Review Request- Exceptional Talent-Product Manager

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Hi All, I have been following the posts lately and really appreciate the support and learning in this forum for application guidance. While I am still waiting for letter of recommendations.

My Background: I am choosing exceptional talent route as I have 10 years of experience in product development- 1 year as software engineer, 5 years in insurance industry as technical product analyst/product owner, then 2 years of MBA from USA and then worked in 3 different companies , one in USA Company A , one in India Company B (2 years) and one in UK Company C, unfortunately I got redundant because of corporate restructuring. I am currently working in equity only arrangement at Company D in UK.

I understand every profile is unique in some way or other, and would appreciate your kind support to best arrange my evidences and any scope for refinement in my application.

CV: Regular CV with Additional side projects and Certifications
Statement of Purpose: I am including my reasons for Global Talent visa as I switch from High Potential Individual Visa. I need freedom to do side projects in startups and contribute to UK without any uncertainty or dependancy.

Mandatory LORs

  1. LOR from Global VP of Products , Company B. This Company is USA based Global Travel Tech and mid sized. He mentioned my contributions for 2 years
  2. LOR from Senior VP of Products, UK based Company C. This Company is B2B tech startup. Worked close to an year
  3. LOR from Director of Product Management, USA based company in retail. Worked for an year

Evidences

MC1: Small intro, Proof of Product in Market, Press Clipping (without my name), Appreciation e-mail from line manager in Company B that I led the product launch, his name is on Press Clipping as well other senior colleagues
MC2: Letter of Recommendation from Senior VP of Products in Company B, he also mentions my contribution in MC1. He knows my contrubtions for 1 year
MC3: JIRA Screenshots, Figma designs and proof of product in market of product I led in Company D, which is an early stage startup. Equity Contract detail, Letter of Support from CEO of startup
MC4: Outreach by leading consulting organization for my expert interviews on my experience and knowledge in Travel tech. Small intro how it will contribute to wider tech system. Proof of supporting Premium compensation
MC5: Letter of support from Director of Student Affairs appraising my contributions in local area startups and student run non profit organizations. 1 Page (which was not enough as letter is 2 pages) for examples of ongoing engagement with students and prospective students

OC1 1: My contributions in leading 0-1 product in Company B and scaled it from 1-10. Why this was innovative. MC2 mentions this briefly. Proof of product in market. Architecture Diagram.
OC1 2: My contributions in AI based product in Company C. Mention of product on company page. Letter of support from Product Ops of my contributions and impact and problem statement and complexity and innovation behind it

OC3: 1: Contributions and quantitative impact in Company B mentioned in letter by Senior Director of Product for one new product imitative
OC3: 2: Employment contract, Salary slips, 2 appraisals in a single year in Company B

I am contemplating about 10th evidence to put in OC1 or OC3.

Please review and suggest your thoughts @hsafra @pahuja @Francisca_Chiedu

Thanks

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++ @Maya @alexnk Please review and suggest

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Do not use same evidence used in MC for OC1. I am not convinced that your OC1 Evidence is compelling enough to show innovation. Also, if the press clipping doesn’t mention your name then what does it prove ! Get a reference letter confirming that you led product, an email is not sufficient. Not sure I understand MC4

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About MC 4: Expert network bodies reached out to me on Gmail for my expertise consultation on call and survey recognizing my experience in Travel Tech and Data Management systems. The evidence is supported with compensation 375£ per hour

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@Francisca_Chiedu what are your thoughts on MC4

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You can use it but. Is it £375 for a one off call?

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Thanks for your reply. I have had two similar requests, have evidence for them. For one of these, I got $50 for 15 min survey for data management expertise

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It is small. So won’t call that high earning.

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Yes, but it was just a survey. Should I add this as evidence if I am going with MC4? What do you suggest

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What exactly do you want to add?

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Email screenshots (Requests for my expertise) from network bodies acknowledging my specific experience in Travel tech and data management

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Hi @muks

Please note that you are applying for exceptional talent? so the evidences you are submitting should be technically much stronger than potential leader! in terms of achievements, recognition and experience.

The survey request and GBP 375 may not be considered as strong evidences. However , if you are based in another region and this is considered high, the you will definitely need to highlight the range of hourly rates in that specific region,. that is for the contract of employment too.

OC1: 1: As @Francisca_Chiedu mentioned, you can not refer to same evidences for more than one criteria.

OC3 : maybe considered weak If you are depending on letter and employment contract only! these evidences are acceptable but not considered sufficient as per the guide.

I suggest you go through some successful applications evidences mentioned in this forum to strengthen your application. and read the guide carefully too.

Best of luck!

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That sounds OK. You can add an explanatory note m

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Thanks Francisca, I will do

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Thank you Maya for your review!

OC 1.1 is my product innovation for Feature A in Nov 2021 which Product B uses. Product B launched in May 2022 (press release) in MC .

Product B has explicit name mention in press release and has more features than Feature A, and itself is Epic level product. Feature A has other proofs of product in market other than press release where it is mentioned that Product B uses Feature A

I don’t know whether I should clarify Feature A and Product B are actually different products though connected so as to avoid any confusion and if yes, any suggestions how should I do?

OC 3: Letter mentions about dashboards I led creation of. Should I supplement Dashboards screenshots as 1 page with brief summary (total 3 pages) audit log would be 4th page

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Mandatory Criteria (MC)

  • MC1: Press clipping without your name is weak. Get explicit attribution from a senior leader.
  • MC2: Reusing an LOR as evidence is risky. Ensure it provides unique proof.
  • MC3: Startup proof is good but needs clear product success metrics (user adoption, revenue impact).
  • MC4: Consulting outreach is useful but must prove external recognition (event videos, media coverage).
  • MC5: Student Affairs letter is weak for MC, better suited for OC2.

Strengthen MC1 with direct endorsements and quantifiable impact. Ensure MC3 includes clear growth metrics.

Optional Criteria (OC)

  • OC1.1: Stronger if it includes market traction metrics.
  • OC1.2: Needs more than a mention on the company page. Secure endorsement from a senior AI leader.
  • OC3.1: Needs external validation beyond internal letters.
  • OC3.2: Salary proof is useful but should be benchmarked against industry standards.

If deciding between OC1 and OC3 for the 10th evidence, choose OC1 if it strengthens product innovation contributions.

Overall Recommendation

  • Strengthen MC1 and MC3 with direct attribution and metrics.
  • Ensure all letters clearly describe your individual impact.
  • Add industry recognition through speaking engagements or published case studies.
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Thanks @howardhughes for your nice tips here