Product Managers vs. COVID-19
THE PRODUCT-C INITIATIVE
An innovative team of product managers, more than 470 strong, have risen to the challenge to rapidly discover and deliver ‘out-of-the-box’ solutions to assist in every aspect of life in a COVID-19 world.
Product-C is an Israeli product-led initiative, aimed to find innovative, practical and FAST solutions to the challenges of the new COVID-19 world we now live in. All of our members are volunteers, working in task forces on projects with the common goal of doing good and literally making the world a better place.
Lead by Yoav Yechiam, Benny Reich and Ellen Shapirov, and now including more than 470 Israeli professionals from around the world, the Product-C initiative is working on more than a dozen solutions, ranging from social products such as organizing online events and providing support for Coronavirus patients to providing remote care for people with medical and psychological needs. The team has even taken on the challenging task of strategizing Covid-19 testing, realizing this is a key factor in restoring the economy and helping people go back to work.
All product initiatives are non-profit, and all participants volunteer their free time — some taking part in more than one initiative — believing through their cumulative effort, they can reshape the post-Coronavirus world to be a better place to live in.
Notable efforts include products targeting the rapid growth in unemployment rates (reaching 26% here in Israel) with freelance support, recruiting initiatives and internship initiatives, others target the medical establishment with remote medical care, logistics for Coronavirus patients and even building a slack-like communication channel for medical staff.
I have the privilege to lead a great team of product managers building a solution for remote psychological care, a problem we’re all too familiar with here in Israel. This week we’ll be celebrating our 72nd Independence Day, and after 72 years of wars, terror attacks and missiles flying over our heads (and into our homes), we are a traumatized nation, suffering from a national PTSD. I’m truly happy for this opportunity to build something that will not only help people cope with the psychological burden that comes with the COVID-19 crisis and the resulting social distancing restrictions and economic breakdown, but may be used for a greater good of helping people better address issues relating to our mental wellbeing, from stress and anxiety to depression and even life threatening situation such as suicidal tendencies.
The challenges are great, and resources are low. But with passion, good will and skill, this exceptional group of people are taking on the mission of doing good and bringing value to a world united in pain and uncertain future.
Please look us up for more information and ways you can help — www.product-c.org/
