GAIN PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE. LAND A JOB.
SIDE PRJCT ACCELERATOR
for aspiring product managers, designers and engineers.
Shipping an impactful side project can be challenging especially if it is your very first experience. How to select the idea? How to define the right scope? How to identify the most important focus areas? What are the success metrics? What is the tech stack?
At the same time, it is really crucial to be able to demonstrate your product, design or eng sense in order to get your first role.
We get it. That's why we created SP Accelerator program, where together with like-minded peers and the experienced product, design, and technical mentors on your side you will be able to build a project that could bring your career to the next level.
Sprint Cohort starts on May 22nd 2021. Secure your spot before the prices go up on March 22nd.
IS SP ACCELERATOR RIGHT FOR YOU?
FUNDAMENTALS / EDUCATION
PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE / WORK WITH CROSS-FUNCTIONAL TEAM
COACHING / INTERVIEW PREP
COMMUNITY
WHAT WOULD YOU GET OUT OF THE PROGRAM?
Doing a career transition is hard and lonely. Working with your peers who are going through the same challenges makes a huge difference. Work in small cross-functional teams of 5 members to build a portfolio project.
HANDS-ON SUPPORT
We provide you with a framework and structure to help you build a meaningful side project and gain the necessary knowledge to land your desired job.
NETWORK
We give you access to mentors, who are experienced product managers, designers, and engineers. Once you form a team, Product and Technical mentors would be assigned to your team!
As a hiring manager for aspiring PMs and Designers, I look at side projects as the most critical piece.
Allan Hui, Product at PayPal, Twitch/Amazon, Weather Underground, Microsoft. Judge at Accelerator Demo Day
SIDE PRJCT ACCELERATOR
is the first program of its kind where you can be learning by doing under the supervision of experienced industry mentors.
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Curated resources and tools
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Weekly mentorship sessions
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Multiple office hours offered by the pool of mentors every week
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Bi-weekly cohort progress check-ins
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Weekly cohort happy hours
PMs & DESIGNERs TRACK
$999
START 02/06/2021
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12-WEEKS PROGRAM FEATURING PROBLEM RESEARCH, PROTOTYPE TESTING, AND MVP DEVELOPMENT PHASES.
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MENTORSHIP BY A PRODUCT AND TECHNICAL TEAM MENTORS AND ACCESS TO THE POOL OF MENTORS
DEVELOPERs TRACK
$499
START 03/06/2021
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8-WEEKS PROGRAM FEATURING PROTOTYPE TESTING, AND MVP DEVELOPMENT PHASES.
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MENTORSHIP BY A TECHNICAL MENTOR AND ACCESS TO THE POOL OF MENTORS
Sprint Cohort starts on May 22nd 2021. Secure your spot before the prices go up on March 22nd.
Kuhuk Goyal,
Product Manager, Nomis Solutions
Lyndsi Lee,
UX Designer, ExamSoft
Side Prjct really helped me to not only build the skills I needed to be able to navigate the job search process in UX design, but it also gave me the confidence to know that I would be a truly great fit for the job.
Michael Chen,
Software Engineer, Igedla
Joining SidePrjct was one of the best decisions I've made as a junior software engineer coming out of a coding bootcamp. I was able to gain real-world experience working in a structured team environment with a Product manager, designers, and experienced mentors. This filled in the missing gap from coding bootcamp.
Before joining SidePrjct's first accelerator cohort, I had been an Associate Product Manager and was frustrated at my slow career progress. In just a few months since completing it, I have been promoted and increased my salary by nearly 40k.
WHAT OUR ALUMNI SAY
OUR MENTORS ARE EXPERTS FROM THE LEADING COMPANIES AND MOST INNOVATIVE TECH STARTUPS
WHAT OUR ALUMNI SAY
Harmony Jackson,
Aspiring Product Designer
Participating in the SIDE PRJCT was an invaluable experience. When I started my design journey, there was so much information available and it was hard to cut through the noise and figure out what was worth spending my time on. Luckily, I applied to SIDE PRJCT right when the program opened, and I learned so much about what it truly means to be a Product Designer. I went into it only knowing the theory and left with a project I’m proud of. It’s more than just a case study or portfolio building. It’s a program that pushes you to create your best work possible, and I recommend it for anyone who’s serious about getting into Product.
Prashant Arya,
Aspiring Product Manager
Finding out about SIDE PRJCT and participating in the 1st cohort was the best decision I've made in 2020!
I found a great community of colleagues with the same drive for learning product management and design. Managing work and developing weekly deliverables was intense, but the guidance from mentors and the slack community support was incredibly helpful. We are currently planning to launch our MVP and still have the support of the cohort's alumni and mentors. With hands-on practical experience, SidePrjct is undoubtedly 10x better than any other program on Product Management I came across.
Allison Kasala,
Aspiring Product Manager
I had such a great experience during the Side Prjt Accelerator Program. It got me out of my comfort zone and helped me grow both as a person and in my career. Going through the process of creating a solution and turning it into a product with guidance and feedback from mentors helped me properly learn and better understand the role of a Product Manager. Having a supportive cohort to turn to and a UX counterpart to share ideas and work through roadblockers made the experience even better. I’ll admit, the journey was stressful and challenging but rewarding at the same time. I definitely recommend this program for those who are aspiring Product Managers as it improves your leadership skills as well as exercise a PM mindset.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WHEN SHOULD I CONSIDER JOINING SP ACCELERATOR?
If you are an aspiring PM, designer, or engineer in the midst of career change and you want to build a side project to add to your portfolio but do not really know where to start and how to structure it, by joining our accelerator you will be able to deliver a successful side project, get feedback from industry professionals and maximize your ROI..
DO I HAVE TO HAVE AN IDEA FOR SIDE PROJECT?
No! In order to join the SP Accelerator, you do not have to have an idea already. We will help you find the right idea to execute. If you have an idea, this is great too, we will support you to scope it so that you can have a tangible deliverable by the end of the program.
DO I NEED TO HAVE A TEAM TO BE ABLE TO JOIN?
No. We will help you find the right teammates and make sure you're not under- or oversubscribed so you're not spending too much time on people management.
HOW MANY PEOPLE CAN JOIN THE ACCELERATOR?
We're admitting a maximum of 25 participants to make sure you have all the support you need to deliver a successful project. We will form around 5-6 teams with 3-5 members.
WHAT IS A DEMO DAY?
You will be able to present your side project and receive helpful feedback from a panel of experienced product managers, designers, and engineers. It is a fantastic opportunity for you to extend your network as well.
WHAT KIND OF SUPPORT DO I GET?
Throughout the program, you will have access to highly curated resources. You will have weekly sessions with an experienced mentor dedicated to your project. Additionally, you will have access to a pool of experienced mentors, who will offer regular 1-1 office hours or group working sessions.
WHAT SHOULD BE MY TIME COMMITMENT?
In order to get the most value from this accelerator program, we recommend you spend at least 8-12 hours per week.
WHAT IS THE COST OF THE PROGRAM?
The accelerator program fee for PM and Design Track $999 USD and for Developer Track $499 USD for the Virtual Winter 2021 program covers the bare minimum cost of operating the sessions and administering the program.