Unlocked with Rajeev - Chief Product Manager, SAP Labs India
A customer-centric product philosophy, an unwavering learning mindset & 25+ years of experience.
In episode 4 of ‘Unlocked’ we are excited to interview Rajeev, Chief Product Manager in the BTP Cross PM team , SAP Labs India. Rajeev shares his experience on learning and product management derived from his career spanning 25+ years. From defining product management from scratch in India to leading global portfolios as Chief Product Owner, his journey is a masterclass in creating customer-centric value. Discover how an unwavering learning mindset and one powerful customer question continues to shape his product philosophy.
Rajeev has been working in various PM and GTM roles at SAP Labs India for the past 18 years. His focus has been customer and partner adoption of our products in the APJ region. Before joining SAP, Rajeev worked as an engineering manager at Oracle in India, IBM in the US and also lived and worked in Indonesia, Singapore and China. He did his bachelors in Engineering and has an MBA from IIM Bangalore.
Can you share your product management journey and how your role has evolved over time?
“I transitioned into product management during my Executive MBA, where I developed a deep interest in B2B marketing and value-based selling. That curiosity led me to explore product management as a career path. When I stepped into my first PM role, the function wasn’t well established in India for the global company I was part of. I had to define the role from scratch, which was challenging but incredibly rewarding. It gave me the freedom to shape the function and prove its strategic value from India.
From the beginning, I worked on enterprise technology products—primarily for IT users—but with broad applicability across regions and industries. Initially, I was an individual contributor, but once the function gained traction, I was given the charter to build a team. It was a formative experience to identify and mentor the right talent for PM roles.
Over time, my responsibilities expanded from regional product focus to full global product ownership, and eventually to a Chief Product Owner role. I’ve also had the chance to switch gears between product management and product marketing across different stages of the product lifecycle.
My product philosophy has stayed consistent: Customer value first, company success next, and line-of-business success third. That simple sequence keeps me grounded in what matters most—creating meaningful, measurable outcomes that resonate with users while driving business growth.”
In a fast-paced and complex field like product management, is learning a constant? How do you manage this?
“Continuous learning isn’t optional anymore; it’s fundamental to thriving in any role, especially in product management. The landscape is constantly shifting, customer needs evolve rapidly, and competitive dynamics change overnight. In the past decade alone, cloud and AI have reshaped how we build, scale, and even think about products.
AI, in particular, has redefined how we learn, apply, and synthesize knowledge. It’s not just a trend—it’s a superpower for product managers. Whether it’s accelerating discovery, enhancing productivity, or enabling smarter decisions, staying current with AI tools and patterns has become part of the job.
The key is to treat learning as embedded in the role, not something separate from it. When you integrate learning into your workflow, like using AI tools to summarise vast content, or reflecting on what a product challenge taught you; it becomes easier to sustain. In a space this dynamic, continuous learning isn’t a side project, it’s how we stay relevant.”
What resources, mentors, or communities do you rely on most for your ongoing learning and professional growth?
“In today’s world, learning is everywhere and I’ve found that embracing diverse perspectives is essential. While formal courses have their place, I’ve come to rely just as much on podcasts, YouTube videos, blogs, and even short-form content like Instagram reels. If the insight is relevant, the format doesn’t matter.
I’ve also found great value in the thinking shared by communities like Pragmatic Marketing and the Silicon Valley Product Group. Their “outside-in” lens on product management consistently challenges conventional thinking and helps me stay customer-focused.
Beyond content, I find learning through connection just as powerful. Being active in product management forums and peer groups allows me to exchange ideas with PMs from other companies; each with unique challenges and experiences. That diversity of thought is what sharpens your own.”
With a demanding role, how do you find time to keep up with new knowledge and skills while managing your responsibilities?
“I believe the only sustainable way to keep learning is to make it part of the schedule—not something extra we squeeze in after hours. When learning is embedded into the rhythm of your work, it becomes a habit, not a burden.
For me, a mix of structured and unstructured learning works best. Structured formats like reading, attending a session, or exploring new tools give clarity and direction. But inspiration and intuition often come from unstructured, even unexpected sources. That’s why I value learning from adjacent disciplines. For instance, observing how a therapist listens with empathy can spark new ideas on how we understand customer needs more deeply.
I try to stay open and curious in everyday interactions because sometimes the best product insights come from completely outside the product world.”
Could you share a specific product management lesson or anecdote from your experience that has significantly shaped your approach towards problem solving?
“One moment that deeply shaped my mindset was when a customer once asked me,
“If this was your own personal money, would you spend it on your product?”
That simple question hit me hard; and it has stayed with me ever since. It pushed me to move beyond just promising value through positioning and features. I became obsessed with whether that value is actually realised in the hands of the customer. Because if it’s not, you’re essentially wasting someone else’s money.
That question also shifted how I see my role as an employee. I started regularly asking myself: “Am I creating enough value for the company in return for the salary I earn?”
As a product manager, cultivating empathy not just for your customers but also for your own organisation and even its investors; creates a healthy, grounded lens through which you make decisions. It drives integrity, clarity, and accountability in problem solving.”
Any tips for budding product managers?
“One way to understand the role of a product manager is to see yourself as a translator; not in the linguistic sense, but as someone who constantly bridges gaps. You translate customer needs into product requirements for engineering, technical architecture into value stories for customers, and abstract ideas into actionable features. This mindset helps new PMs stay grounded in both empathy and execution.
My second piece of advice is to find a good mentor; ideally someone outside your organisation. A mentor can offer you neutral guidance, challenge your blind spots, and accelerate your growth through perspective you might not find internally.
And finally, develop an obsession with delivering customer value. If you keep that at the heart of everything you do including roadmaps, meetings, metrics; it becomes much easier to prioritise, influence, and build things that truly matter.”
Here is a candid rapid fire we did with Rajeev.
Thank you so much, Rajeev, for sharing your inspiring journey and thought-provoking insights with us. Your clarity on customer value, learning as a way of life, and the role of empathy in product management are lessons every aspiring and experienced PM will carry forward. We truly appreciate the time you took to reflect and share your experiences so generously.