Hello, my name is Uzomah Teslim. I am a product manager, and today I want to talk about why I left data science.
Or did I really leave it?
Well, not exactly. But that decision is what led me into product management.
The Problem with Nigerian Products
I look at a lot of products these days, especially in Nigeria, and I honestly ask myself, “What was this company thinking?”
Let’s take Jumia, for example. It is one of the biggest e-commerce platforms in Nigeria. You could be using it every single day and then stop completely. And guess what? Nobody from their side will check on you. Not even a simple message. It feels like they only care about acquiring new users, not about keeping the ones they already have.
Now think about loan apps in Nigeria. Maybe you take a loan and for one reason or another, you default. The way they react? They will start calling you, threatening to shame you online, and even contacting your family members.
Yes, this is real. It is shocking, but it happens.
When I look at my phone, except for banking apps, I do not have any Nigerian apps installed. Why? Because most of them are just bad products.
That is exactly what pushed me toward product management.
What Pushed Me Toward Product Management
I was tired of seeing bad design, poor user experience, and companies not thinking about real users. I wanted to do something about it.
I started learning product management six months ago, in January 2025.
And honestly, I realised I already had many of the skills needed. Things like:
I do not like anything being too complicated. If you give me something messy, I will make it simple so everyone can understand. I even enjoy the chaos that comes with it. I love to plan, and I like doing things in my own way.
So yes, product management feels like the perfect fit for me.
An Honest Moment
Also, to be honest, this blog post is kind of an advert for myself. I am currently looking for a product management job.
Now that we have that out of the way, let’s move on.
I am naturally a problem solver. I have a degree in Mathematics, so working through problems is second nature to me.
Alright, enough of the self-marketing. Let me tell you about something I built.
Building OneGoodCV
I created a web app called OneGoodCV.
The idea came from something very real. My friends and family kept asking me to help them write CVs. So, I thought, why not build a tool that lets them do it themselves?
As a product manager, I followed proper product development principles. I built the app from scratch, designed it, and even created a video tutorial to show people how to use it.
It took me a few months, but I did everything myself, with help from some AI tools.
Now I save hours every week because I no longer have to write CVs for people 😂
The app is completely free, by the way. You should check it out.
So far, I have over one thousand users. And here’s the funny part. I think some people are using the app to write CVs for others and make money from it 😂 I love it. I created a solution and somehow ended up creating an opportunity for others too.
The Nigerian Company Approach vs. Reality
The reason I am telling this story is because, if this was a Nigerian company, the process would have been different. They would spend months arguing about which technology to use. They would overthink everything, delay launching, and overengineer the entire project.
But in reality, that is not how to build products.
You do not need to start with the perfect tech stack. You do not need to wait until everything is flawless. Just build something. Let real users try it. Then improve it as you go.
That is how you build products that actually work.
The Journey Continues
So yes, I believe product management is for me.
I do not want to make this post too long. Just wish me luck in my job search.
Thank you for reading. Feel free to connect with me anytime.