This week, Product College hosted Kavya Maiya, Supervisor, Product Administration at PayPal, for a particular #AskMeAnything session. Kavya enlightened us on the right way to use OKRs, the challenges of working at a FinTech firm, and the way PayPal approaches problem-solving.
Meet Kavya
Kavya Maiya is a longtime Product Chief with an innate want and skill to rapidly decide up new expertise traits.
She is at the moment constructing next-generation checkout merchandise for Retailers and Customers at PayPal as a Supervisor of Product Administration. Earlier than this, she was a Senior Technical Product Supervisor for the corporate and the one level of contact for difficulty administration from an organizational degree. She additionally labored as a NA SMB Operations Lead & Engagement Supervisor and Senior Integration Engineer throughout her time at PayPal.
How would you advocate beginning with OKRs and metrics for a corporation that’s new at it? Are OKRs to be linked throughout product groups or cascade from broader org targets?
It must be for each. OKRs are a reasonably new idea and its helps the corporate align on the target they’re making an attempt to unravel and the important thing outcomes they should obtain with a view to decide influence.
Learn subsequent: The Distinction: OKRs vs KPIs
What basic challenges do you come throughout whereas being a PM at a FinTech firm?
Maintaining with the competitors is one in every of an enormous challenges working in a FinTech firm. PM’s are anticipated to continuously assume forward and greater the corporate is, there are extra rules round launching new options. One other problem is the evolving compliance guidelines which FinTech corporations have to remain on high off whereas making certain we offer the very best buyer expertise.
What’s a go to market (GTM) technique, and when ought to we begin this course of?
GTM technique might be began earlier than the precise Product Improvement has began. You’ll be able to assume by way of the way you wish to launch your product. This may be both scaling by way of areas, continents, or core markets vs progress markets and many others. All of it relies on what drawback you are attempting to unravel and the right way to get most influence.
How ought to I put together for this interview query: “Stroll me by way of the way you approached the product from creation to launch.”
Be sure to have a structured considering strategy. First begin with the issue assertion (what), why it’s essential after which give attention to the way you solved it which often includes utilizing knowledge factors for arriving at the very best answer (you might have a number of options so stroll by way of why you select the answer you determined to). Additionally point out the influence or outcomes from this launch. For instance – with this product launch we generated $XM in income and many others (This may be tied to the issue the place drawback could have been income era dropped by X%).
Take a look at: Behind The ten Most Widespread Product Administration Interview Questions
I’m a recent undergrad graduate and I’m an aspiring PM! What would you advocate somebody like myself on the right way to get began with the PM journey particularly at an organization like PayPal? What about their APM program?
At all times good to see aspiring PM’s. My advice could be to all the time do tasks which display PM expertise. This is usually a easy facet challenge and even tasks again in your undergrad the place you demonstrated some PM expertise which you’ll spotlight in your resume. Apply to Grad PM roles which you could find on the careers web site and put together for PM interviews. Cracking the PM interview by Gayle is a superb useful resource to provide you a perspective of PM interviews and expectations.
Whereas hiring for PM at PayPal, what are the important thing belongings you search for in candidates?
For the laborious product expertise we search for candidates who can break a fancy drawback into easier steps, prioritize the issues they’ll pursue with the explanation behind, structured considering round fixing the issue, and be capable to measure the influence. There isn’t a proper or fallacious reply right here however we wish to see if the candidate is ready to merely a fancy drawback and have an opinion on the why. We additionally search for candidates who’re passionate and keen to be taught and develop.
I’m a Enterprise Analyst and seeking to transition to Product Administration. Any ideas?
You should use the expertise you will have gained being a enterprise analyst to transition into product. Information is PM’s greatest good friend on the subject of prioritization, getting alignment throughout stakeholders on why the issue you are attempting to unravel is essential, measure influence of your launch and many others. I’ve given a chat on this matter in Product College which has extra particulars on how you should utilize your current expertise to transition to PM.
What are the very best instruments to jot down person tales? Are person tales essential for an Alpha and Beta product?
Greater than the instruments, I’d give attention to if person story is ready to assist engineering develop the characteristic in addition to remedy the shopper’s drawback. Person tales must be easy and must be written from a buyer’s perspective, like, “As a buyer I want to do X.” Person tales are extraordinarily essential to make sure that buyer’s objectives are met no matter Alpha/Beta product. JIRA is the device which is mostly used.
How do you strategy fixing issues at PayPal?
At PayPal, often we begin with an issue assertion we try to unravel and use knowledge to find out the influence of fixing it. Then we interact the tech groups for implementation. One of many use-cases I’m engaged on is solely client’s expertise when utilizing PayPal throughout checkout.
What’s the most difficult challenge you’ve labored on?
I labored on shifting all our checkout merchandise from a legacy platform to a brand new platform. The problem was to interrupt it down into easier chunks and navigate by way of the totally different use-cases of all these merchandise in order that the performance is just not damaged for buyer and as a substitute leverage the newest and best options.
How did you get into Product Administration?
I began my profession with PayPal as a options engineer the place I labored with retailers and helped them combine PayPal. This helped me perceive buyer’s pain-points and the significance of constructing buyer centric merchandise. I additionally created dashboards, experiences which helped the enterprise perceive the influence of the integrations which the staff was engaged on. Having the shopper expertise together with knowledge helped me transition to Product Administration.
I’m a second 12 months undergraduate engineering pupil and have discovered most packages/positions to be for many who have graduated already. Are there any assets or packages you’d advocate for somebody seeking to discover the sphere at my expertise degree?
You’ll be able to apply for internship positions. You too can take programs (Product College has one). I’d advocate you to take up facet tasks which will help you to face out whenever you apply.
How essential is formal schooling whereas breaking into Product Administration? Is it higher to give attention to sensible tasks or put money into research?
It relies on the place you might be in your journey. Very early in your profession the place you don’t have business expertise formal schooling will help break by way of into product. However in the event you had a couple of years of expertise, you too can leverage the expertise for transition.
What recommendation would you give to somebody desirous to transition into Product Administration with no-tech background? It’s laborious to get closed doorways from recruiters due to “lack of tech expertise” though we’re keen to be taught laborious and do effectively.
It relies on the businesses you might be making use of for. If firm is just not tech-oriented, you then positively needn’t have a tech background to interrupt into product. However if you’re focusing on tech corporations, then having data on tech will assist. That being stated you don’t want a proper schooling. So long as you’ll be able to display that you simply perceive tech, it must be good.
I’m an analytics and knowledge science skilled with entrepreneurial expertise. How can I leverage this expertise for making use of at PM roles at PayPal? Additionally, do you will have any assets the place I can get to know extra about PayPal’s Product Administration practices and methodologies?
You’ll be able to leverage your expertise to point out your PM expertise. Your entrepreneurial expertise itself exhibits your creativity hat which is essential for PM. In case you have used knowledge previously to offer evaluation and suggestions, this can be utilized as a PM to find out which drawback you wish to remedy or to measure the influence of your product. Concerning the assets, we observe agile methodology general nevertheless, some groups could observe waterfall primarily based on their enterprise requirement.
Associated to this: Product Managers and Technical Abilities…What’s The Deal?
What are the hotest domains/industries to be a PM in? Does it even matter which business is it?
There’s nothing as hottest area. It in the end relies on your ardour.
