Case study
Prodily
A free PM curriculum where the output is a portfolio, not a certificate.
01 / Problem
The problem
Aspiring PMs and career switchers are stuck between free content with no sequence and bootcamps that cost too much. Self-study has no order, no feedback, and nothing to show at the end.
People don't need more things to consume; they need more chances to think.
02 / Solution
What I shipped
A sequenced curriculum where each lesson runs Read → Recall → Apply → Retain, with scenario quizzes and spaced repetition.
- 90 lessons across 9 modules, each ending in a capstone
- Capstones: opportunity brief, discovery, PRD, roadmap, UX spec, North Star metric tree + A/B spec, tech trade-off brief, alignment plan, case study
- Read → Recall → Apply → Retain loop with scenario quizzes and spaced repetition
- 7-competency Skill Radar scored from completed work, not self-report
- Public portfolio page, no login needed, plus a verifiable certificate
03 / Architecture
How it’s built
- Next.js App Router & TypeScript: static content generation with client-side interactive modules
- State & progress: localStorage-backed lesson completion, spaced repetition tracking, and quiz evaluations
- 7-competency Skill Radar: deterministic weighted scoring engine mapping completed capstones to skills
- Public portfolio generation: verifiable learner profiles rendered at /p/{name} with badge verification
- Dual-track content model: v2 lessons split into Core essentials and deep-dive technical explorations
04 / Decisions
Key decisions
- A sequenced path over a curated link list: each module builds on the last
- Depth over gimmicks: a free core curriculum, donation-funded, with no paywall
- Skills scored from real work, not self-report
- Rebuilt the experience as v2 (Core + Deep-dive) after a learner called the old UI boring
05 / Outcome
By the numbers
- lessons
- 90
- capstones
- 9
- users
- 400+
Grew to 400+ users with a free core curriculum and no paywall; v2 shipped in response to learner feedback.
06 / Roadmap
What’s next
Phase 01
Peer review on capstones
Phase 02
Cohorts for learners who want to move through the path together