Hristo coordinates CleverTap’s product teams to deliver high-quality software on time. With over 15 years of tech experience, he has a diverse entrepreneurship and program management background. Previously, he led Leanplum ProdDev (acquired by CleverTap in 2022). Hristo also worked as a software engineer at Microsoft, COO at a German startup incubator, and lead organizer of Techstars Startup Weekend.

Ivana Gancheva

Business Agility Catalyst,
Mobius Ways

Contributed to the success of:
Deutsche Bank, Lastminute.com, SINTEF Digital, Ocado Technology

Ivana has been in the Agile/Lean field for over a decade. She is helping companies reinvent their organizational culture and business growth, and become adaptive and learning organizations. She coaches and mentors decision-makers, C-level corporate executives, leaders, Product Managers and teams, who have the passion and intent to disrupt the status quo and enable genuine growth.

Kalina Maneva

Director of Product Management, Chaos

Contributed to the success of:
Telerik, Progress, Netage Solutions

Kalina is a strategic Product Manager with a track record of bringing innovative products to market and scaling them to profitability. Currently leading Cloud solutions at Chaos. Previously contributed to the success of Content Management and CRM platforms at Telerik and Netage Solutions. She's passionate about shaping product strategy that turns user needs into scalable, intuitive, and insight-driven solutions.

Alumni Success

Changing lives. Powering businesses

Valentin Tchergarsky

Senior Product Manager

Healee

(Class of 2020)

This is a world-class training, covering both in theory and practice all key areas of Product Management. It features interactive and dynamic lectures, led by brilliant experts. I highly recommend it to any individual wishing to start or upskill as a PM professional.

Nikolay Drumev

Product Manager

PubGalaxy

(Class of 2020)

The program was very comprehensive and conducted in a way that helped me understand the material, even though I had little direct prior experience. It nurtured me to achieve and learn a lot more than I would expect from any course, and most importantly it boosted my career jumpstart as a Product Manager.

Sophia Takeva

Business Analyst

BDO Global IT

In 3 months, I acquired new knowledge and skills, while working alongside a great group of professionals. Even if you are an experienced Product Manager you can still learn a lot from the lecturers, who are successful experts and entrepreneurs leading their companies and PM teams.

Bernhard Niebsch

Head of Product

Paysafe

Telerik Academy’s reputation speaks for itself. Aspiring product professionals and even more seasoned Product Managers will find the program extremely valuable. The product profession constantly grows and evolves, while some fundamentals never age. So, having the opportunity to learn something new or re-discover something you thought you knew, will make you a better Product Manager.

Richard Haywood

Head of

Ocado Technology Sofia

The program covers a range of Product Management essentials which will empower people to start or continue their Product Management journey. It is great that Telerik Academy is offering this course as I am sure that many people will find it both interesting and very useful.

Stefan Stefanov

Senior Manager, Product Management and Product Marketing

Progress

For everyone looking to get into the world of Product Management this course, taught by the professionals at Telerik Academy, is the best place to gain practical experience in today's leading practices for Product Management.

FAQ

Do I need any previous product management experience?

The program is designed for both junior Product Managers and professionals who have at least 1+ years of experience in fields such as project management, business analysis, marketing, or software engineering.

Whether you are a Product Manager at the beginning of his/her career, an entrepreneur who wants to advance in product management, or you are looking for a career switch and have relevant experience, this program will equip you with in-depth understanding and practical experience to help you manage the product development process from scratch and advance in your career.

Can I choose between online and onsite training?

Due to COVID-19, the program will be held online. While we transitioned the program online, we kept everything else unchanged - same high-quality training, engaging learning experience and 100% focus on practice. You will have online lectures 2 times a week, optional consultation for each team (every Saturday) and optional onsite networking events.

Please note that attendance is key to our students’ successful graduation. Participants must attend all classes. Up to 3 days of absence are allowed, plus the program has 2 one-week vacations.

How much does the training cost and what are the payment methods?

The tuition fee for Telerik Academy Upskill Product Management is BGN 4 700. The fee could be either covered by you or your employer. In both cases, the fee is paid via bank transfer prior to the program's start.

Another tuition fee option is to pay in installments with a loan from a bank, partner of Telerik Academy. You can benefit from a deferred payment over 12-24 months’ period.

Do you offer discounts for the NGO (Not-for-profit) sector?

Yes, if you are a candidate working in the NGO sector, you can apply for a 90% discount off the tuition fee (two per cohort).

You must submit your Upskill Product Management application and follow the requirements for candidate selection. If you are invited to join the program, your employer will be required to sign a contract with Telerik Academy and cover 10% of the regular tuition fee for the program.

Please note that the candidate selection process evaluates the candidate’s profile, not the NGO’s.

What does the online product management test include?

The test aims to assess your general knowledge across 3 domains: IT Project Management, Market Research, Competitor Research, and consists of 27 closed-ended questions. It will be accessible after your complete your application. Once started, you’ll have 30 minutes to do the test.

What is the candidate selection process?

We use a holistic review process when evaluating applicants for admission. The final selection of candidates is not based on a simple formula of grades and test scores. Instead, we consider a variety of factors: application documents, online product management test results, personal motivation for applying, etc.

Some candidates might also be invited to attend an interview to additionally discuss their motivation and aspirations. Interviews focus on candidates’ motivation and aspirations and determine if the program is appropriate for each candidate based on their needs, expectations and experience.

What is the length/cadence of the program? Can I balance it with work or studies?

To get the most out of the program, you’ll need to immerse yourself in it for 3 months. To recharge your batteries, you’ll have 2 weeks of vacation.

With classes 2 nights a week, this most complete hands-on Product Management program makes it possible to also balance work or other responsibilities. You can attend optional team consultations with your team and the program's lead trainer.

What does “two-week trial period” mean?

If you drop out of the program within the trial period, which is in the first 2 weeks of the program, you won't pay any tuition.

Does Telerik Academy help alumni find new jobs after successful graduation?

As this is an Upskill program, it isn’t geared towards connecting learners and businesses. But the skills and experience you gain will help you excel in your career and/or find a new job, just like it helped our alumni reach their career goals.

Have other questions?

Drop us a line and we'll get back to you shortly.

Get updates on next admission

Notify me

Become an in-demand Product Manager in the IT industry

All Product Management skills packed in one program

Program duration

Lectures

Commitment

Format

Language

Have any questions?

Unparalleled learning experience

100% success, 100% confidence

The role of the Product Manager

Application

Is this for me? Yes, if you're

Do I need previous experience?

How can I apply?

Timeline*

Important dates

Тhe Upskill program at a glance

Validated by the industry

Meticulously designed curriculum

Product management fundamentals

Market research

Customer interviews. Customers segments and personas

Customer needs

Managing creativity in product development

Value proposition. Competitive analysis

Financials and pricing

Product strategy

Vacation

Mid-term project presentation

Testing the biggest risks

Technology for Product Managers

Prototyping. Solution validation

Frameworks and methodologies

Backlog Development

Vacation

OKRs and Roadmaps

Metrics and analytics

Collaborating with your stakeholders

Innovation and Disruption

Final project presentation

Graduation

Leading industry experts – your trainers

Lead trainer

Guest lecturers

Changing lives. Powering businesses

Tuition model

Pay in installments

BGN 211/month

Pay in full

BGN 4,700

Terms tailored to your needs

FAQ

Do I need any previous product management experience?

Can I choose between online and onsite training?

How much does the training cost and what are the payment methods?

Do you offer discounts for the NGO (Not-for-profit) sector?

What does the online product management test include?

What is the candidate selection process?

What is the length/cadence of the program? Can I balance it with work or studies?

What does “two-week trial period” mean?

Does Telerik Academy help alumni find new jobs after successful graduation?

Have other questions?

Get updates on next admission

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Become an in-demand
Product Manager
in the IT industry

Unparalleled
learning experience

Leading industry
experts – your trainers

Lead
trainer

Guest
lecturers

Terms tailored
to your needs