“ABC Silicon Valley built on my product management experience, but the biggest takeaway for me was the mindset shift.”
Can you introduce yourself? Tell us your name, where you’re from, and a bit about your background.
My name is Rade. I’m originally from Croatia, but I grew up in Italy and have spent time living across different European countries. Today I live and work in Switzerland.
I started my professional journey by founding a money transfer startup. Since then, I’ve built more than ten years of experience as a Product Manager, leading cross-functional teams and building products from zero to scale. For the past two years, I’ve been working as an Innovation Manager at the second-largest Swiss telecom company, where my focus is on bringing new ideas to life and creating new sources of revenue.
As a Product Manager with experience building products from idea to launch, how does that compare to what you’re learning at ABC Silicon Valley?
Before coming here, I already had a lot of theoretical knowledge about innovation and product development. What stood out most during the program, however, was the mindset shift.
A mantra that really resonated with me here is “think big, start small, learn fast.” You hear about it often, but in Silicon Valley, you actually see how this principle is applied in practice by companies and entrepreneurs.
Another important insight is that innovation isn’t just about building something customers want. The real challenge is identifying what customers are actually willing to pay for, which is much more difficult.
You previously founded a money transfer startup. What inspired you to start it, and what were some key lessons from that experience?
I founded my money transfer startup out of personal frustration. While living in different countries, I often had to send money back home to my parents and saw how inefficient, expensive, and non-transparent the process was. That experience motivated me to try building something better.
Running that startup was probably the time when I learned the most in the shortest period of my life because I had to do everything myself. Unfortunately, the company didn’t succeed, but like many entrepreneurs, that failure became one of the most valuable learning experiences I’ve had. It changed the way I look at product discovery, product-market fit, and how businesses should approach building solutions.
How has the ABC Silicon Valley program helped you build on those lessons?
The ABC Silicon Valley program gave me first-hand insight into how innovation actually works in this ecosystem.
On one hand, I gained insights into where technology is heading and how companies approach innovation. But the biggest takeaway for me was learning how to better frame the “why.”
Instead of focusing only on what you are building, it’s much more important to understand why you are building it. When you focus on the problem and the value it creates for customers, that’s where real innovation happens.
Would you recommend ABC Silicon Valley to others?
I would definitely recommend the program to both students and professionals. It’s incredibly inspiring and motivating.
You meet many like-minded people, and the guest speakers bring real-world experience and insights that you can learn from directly. It’s a great opportunity to understand how innovation and entrepreneurship work in Silicon Valley.
