From Physics Teacher to Product Manager: My EdTech Journey

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# From Physics Teacher to Product Manager: My EdTech Journey

My path to product management started in the classroom, teaching Physics and Mathematics to students. That foundation — understanding how people learn — has become my greatest asset as a Product Manager in EdTech.

The Teaching Foundation

I began my career as a Teaching Specialist on TeacherOn.com, helping students master Physics and Mathematics. Those years in the virtual classroom taught me something crucial: technology can transform learning, but only when designed with real learners in mind.

What teaching taught me:

Every learner is different; one-size-fits-all fails

Engagement comes before content delivery

Immediate feedback accelerates learning

Complexity must be built gradually These insights now drive how I think about educational products.

The Content Bridge

At LMES Academy, I moved from teaching to content development, creating 240+ minutes of educational video content for YouTube India. This was my first experience building at scale.

What content creation revealed:

Quality at scale requires systems, not just talent

User feedback should shape content strategy

Metrics help, but learner outcomes matter more

Team collaboration multiplies individual effort Creating content for thousands of students was product work before I knew the term.

The Transition to Product

Moving to Embibe as Academic Engagement Manager opened my eyes to product thinking. I saw how technology companies approach educational challenges systematically.

Key learnings from Embibe:

Data-driven decisions complement pedagogical expertise

Platform features shape learning behaviors

Scale requires different thinking than individual teaching

User research reveals gaps that assumptions miss This role bridged my teaching background with product management.

Product Management at Xenovex

Today, as Product Manager for EMIS at Xenovex Technologies, I build products for the same educators I once was.

My unique perspective:

I understand teacher workflows because I lived them

I know what frustrates educators because I've felt it

I can translate educational needs into product requirements

I measure success by learning outcomes, not just feature adoption The teacher in me never left; it just found a new classroom.

What Teachers Bring to Product

Former educators make excellent product managers for EdTech. Here's why:

Domain expertise: We understand the problem space deeply, not abstractly.

User empathy: We've been the user. We know the pain points firsthand.

Communication skills: Explaining complex concepts is what we do.

Patience: Learning takes time; so does good product development.

Outcome focus: We measure success by what users achieve, not what features ship.

Advice for Teachers Considering Product

If you're an educator thinking about product management:

Start noticing the products around you: What makes learning tools effective or frustrating?

Embrace data: Supplement your intuition with metrics; they reveal patterns you can't see individually.

Learn the vocabulary: Product management has its own language; learn it to communicate your insights.

Your experience is an asset: Don't hide your teaching background; it's your differentiation.

The path from teacher to product manager isn't common, but it's powerful. The education sector needs product managers who truly understand learning.

Building EdTech Products: Lessons from Both Sides of the Classroom

Yasar skipped presentations and built real AI products.

Yasar Arafath J was part of the January 2025 cohort at Curious PM, alongside 13 other talented participants.