This week, Product Faculty hosted Kavya Maiya, Supervisor, Product Administration at PayPal, for a particular #AskMeAnything session. Kavya enlightened us on the best 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 shortly decide up new expertise developments.
She is at present constructing next-generation checkout merchandise for Retailers and Shoppers at PayPal as a Supervisor of Product Administration. Earlier than this, she was a Senior Technical Product Supervisor for the corporate and the only level of contact for difficulty administration from an organizational stage. 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 related 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 resolve and the important thing outcomes they should obtain with a view to decide impression.
Learn subsequent: The Distinction: OKRs vs KPIs
What common 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 continually 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 prime off whereas making certain we offer one of the 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 via the way you wish to launch your product. This may be both scaling via areas, continents, or core markets vs progress markets and so forth. All of it will depend on what drawback you are attempting to resolve and the best way to get most impression.
How ought to I put together for this interview query: “Stroll me via 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 deal with the way you solved it which often entails utilizing knowledge factors for arriving at one of the best resolution (you’ll have a number of options so stroll via why you select the answer you determined to). Additionally point out the impression or outcomes from this launch. For instance – with this product launch we generated $XM in income and so forth (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 Frequent Product Administration Interview Questions
I’m a contemporary undergrad graduate and I’m an aspiring PM! What would you advocate somebody like myself on the best way to get began with the PM journey particularly at an organization like PayPal? What about their APM program?
All the time good to see aspiring PM’s. My suggestion could be to at all times do tasks which exhibit PM expertise. This could be a easy aspect 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’ll find on the careers web site and put together for PM interviews. Cracking the PM interview by Gayle is a good 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 arduous 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 have the ability to measure the impression. There isn’t any proper or unsuitable 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 prepared to be taught and develop.
I’m a Enterprise Analyst and trying to transition to Product Administration. Any suggestions?
You should utilize the expertise you’ve got gained being a enterprise analyst to transition into product. Knowledge is PM’s finest buddy on the subject of prioritization, getting alignment throughout stakeholders on why the issue you are attempting to resolve is essential, measure impression of your launch and so forth. I’ve given a chat on this matter in Product Faculty which has extra particulars on how you should utilize your current expertise to transition to PM.
What are one of the best instruments to put in writing consumer tales? Are consumer tales essential for an Alpha and Beta product?
Greater than the instruments, I might deal with if consumer story is ready to assist engineering develop the function in addition to clear up the client’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 targets are met regardless of 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 are attempting to resolve and use knowledge to find out the impression of fixing it. Then we have interaction the tech groups for implementation. One of many use-cases I’m engaged on is solely shopper’s expertise when utilizing PayPal throughout checkout.
What’s the most difficult challenge you’ve labored on?
I labored on transferring 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 via the totally different use-cases of all these merchandise in order that the performance will not be damaged for buyer and as an alternative leverage the most recent 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, studies which helped the enterprise perceive the impression of the integrations which the crew was engaged on. Having the client expertise together with knowledge helped me transition to Product Administration.
I’m a second 12 months undergraduate engineering scholar and have discovered most applications/positions to be for many who have graduated already. Are there any sources or applications you’ll advocate for somebody trying to discover the sphere at my expertise stage?
You’ll be able to apply for internship positions. You too can take programs (Product Faculty has one). I might advocate you to take up aspect tasks which may help you to face out once you apply.
How essential is formal training whereas breaking into Product Administration? Is it higher to deal with sensible tasks or put money into research?
It will depend on the place you might be in your journey. Very early in your profession the place you don’t have trade expertise formal training may help break via into product. However in case you had a number of years of expertise, you can even leverage the expertise for transition.
What recommendation would you give to somebody desirous to transition into Product Administration with no-tech background? It’s arduous to get closed doorways from recruiters due to “lack of tech expertise” although we’re prepared to be taught arduous and do nicely.
It will depend on the businesses you might be making use of for. If firm will not be tech-oriented, you then undoubtedly needn’t have a tech background to interrupt into product. However if you’re focusing on tech corporations, then having information on tech will assist. That being mentioned you don’t want a proper training. So long as you’ll be able to exhibit that you just perceive tech, it must be good.
I’m an analytics and knowledge science professional with entrepreneurial expertise. How can I leverage this expertise for making use of at PM roles at PayPal? Additionally, do you’ve got any sources 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 indicate your PM expertise. Your entrepreneurial expertise itself reveals your creativity hat which is essential for PM. If in case you have used knowledge previously to supply evaluation and suggestions, this can be utilized as a PM to find out which drawback you wish to clear up or to measure the impression of your product. Concerning the sources, we observe agile methodology general nonetheless, some groups could observe waterfall based mostly on their enterprise requirement.
Associated to this: Product Managers and Technical Expertise…What’s The Deal?
What are the hotest domains/industries to be a PM in? Does it even matter which trade is it?
There may be nothing as hottest area. It finally will depend on your ardour.
