Micro-Interview: Katya Karakasheva-Euser, Director of Products
Read 432 words below ↓
EDITOR’S NOTE:
Based in London, UK, Katya is a Director of Products at Croud - a global, full-service, digital marketing agency that works with some of the world’s leading brands. She is also a founding member of Women in Product UK.
In under 500 words, she shares:
How she got into product management…
How she starts her mornings for maximum productivity…
Some of her sources of learning…
And more…
Enjoy!
“How did you get into product management?”
You can say I stumbled into it somewhat by chance. Prior to my role in product management, I worked as a Social Media Analyst for renowned advertising agencies. I heavily relied on various tools and platforms to perform my job. Over time, my curiosity grew about the inner workings of these platforms, the underlying data, and the accuracy of their methodologies. During one of my career transitions, I shifted from being a user of these platforms to actively contributing to their development. My deep expertise in the subject matter facilitated a seamless transition into product management. I have now been involved in creating products for diverse industries and clients for over 8 years.
“How do you start your mornings at work?”
I prefer to end my workday with a sense of accomplishment. Therefore, I begin my day by prioritizing my to-do list and my calendar. This helps me identify the key tasks I need to accomplish and allows me to allocate my time where it will have the most significant impact.
“What do you know about product management now that you wish you’d known when you first started?”
There are two key lessons I've learned:
a. Striking the right balance between perfection and "good enough" is crucial. Releasing a product to gather feedback and iterate quickly is essential for overall product success.
b. Product management is not a solo endeavor. It involves collaboration with a team of engineers, designers, and stakeholders. In essence, it's a people-centric role.
“What did your biggest product failure teach you?”
The most valuable lessons I learned are:
a. Maintaining focus on the problem you aim to solve is paramount. Releasing a prototype or MVP, testing it, and iterating based on feedback are critical steps.
b. Building context for all involved parties is essential, as people's perspectives on problems can vary significantly. Creating a shared understanding is crucial to align everyone on the same page.
c. There's no such thing as overcommunication.
“What’s the #1 thing that has helped you shorten your product management learning curve?”
Early in my career, having a strong role model and being in an environment that encourages learning and experimentation were immensely beneficial. My first product line manager empowered me to conduct experiments, test hypotheses, learn from mistakes, and refine my techniques and approaches.
“How do you stay updated on the best practices in product management?”
I follow leading figures in the Product industry, such as John Cutler, Theresa Torres, and Nir Eyal, who set the gold standard for product management. However, you need to recognize that not every organization operates that way, so you need to adapt and apply these practices to what suits your organization.
I'm an advocate for meetups and communities, as they provide an opportunity to connect with others facing similar challenges. I’m also a founding member of Women in Product UK, where our mission is to cultivate the next generation of female product leaders through community engagement.