Website Planet interviewed Marcell Almeida, CEO & Co-Founder at PM3, a Brazilian tech education company helping 40,000+ professionals step up their careers in product management, data analysis, UX design, and business strategy. Key takeaways from the interview:
Why 500+ companies trust PM3’s teaching methodology (hint: it’s all about personalization)
The tech stack behind PM3’s website and business operations
How SEO, pricing optimization, and strategic paid media campaigns helped PM3 reach 40,000 students
How they plan to expand globally and address the growing skill gap in one of the fastest growing tech areas
What problems are you solving for your customers and audience?
PM3 addresses the challenges faced by individuals and organizations in Brazil’s evolving tech sector, focusing on product managers, data analysts, UX designers, and business strategists. They can be either early-career professionals or seasoned experts employed in tech-oriented businesses of all sizes.These professionals aim to stay ahead in a competitive market by acquiring advanced, applicable skills in a practical, case-based learning environment.However, traditional education and self-taught methods often lack real-world applicability and industry-specific insights. DIY learning can be unstructured and inconsistent, while other educational programs may not offer the depth of practical experience or focus on the Brazilian market.Without the ability to effectively bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application, professionals risk falling behind in industry advancements, potentially stalling career growth and innovation within their organizations.PM3 solves these challenges by providing an MBA-style education focused on real Brazilian case studies across Product Management, Data, UX, and Digital Business. Our courses are designed to deliver quantifiable benefits, including enhanced problem-solving skills, a deeper understanding of market needs, and improved capacity for innovation. Students gain hands-on experience through live activities, networking events, and simulations, ensuring they’re equipped to meet the demands of Brazil’s tech industry head-on.
What makes people eventually choose you over your competitors?
Customers often express frustrations with our competitors’ lack of personalized attention and deep understanding of their unique needs. PM3 differentiates itself by offering tailored educational solutions that align closely with our clients’ business goals and operational realities. Our content, modeled after MBA case studies, and our straightforward communication style significantly enhance our students’ learning experience.
Our clients love our real-world Brazilian case studies, interactive live activities, and vibrant networking community. All elements that provide practical knowledge while fostering a supportive learning environment.
Prospective students sometimes hesitate due to concerns about the investment’s value and its applicability to their specific career goals. We address these objections by showcasing testimonials from alumni who have seen tangible career advancements as a result of our programs. These success stories serve as a powerful testament to the effectiveness and relevance of our approach, encouraging new students to embark on their learning journey with confidence.
What is the current techstack you use to run your business?
Our toolkit:
WordPress to host our main website and blog
Kajabi (our LMS)
Notion for documentation
Slack for communication
Google Workspace (Meets, Docs, Sheets, Drive, etc)
Zapier and Jestor to create no-code integration
Circle to engage our Community
RD Station is our CRM
Our website back when we launched it in 2018:
How it looks now:
Since you started, what helped you grow and retain your audience?
Since our inception, SEO has been a cornerstone of our strategy, recognizing its value as a long-term investment from day one. This foundational focus on optimizing for search engines has been instrumental in enhancing our visibility and attracting a targeted audience interested in tech education.Additionally, we’ve conducted multiple tests regarding pricing to gauge our audience’s willingness to pay. This experimentation allowed us to fine-tune our pricing strategy to match our audience’s expectations and value perception, aiding in both growth and retention.Two years after launching our first course, we initiated paid media campaigns, which significantly accelerated our growth. This strategic timing allowed us to leverage the organic audience base we had built through SEO and pricing optimization, using paid media to amplify our reach and attract a broader audience effectively. This multi-faceted approach has been key to our success in growing and retaining our audience in the competitive tech education space.
What’s in the roadmap for your future?
In 2024, we plan to launch a graduation program in partnership with a University Center and introduce two new long-form courses in Design and Data, marking a strategic expansion of our educational offerings. These initiatives aim to meet the evolving needs of Brazil’s tech industry by equipping professionals with the advanced skills required for emerging tech roles. By 2025-2026, our planned international expansion seeks to impact the global tech education landscape, utilizing our unique teaching methodology and community-driven learning approach to empower tech professionals worldwide.
What do you see in the future of your industry?
The future of the tech education industry is poised for significant transformation, marked by both challenges and opportunities. Rapid technological advancements and the increasing demand for specialized skills present a prime opportunity for growth. However, this growth is accompanied by the challenge of keeping curricula up-to-date with the latest tech trends and ensuring access to quality education across diverse demographics.
Data are also indicating a widening skills gap in areas like artificial intelligence. To address this, the industry must explore alternative educational models, such as micro-credentials and immersive learning experiences, that can offer more flexible, accessible, and targeted skill development.
Experts might argue that while these innovations hold promise, they must be implemented in a way that does not compromise the depth and quality of learning. Embracing such changes could challenge the traditional higher education model, but it is essential for meeting the evolving needs of the workforce.
The industry must balance innovation with the integrity of educational outcomes, ensuring that students are not only job-ready but also equipped for lifelong learning in a rapidly changing tech landscape. Our goal is to attain this by employing iterative testing methods to discover effective approaches that resonate with new generations.
With over 13 years of experience in SEO and managing content websites, he has coordinated over 5000 product reviews and interviews with the biggest names in eCommerce, web hosting, cybersecurity, SaaS, AI, and online marketing, to provide newbies and experts with untapped, actionable insights from the top experts in the industry on how to build and grow websites.
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