Testimonial: Hardik Patel (MIIPS '17)
By Jordyn Pike
Master of Integrated Innovation for Products & Services ‘17
Senior Manager - Product Management,
Hardik Patel graduated with a Master of Integrated Innovation for Products and Services (MIIPS) in 2017. He now serves as Senior Manager of Product Management at Tekion Corp, where he leads product development initiatives and drives cross-functional innovation.
Time in the MIIPS Program
While studying an undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering, Hardik Patel was inspired by an elective product and development class, where students had to design, prototype, and pitch a product. Product development was a direction Hardik did not anticipate his career taking, but after taking this class, he felt it was something he should pursue.
When researching graduate programs, Hardik found that the Master of Integrated Innovation for Products and Services (MIIPS) was the most similar to his undergraduate class and offered the added benefit of integrating other disciplines into the degree. Instead of focusing solely on engineering, Hardik appreciated his peers' perspectives in business and design and learned that different thought processes were essential to solving problems. Additionally, he found that the program's class structure was beneficial for a career in product development. Instead of having an exam-based curriculum, the classes are more project-based, focused on pitching products and building out prototypes.
“If you really want a hands-on experience where you are just not having classroom exposure, but you are building and getting feedback while building, that's what MIIPS is about.”
His favorite memories of his time in the MIIPS program were collaborating with peers who were equally passionate about solving problems, even when they had no clear singular solution. Brainstorming with peers and solving difficult problems in a short amount of time was challenging but incredibly rewarding for Hardik, and spending time in the studio with peers is one of his fondest memories from the MIIPS program.
Working as a Senior Product Manager
Hardik credits the MIIPS program with giving him the skills to thrive professionally and experience in a startup environment. Through classes dedicated to creating products with a group of peers, the program simulates what working at a startup at each stage is actually like. At the beginning of an organization’s growth, there isn’t a department for every task, and MIIPS gave Hardik experience taking on responsibilities beyond his engineering background, which proved valuable when he was initially hired by Tekion.
The program also prepared him to handle the ambiguous problems that product managers often face while exposing him to collaboration with professionals from diverse backgrounds. Hardik found that not every problem in his role is clearly defined, and working through ambiguity is essential for moving projects forward. MIIPS also gave him the empathy needed to collaborate across departments and leaders, even when they approach problems differently, which he sees as a strength rather than a drawback.
