Background and Context
The Product Leadership Accelerator (PLA) was a 12-week intensive program designed to strengthen product management talent across Africa. It specifically targeted Associate Product Managers with 0–2 years of experience, equipping them with the knowledge, frameworks, and certification to ramp up quickly and add value in their organizations.
The program combined mentorship from industry specialists, practical case studies across fintech, health, oil & gas, education, and manufacturing, and a curriculum that bridged customer needs, market signals, and technology execution.
The overarching vision was twofold:
- Address the gap in university systems and training, which often neglects product management as a discipline.
- Seize Africa’s digital transformation opportunity, preparing world-class product managers to serve both local industries and potentially export talent globally.
Objectives of Partnering with B4B
When engaging B4B, the PLA’s program team sought:
- Professional, industry-aligned content that required little oversight.
- Content maturity that matched the standards expected by global industry specialists.
- A seamless workflow that would allow facilitators to focus on delivery, not building slides.
- Relatable, case-driven content that fellows could connect directly to real work scenarios.
“We wanted a partner who would give us peace of mind; someone we could trust to deliver at a high standard without handholding. That’s what B4B gave us.” — Nkem Nweke, Product Coach and Lead Facilitator.
Solution Delivered by B4B Partners
B4B delivered end-to-end content design and facilitator support, including:
- Professionally structured slide decks with clear guidance and guardrails for facilitators.
- Integration of modern product management tools and indigenous case studies, making content relatable for diverse fellows.
- A delivery model that cut facilitator prep time by 80%, freeing faculty to focus on teaching.
- Early and consistent provision of high-quality content, minimizing revisions, and easing program administration.
“The materials really infused modern tools and relatable examples. Facilitators—both local and global, were able to deliver content seamlessly and in a way fellows could immediately apply.” — Osa Awani, Product Leader and Mentor.
Results and Impact
The content produced by B4B was a critical enabler of PLA’s success:
- Facilitator efficiency: Reduced prep time by 80% across the board.
- Participant engagement: Fellows engaged more actively, linking concepts to real scenarios. Many requested ongoing access to materials post-program.
- Program credibility: The content’s clarity and professionalism reinforced the Accelerator’s standing as a world-class initiative.
- Seamless delivery: Facilitators reported minimal need for tweaks, describing the content as “clear, concise, and immediately usable.”
Key Insights and Learnings
- Vendor alignment is key: Choosing a partner that understood both the problem and the solution significantly reduced the team’s burden.
- Clarity and relatability drive success: The structured slides and local case studies ensured concepts were accessible and applicable.
- Time is a constraint: Earlier vendor engagement could have allowed more facilitator feedback cycles.
- Need for live practice: While scenarios were included, time constraints meant some were rushed. Future cohorts should integrate longer, in-session exercises to measure immediate outcomes.
Feedback and Future Collaboration
- “Working with B4B was seamless. Their maturity and professionalism stood out. Communication throughout curriculum development was smooth, and I’d recommend them for any similar program.” — Nkem Nweke, Product Coach and Lead Facilitator.
- “The efficiency gains from vendor-curated content were immense. It saved our lean team time and energy, making the program smoother overall.” — Osa Awani, Product Leader and Mentor.
Looking ahead, PLA plans to:
- Broaden the audience to include entry-level participants and senior managers.
- Integrate more live, practical exercises into sessions.
- Continue using vendor partnerships for curriculum design to maintain efficiency and quality.
Final Remarks
The Product Leadership Accelerator marked a milestone in elevating product management skills across Africa. With B4B’s content support, facilitators could focus on teaching, fellows could connect lessons to practice, and the program delivered on its vision of producing industry-ready product leaders.
PLA and B4B’s partnership demonstrated the power of combining visionary programming with professional, high-quality content design, setting the stage for future iterations that will shape Africa’s product management landscape.
Let’s work together to create a customised program for your team. Drop us a message here or email hello@b4b.partners.
You can also get early access to our next Revenue Xcelerator cohort, an intensive training program for businesses and teams ready to scale smarter. Let’s help you build your own revenue engine.
