Adam AttasStaff Product Manager at Walmart
About
Adam is a Staff Product Manager within Walmart's e-commerce team, focused on perfecting the art of order substitutions to ensure customers always get what they need, even when their preferred item is out of stock. With over 10 years of experience in retail, healthcare, and insurance, he specializes in crafting solutions at the intersection of digital and physical experiences. His work goes beyond software and screens, integrating operational and service components to deliver seamless, user-centered systems that truly transform the way businesses and customers interact. Prior to joining Walmart, he transformed patient experiences at Providence St. Joseph's Health, developed Walgreens' COVID-19 vaccine platform, and launched a P2P car sharing start-up at Allstate. His work spans product management, innovation, venture building, and consulting, blending user empathy, futures thinking, and growth.
He holds an MBA and MS in Design Innovation from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, a BS in Chemical Engineering and MS in Engineering Management from Johns Hopkins University. Last year, Adam returned to the MMM program to co-teach Innovation Strategy, bringing years of hands-on experience to the classroom.
Q & A
How has MMM made a difference in your career?
Before MMM, I thought innovation was primarily R&D and individuals tinkering in a lab. MMM completely transformed my understanding by exposing me to a multidimensional approach that integrates social sciences, systems thinking, and business strategy to make the future more tangible.
The program taught me to view innovation as a collaborative, human-centered process rather than a solitary technical pursuit. I learned how ethnographic research uncovers deeper user needs that data alone can't reveal, and how to translate those insights into compelling product experiences. The systems thinking approach I gained helps me navigate complex organizational challenges and understand how different elements influence each other across the customer journey.
The toolkit I acquired at MMM—from journey mapping and service blueprints to business model innovation and strategic storytelling—has become fundamental to how I approach product development and working with others. It's why I returned to co-teach Innovation Strategy, helping new students connect these powerful approaches to create compelling growth opportunities in their own careers.
What value do you think MMM graduates bring to industry now?
Even before conversations around AI blurring functional boundaries, I championed hybrid thinking and design as strategic problem-solving tools. While many companies claim "customer centricity," MMM graduates translate this concept into actionable methodologies—blending quantitative analysis with qualitative insights to uncover deeper truths. We're trained to persistently ask "why," peeling back layers until we discover fundamental needs driving behavior. Our toolkit enables us to move fluidly between data analysis and human empathy, making us uniquely equipped for leadership positions in product management, innovation strategy, and business strategy across companies of different stages and sizes. This hybrid approach, or “whole brain innovation” becomes increasingly essential for sustainable business growth in an increasingly complex world.
What advice do you have for a student just starting the MMM Program?
Suspend judgment and actively seek experiences outside your comfort zone. The most valuable learning often happens when you challenge your preconceptions about what's interesting or important. Some of my most rewarding experiences—both during MMM and throughout my career—came from tackling problems in industries others might dismiss as unsexy: footcare products, deodorant formulations, insurance services. These seemingly mundane challenges often conceal fascinating complexity and meaningful human needs waiting to be uncovered. By approaching every project with genuine curiosity rather than preconceived notions about what's "cool," you'll develop versatile problem-solving muscles that serve you well across any industry while discovering unexpected passion in surprising places.