Atomics

I learned from those hubspot tutorials, Google garage courses and all that bored me. Probably because I was looking not only for knowledge, but also for inspiration. And from the first lesson at school, I immediately felt that passion. From advertising history to insights. From copywriting to research. And you learn all this from the pros of that field. The only disclaimer – it all depends on you. You will get as much work as you put in. And you will probably get a lot.

Since my school days, I have dreamed of establishing a community that would have a positive impact on the world around me. While working as a programmer in a product team, I saw that product managers are a part of the community that controls the levers of influence, which made me want to try this position myself. I was pleasantly surprised that I didn’t have to look far for opportunities, as The Atomic Garden was just recruiting for its first class of people who wanted to become Product Managers. What I expected from the course was a demystification of the producer role, heated discussions with teachers, and feedback-dominated mentoring. Expectations met. I know the difference between a Project and a Product Manager, I managed to pit teachers against each other, and I don’t even know where to put the amount of feedback I received from mentors and teachers. As someone with a fairly high quality standard, I was pleased with the competence of the teachers and the level of knowledge of their craft. The most important thing is that they did not lack empathy, which is especially important in the training of new knowledge and skills. During the course, we went through the product cycle, taking away 3 practical works that you can put in your portfolio. The teachers kept sharing different career stories with us. It was very useful in forming a multifaceted perspective of working in product companies.

During the course, we got a broad overview of the product manager role from a variety of experiences. The enthusiasm of the course leaders to share both their experience and to talk about their product and the problem it solves was particularly noticeable. What I liked most were the teachers who shared their personal, very specific experiences and product (failure) stories. All the presented theoretical material is well summarized and arranged in slides, which will be used and opened when I want to delve into one or another topic when a similar situation occurs in practice. Overall, the course was a good set, where the lessons flowed from each other. In summary, I would rate it as suitable for both those completely new to the product journey and a great refresher for those already experienced. The main takeaway I took away from the course is that the purpose of the product manager role is to identify the most important problems to be solved for your audience and to put together a winning strategy.

This course was like a festive binge for me. The more you put on the table, the more it jams. It’s bad, but you’re still stuck because you’ve awakened a masochistic, self-improvement-hungry demon somewhere inside you. I signed up for Atomic Garden as soon as I decided to return to Lithuania after several years of working abroad, hoping to gain self-confidence in a new phase. But the course pushed me out of my comfort zone even more than I expected. There were days when I doubted my abilities and even my professional direction. There were weeks when it seemed impossible to juggle so many branding components and get everything done on time. There were four months when, even at night, topics were running through my mind that I never thought I would be interested in: for example, the biodiversity of sea grasses. But relief came. Somewhere at the last presentation, when the results of intensive work turned into a finished project that you could put on Kickstarter. And after a couple of months after the course, you notice how you start telling your friends “that would be a good title for a product”, suddenly they recommend you to write texts in English (although you are a visual person anyway), and after half-jokingly offering to contribute to the development of sustainable packaging, you start and do it. And you realize that you know and can do much more now than it seemed at the beginning of the course, and everything is a little less scary.

How to Create a GOOD Brand is a complex, consistent process, where theoretical knowledge obtained outside the textbook is immediately applied in practice. Professional and inspiring teachers have been sharing their insights and experiences through a continuous, lively discussion. I would liken the full-course trip to an expedition, the intensity of which exceeds the limits of your comfort, it is a bit uncomfortable, you get lost, and the weather conditions are not always favorable. However, by not losing sight of the goal and walking with experienced guides, you will unconsciously reach your summit, which redeems everything.

When I started this course, I already knew that I wouldn’t take a vacation, I would have to spend time trying myself in different areas. But this course still exceeded the limits of my knowledge. However, the challenge was much greater than I expected. The whole course was like a fun roller coaster with sudden creative ups and downs, but all the course teachers were very supportive and helped me not to stop with their professional advice. Clare, the head of course, always found time to advise on a strategic issue, participate in product name brainstorming, copy review and corrections before presentations. As animator, I broadened my horizons about brands quite a bit, and that alone was worth it.

I started training at The Atomic Garden Vilnius as soon as I returned to Lithuania after several years abroad. To be honest, at the time I had no idea of what I wanted to do here and in what field I wanted to work. Having worked in fashion and journalism before, the world of advertising seemed like the right fit for me, so I decided to give it a go. Apparently, my goal was to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to work in an advertising agency. However, although I later realised that I was more suited to other activities, the knowledge and skills I acquired here are still vital in my daily work.

After spending some time at school, you realise that you know even less than ever. It makes you feel anxious that you weren’t previously interested in this horrible but wonderful thing called advertising. And then comes the real breakthrough. You become an avid reader, experiencer and listener of all things related to advertising. You become more open to life in general and, in the end, you start to create appalling, and maybe sometimes brilliant, advertisements yourself.

In your spare time from cooking edible masterpieces, partying, sleepless hours – expand the boundaries of chance and meet your future best friends, colleagues and ex-girlfriends. Naturally, you’ll also learn everything you need to know about advertising at the same time. And you will do it with the help of the best in the industry and with your ability to forget your ego.

This course was a memorable experience for me, with a comprehensive, enriching process, lots of interesting insights and a quality outcome. It gives more than you can take: branding that critically touches all aspects in a way that brings different lessons, benefits and value to everyone. Practical knowledge, real-life examples and discussions with professionals in the field are what this course can really promise. The whole path is not easy, it requires commitment and active participation, but the end result and the lessons learnt during the process are even more rewarding.

To be interesting and influential in the world of advertising, you have to learn that you’re not here for the sake of self-expression. During my time at The Atomic Garden Vilnius, I developed a sense of versatility and it was the best thing that could have happened.

When you come to the Creativity in Advertising course, you turn into a weird person (if you weren’t already): you turn off your adblocker, wait for adverts while watching TV and startle your friends by speaking non-stop about the best campaigns.

The Atomic Garden Vilnius is a school that introduced me to the world of advertising and made me think differently. Here I have gained knowledge that I cannot find in any book, explained in such a broad way. The atmosphere here was motivating and encouraging to learn. Here I learned to tame my creativity, so that it’s not just one-off flashes of ideas. I was also surprised to discover how widespread the Atomic community is – practically everywhere in the advertising field I find people who have studied or teach at the school. It’s great to see that if you don’t let go of your passion, the advertising industry is waiting for you.