Princess Akari’s journey from Oil & Gas to Product Manager at Moniepoint

Just three weeks after switching careers, Princess Akari landed her first contract role in product management. Today, she’s building financial products for the African diaspora at Moniepoint, running a thriving community for product managers across Africa, and sharing career and productivity insights on her YouTube channel. Along the way, she’s navigated a career transition, expanded her impact through community work, and earned recognition as a UK Global Talent. 

She opens up about her journey, the lessons she’s learned, and how she manages it all without burning out.

If your career journey were a movie, what would the title be and why?

I am not really a movie person, but I’d say Hidden Figures. That story is about resilience, brilliance, and showing up in spaces where people don’t always expect you to. My career hasn’t been linear, and like many women in tech, I’ve had to push through self-doubt, transitions, and environments where I had to prove my value.

Tell us about your journey into the tech industry. What initially sparked your interest?

My tech journey started with a simple nudge from a friend. At the time, I wasn’t thinking about product management, but they pointed out that I already had the soft skills to thrive and could learn the hard skills along the way. That curiosity led me to try it out. I made the switch from the oil and gas sector and landed my first contract role within three weeks; it was a healthtech product, and it gave me the chance to put theory into practice.

Not long after, a founder reached out to me on LinkedIn and offered me another role. From there, I continued to take on contract projects that helped me expand my knowledge. By the following year, I secured my first full-time role at Brass, a fintech company, where I spent about three years. Now, I’m at Moniepoint, working on building financial products for the African diaspora, starting with a remittance product for Nigerians in the UK. 

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What was the application process for the UK Global Talent Visa like for you, and what helped you stand out?

First of all, the application process is stressful. You’re basically putting yourself out there and saying, ‘I’m a global talent, pick me.’ That comes with a lot of self-doubt because you’re asking, how do I prove this? How do I choose what to include? Thankfully, Tech Nation makes it clear on their website what they expect to see. It’s then up to you to map your experiences to those requirements.

For me, it wasn’t just about my work as a product manager, though I highlighted the impact of the products I worked on, the feedback from customers, and the value those products created. What really stood out were the things I had been doing outside of work. My community work was especially powerful. Instead of helping one product manager, with a community, we are helping thousands.

I also had a strong personal profile. I’d been invited to global webinars and podcasts, received awards and recognitions, and was already contributing to the tech space in different ways. Interestingly, none of my evidence was from 2023, the year I applied. Everything I used came from 2020 to 2022, because those were the years I was putting in the most work, without even knowing Tech Nation existed.

You shouldn’t only rely on your job. The panel wants to see how you’re impacting people in tech more broadly. Have you written articles or books? Created courses? Volunteered in a community? Even if you’re not a founder, the work you do as a volunteer, like planning programs, curating webinars, or helping others learn, counts as evidence of impact. It’s really about showing that you’re making a difference, proving the scale of that difference, and packaging it clearly.

If you were starting your product career today, what would you do differently?

If I were starting today, I’d lean into peer-led or community-led support much sooner. When I transitioned, I waited about eight months before getting involved, and I only became active in a product community a year after starting out. Looking back, I wish I had joined earlier.

Being part of a community gives you perspective early on. You get to see how people work, ask questions, and figure out if the path is right for you. A lot of people transition into new careers only to realise it’s not what they expected, and the community helps you test that early.

For me, I already knew I wanted to be a product manager, so I went ahead. But communities gave me friends, knowledge, and support I didn’t even realise I needed at the start. Too many people underestimate this. They spend so much time searching for answers or help when there are already dozens of product communities where you can join, participate, and grow. You’re not just making friends, you’re learning, contributing, and getting help in return. That’s the one thing I would do differently.

Did that push you to start your own product community?

Not really. Before starting my own community, I tried to be part of several others, but I wasn’t as active as I wanted to be. I remember once asking a question in a group, and after waiting for days with no response, I deleted it out of shame. That moment made me realise I needed a space where I could ask questions freely. Not everything can be asked on social media; sometimes you need closed spaces where people can share openly.

I wanted to connect with other product managers who faced the same challenges I did, people with different perspectives and knowledge who could learn from one another. The idea for People in Product originated from my own need to solve a problem: the lack of genuine conversations and mutual support.

Back then, most product management communities weren’t very active, but over the years, things have changed. In the last five years, these spaces have grown stronger and more engaging. For me, it all started with a personal need, and that’s how the community came about.

What’s the best money decision you’ve made in your career so far? And how do you personally approach salary negotiations?

The best money decision I’ve made is investing in myself. Every amount I have spent on myself and my career since I started working has been worth it. When it comes to salary negotiations, my approach is very aggressive. I always research industry benchmarks and ask my peers or senior colleagues, and then make sure I am asking for at least 20% more. I understand the value I bring, and frame the negotiation conversation around the value and impact. Aside from my base salary, I also focus on other useful and valuable benefits depending on the company/industry and the seniority level of the role, like stock options/equity, wellness benefits, sign-on bonus, private health care, extensive paid time off, etc

How do you balance running a thriving community with a PM role, while also running a YouTube channel?

My balance really comes down to time management, priorities, and productivity. I’ve built systems around my time, and I lean on delegation when I can. I also accept that sometimes one area of my life will take priority over the others, and that’s fine because they all connect back to my bigger purpose.

I discuss this frequently on my YouTube channel, where I have several videos on productivity, ranging from maximising your 24 hours to structuring a productive evening or day. For me, it’s about setting clear goals for the day, week, and month, then creating processes that help me stay aligned with them.

When something new comes up, I weigh it against my current goals to determine whether it should take priority, be put on hold, or be delegated. I’ve also learned to set healthy boundaries. If I plan a 20-minute chat, I might stretch it to 25, but once it hits 30, I’ll remind the person that I need to move on, even if what I’m moving on to is rest.

I believe everyone can juggle multiple things if they manage their time properly, prioritise well, and set boundaries. Some seasons call for YouTube to take priority, other times it’s the community, or my role as a product manager. It’s about adjusting those priorities as needed and making sure they still align with my larger goals.

Have you ever built something you loved, only for users to react a little differently than you expected? How did you respond?

Oh yes, it has happened before. I believe that’s part of the product journey. Instead of being defensive (which is really hard), lean into data/research and do a post-mortem.

Your assumptions before you build a product may guide you, but your users ultimately tell you what works. All of these risks can be minimised with enough discovery and research work before and during the development phase.

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