Product Management Lessons from a Doctor: Dr. Pal’s Playbook for Product Success
When I moved out of home 2 years back, I realised that now I’m no longer the engineering student who could eat what she wants and live happily, I needed to be more mindful of my food and nutrition. I stumbled across Dr. Palaniappan Manickam, known as Dr. Pal Instagram channel. His videos were really fun and yet like little nuggets of wisdom.
Dr. Pal, has a holistic approach to health and wellness. Besides his expertise in gastroenterology, he emphasizes the importance of nutrition, mindfulness, and lifestyle choices in maintaining overall well-being. His engaging style and evidence-based advice have made him a trusted source for health enthusiasts. Now he has grown to having a thriving follower base of 1.4M on Instagram and 2.8M on YouTube!!
Watching one of his reels today, I realised that Dr Pal, is the Perfect Product Manager, his name is literally PM. Despite a throng of wellness influencers, he has managed to carve out a niche for himself with his intermittent fasting principles and build an ever-growing community.
Knowing Your Audience: The Foundation for Success
The first key to being an effective Product Manager is identifying your target audience. Once you know your use you can build your product focused on their specific needs.
At the heart of Dr. Pal’s success lies a deep understanding of his target audience — the regular population, the “aam aadmi” who work during the day and come home at the end of the day fully spent with no time or energy for a workout. Unlike medical professionals who often speak in a clinical language, Dr. Pal recognizes that most people crave relatable information. He tailors his content to address their concerns and aspirations with simple solutions.
The Power of Storytelling: Engaging, Informing, Inspiring
PMs always have to excel in storytelling. They craft compelling narratives around the product — its purpose, features, and benefits. Whether presenting to stakeholders, writing marketing copy, or creating user guides, PMs use storytelling to convey value.
Dr. Pal’s storytelling is a blend of humor, relatability, and education. Through his videos, he shares personal experiences, challenges, and triumphs related to gut health and lifestyle changes. His best friend Sharavanakumar has become a relatable foe for everyone! He now also conducts MedCon shows — a unique medical standup comedy event.
Building Trust: Authenticity is Key
Authenticity and trust are the corner stones of a good product. You can be the best story teller but if your product doesn’t deliver it will not succeed.
Similarly, Dr Pal’s being a gastroenterologist his methods are trusted due to his domain expertise. By being transparent about his own experiences, he builds trust with his audience. Dr. Pal practices what he preaches, reinforcing the credibility of his advice. He has vlogs of what he picks to eat when at a party, and how he balances his diet despite his busy schedule as a doctor.
A Noble Cause: The Power of Purpose
Not every PM would be working on a product which serves a noble cause, however being associated with a social cause builds brand loyalty. This is called the Noble Edge Effect — When companies demonstrate genuine caring and social responsibility, they tend to be rewarded with increased brand loyalty.
Dr. Pal’s message is inherently linked to a noble cause — empowering people to lead healthier lives. This association with a positive cause resonates deeply with his audience, fostering a sense of community and shared purpose. He also supports the Aishwaryam Trust and encourages his viewers to support the organization.
Building a Relationship: Beyond the Product
PMs also nurture relationships. They gather user feedback, iterate on features, and ensure the product evolves based on user needs. Consistency, responsiveness, and empathy build lasting relationships.
In the world of social media, consistency is key. Dr. Pal understands this well. He cultivates a loyal following by providing regular, engaging content. From funny anecdotes to informative lectures, he keeps his audience coming back for more. Currently, he is sharing his 100-day Gutman challenge and is on Day 84 now. Simple taglines like — “Hello Gutman squad”, “Stay happy stay gutsy” enchant the audience. He shares his routine including his diet and exercise encouraging others to join him in leading a gut friendly lifestyle.
In conclusion, Dr. Pal Manickam’s journey as a health communicator offers valuable insights for product managers. Both disciplines share core principles — understanding the user, wielding impactful storytelling, establishing authenticity, and fostering a sense of purpose. While their fields and goals may differ, their success stories highlight the power of building trust, creating engaging narratives, and connecting with the people they serve.
Dr. Pal Manickam’s journey as a health influencer offers valuable insights for product managers. Both disciplines share core principles — understanding the user, wielding impactful storytelling, establishing authenticity, and fostering a sense of purpose.
Here is to hoping all of us learning from him and leading a healthy, gutsy life!
