I pivoted from software engineering to AI product management. Here are the 3 strategies I used to help me land the job.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Phani Sai Ram Munipalli, a 28-year-old full-time AI/tech product manager from Santa Clara, California. It’s been edited for length and clarity.

I worked for four years as a full-time software engineer — two years at IBM and two years at Walmart Global Tech — after completing my undergraduate program in India in 2017.

In July 2022, I left software engineering and chose to shift my career path to compete for an AI/tech product management role at Walmart in the US, even though I had little experience in that field.

My career change wasn’t motivated by the idea of potentially making more money — I believe in technology that can change lives.

This journey began not with a job application but with a realization in 2022

Right as ChatGPT was introduced to the world, I knew a massive shift was coming, and my technical background was my unique entry point into the AI talent wars.

I started my master’s program in computer software engineering at San Jose State University in August 2022. During my master’s summer, I did a product management internship at Walmart. I graduated from with my degree in May 2024 and joined Walmart as a full-time product manager in July 2024.

I love coding and still do it for my side projects, but I wanted to go beyond just writing code. I wanted to understand what products can be built leveraging AI, who the users are, and how it’s helping them.

This recognition led to a self-assessment and a personal road map to create my own AI-centric playbook around three core strategies.

1. I rewired my brain for AI product thinking

My technical background helped me grasp AI concepts, but I needed to learn how to think like an AI product leader. In 2023, I took on an additional role at my university as an AI research assistant in conversational AI.

To add to my AI expertise and rewire my brain for AI product thinking, I went all in on a self-education sprint. I listened to podcasts like Lenny’s Podcast and the Nvidia AI Podcast, which focus on the complexities of productionizing AI and learning the crucial lesson that AI is never the product itself — solving a user’s problem is.

I also completed Google’s “Responsible AI: Applying AI Principles with Google Cloud” credential in December 2023 and the AI Product Management Bootcamp led by Marily Nika, a former Google AI product manager, in April 2024.

Finally, I put theory into practice by building several web apps — including LinkPlus, VibeCard, and SafeWord AI — using both OpenAI’s and Google’s Gemini APIs, teaching myself the real-world challenges of prompt engineering and leveraging LLMs.

2. I ditched popular frameworks in interviews

When it came time to interview for my summer product management internship at Walmart, I knew that reciting standard product frameworks would be a failing strategy.

I was an underdog among 20+ intern candidates from top schools. I knew I had to prove myself. My differentiator wasn’t a textbook answer; it was the portfolio of AI projects I’d built and the platform I’d created.

Instead of trying to impress with pure technical knowledge, I focused on translating it. I used storytelling — especially the “Hero’s Journey” technique in my presentations — to craft compelling narratives explaining how these AI solutions could solve real, human problems for Walmart’s gig drivers.

This approach — proving I could not only understand AI but also build with it and communicate its value — is what landed me the internship at Walmart. This focus on bridging the gap between complex tech and user needs was so successful that it also secured me a full-time return offer at Walmart for my current position, which I started in July 2024.

3. I built a platform to give first and networked second

I believed an AI-focused product manager should have their own product, so in March 2023, I started a podcast, The Hustle Chapters, and a newsletter, Phani’s Product.

My podcast platform completely flipped the networking dynamic. Instead of asking for 15-minute coffee chats, I invited directors and founders onto my show, offering them value first.

I hosted 21 builders from the AI space, learning directly from them about the myths of building AI. This approach built genuine connections and directly led to a spring internship offer from VComply in 2024.

Then — even after securing my role at Walmart — I took on a subsequent spring internship focused entirely on the complex challenge of productizing an LLM-based application for enterprise users. I experimented with running LLMs on my local machine and then documented the entire setup process in a technical guide for my newsletter.

This trial-by-fire experience — tackling the nuances of bringing cutting-edge LLMs into a real-world business context — gave me an even deeper level of practical knowledge to bring to my full-time position.

I also regularly published one-pagers and newsletters analyzing how Big Tech companies use AI and data to create superior customer experiences, building a small but engaged audience of tech professionals.

This three-pronged approach helped me pivot successfully

I’ve spent a year on my team full-time, solving fascinating problems for gig drivers in Walmart’s Last Mile Delivery ecosystem. I work in the realm of AI, LLM, and ML in product management — a complete gearshift from my former full-time roles as a software engineer.

Ultimately, my journey is a playbook for forging your own path, proving that the right strategy and mindset about pivoting into AI or another area are more powerful than a traditional background.

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