In the current tech industry, it is hard to find a company that doesn't leverage the expertise of product managers. They are expected to understand user needs to drive product improvements. Experienced product managers have the potential to transform not only a single product but also a whole market landscape.
Kate Podolskaia, a seasoned professional in the field, has spent about a decade enhancing the products of high-tech companies. Currently, she is a lead product manager at one of the FAANG companies and has previously led product teams at other IT giants like Bumble. Her tenure at these companies has seen her not only improve existing services for better convenience and profitability but also launch new products. We reached out to Kate to share her unique insights.
You started your career at VK (Mail.ru), one of the largest IT companies in the CIS, right after university. How did you land a job there?
– Yes, Mail.ru is indeed a vast company, employing a massive workforce of roughly 10,000 employees. It caters to the needs of more than 150 million users, offering a wide array of services and developing numerous products. Within its structure, there are hundreds of dedicated product teams. I was fortunate to join the team of a ride-hailing service. During that period, it had recently been integrated into the VK ecosystem and was the second-largest service in the market.
Could you share some of the challenges you faced during your time there?
– The ride-hailing service market was highly competitive at the time. My team and I were tasked with increasing the frequency of orders per user and expanding our client base. Through extensive research, we discovered that the main reason for order cancellations was the extended time required to find a car.
To address this issue, we first introduced new features and improved the user interface to provide users with timely updates about the progress of the ongoing car search. Secondly, we enhanced the search and routing algorithms, enabling us to locate suitable cabs more quickly. These measures proved to be effective, leading to a decrease in the order cancellation rate and an 11% increase in the company's revenue (amounting to over $50 million at the time).
Furthermore, my team and I focused on expanding our client base by launching the VK Taxi app in collaboration with VK, the largest social network in the CIS region with 100M MAU (monthly active users). At that time, users preferred to use multiple apps to compare prices and waiting times before ordering a car. By launching a new application based on Citymobile, we provided users with another alternative service while keeping them within our ecosystem. Our partnership with a social network boasting a 100M+ audience allowed us to widen our target market for cab services significantly and significantly lowered the barriers to accessing our service.
Amid the onset of the coronavirus pandemic and the ensuing restrictions, Citimobile launched a delivery service. I understand you were instrumental in this initiative. Could you share how you managed to launch the service in such a short span of time?
– I had the privilege of managing five distinct products with teams comprising over 60 individuals. This gave me a comprehensive understanding of the technical architecture and operational aspects from various perspectives. My familiarity with the people involved enabled me to effectively negotiate the necessary product changes, which enabled us to launch the service successfully in record time.
As a result, the company not only introduced the first delivery service in the market, boosting its revenue by $10 million but also making a significant social impact. We not only preserved employment for drivers who risked losing their income during the lockdown but also created new job opportunities. Over time, the delivery service evolved into an independent business unit, with several dedicated teams supporting it.
Could you share how your career progressed further?
– Following my tenure at VK, I joined Bumble, where I was involved in enhancing the dating app Badoo, which has been used by over 400 million people globally and ranks as the second most downloaded dating app worldwide. As a member of the "Discovery & Innovations" team, we introduced new features to facilitate user interaction and streamline the process of finding meaningful connections. For instance, we focused on presenting a user's profile in a more engaging manner. We also implemented a feature that simplified initiating contact with a partner by suggesting auto-generated messages based on a user's data and interests. This strategy significantly boosted global user engagement.
Currently, I am employed at Tech Company, one of the world's leading social networks with over 3 billion users. My role centres on exploring innovative approaches to purchasing goods on the company's commerce platforms. These platforms offer personalized shopping experiences by leveraging advancements in advertising and technology.
As a product manager, one of your primary responsibilities is enhancing the user experience of a product. How do you identify areas for improvement?
– Our approach involves carrying out various interviews and tests. We closely examine feedback on the app's performance from the App Store and social media platforms. Based on the insights gleaned from user research, we formulate hypotheses outlining potential changes and their expected outcomes.
It's crucial to note that our goal extends beyond enhancing the user experience. We are also focused on improving the company's business metrics as a result of these changes. Therefore, we evaluate all potential changes in relation to business metrics, with margin being a key indicator.
Do you always put these hypotheses to the test, or do you sometimes rely on intuition?
– We carry out quantitative and qualitative studies, as well as quick experiments, to ascertain the potential outcomes of a change. This is a lengthy process that may demand certain financial resources. As such, it's crucial to narrow down the focus to a specific area and concentrate our efforts there.
In this context, "professional intuition" certainly plays a role. A product manager with extensive market experience develops a keen sense of judgment and product intuition that help in deciding the course of action.
Do you have any quick strategies that allow you to test hypotheses with minimal effort?
– The feasibility of quick testing largely depends on the company's structure. For instance, startups often have the flexibility to launch experiments and gather data more swiftly. However, in larger organizations like Bumble, this approach may not always be feasible due to the significant time and financial resources required.
One creative method for testing hypotheses is the "worsening experiment." For instance, if I want to determine whether users would return more frequently to a cab booking service if the car search process is faster, I could select a category of users, deliberately increase their car search time, and observe the impact on the metric.
Another effective strategy is team communication. Typically, a team consists of individuals from various departments responsible for different aspects, such as business operations or user interactions. Engaging in discussions with each team member can often yield more valuable insights than what's available from the App Store, uncovering new opportunities for growth and improvement.
With the growing buzz around the potential of AI, do you believe it will revolutionize the role of product managers?
– I foresee that AI will gradually transform the roles of professionals across various sectors, including product managers. We can expect an emergence of new tools and metrics, bringing in new opportunities for hypothesis testing.
Even now, we're witnessing the rise of startups offering services for analytics collection or feedback using AI. The current trend leans towards automating all possible processes. If these solutions prove their efficacy and gain widespread adoption, they will undoubtedly influence the product development processes.
