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AMA: GitLab Group Manager, Product Management, Melissa Ushakov on Product Management Career Path
March 7 @ 10:00AM PST
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GitLab Group Manager, Product Management, Melissa Ushakov on Product Management Career Path
Top Questions
Melissa Ushakov
GitLab Group Manager, Product Management • March 6
The answer here is extremely nuanced and will vary from situation to situation. There's a phrase from Graham Weston that has stuck with me from my time at Rackspace: “What we all want from work is to be valued members of a winning team on an inspiring mission.” When that phrase no longer ri......Read More
548 Views
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Melissa Ushakov
GitLab Group Manager, Product Management • March 6
One question I love to ask is: "Tell me about a time when a conversation with a customer made you realize that your product direction was wrong." I have heard so many great stories about dispelling assumptions by talking to customers. One of my favorite stories was when a PM did generative ......Read More
1034 Views
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Melissa Ushakov
GitLab Group Manager, Product Management • March 7
One very common frustration is not being able to make everyone happy. As a product manager, your job is to hear many perspectives, which may be at odds with each other, and you don't have infinite time or people to get everything done. It's so tempting to invest a little in many areas in an attem......Read More
468 Views
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Melissa Ushakov
GitLab Group Manager, Product Management • March 7
It's important to be transparent with your manager about your career aspirations and then align on the criteria for a promotion. Create an actionable plan to close any gaps and track progress against it. I have had these conversations with my manager several times over the years to prepare for my......Read More
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Melissa Ushakov
GitLab Group Manager, Product Management • March 7
Before gaining influence, you have to gain your team's trust. One question I love to ask when I join a team is: "What are the biggest challenges the team experiences? How can I help?". Gather this information from many members of your team and people the team collaborates with. Usually, I can der......Read More
478 Views
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Melissa Ushakov
GitLab Group Manager, Product Management • March 6
Working at GitLab for the last three years has shown me that fully remote teams can work and be highly effective. Teams at GitLab are remote and highly distributed and work asynchronously first. For example, we run all the typical agile ceremonies (refinement, spring planning, sprint retrospectiv......Read More
782 Views
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Melissa Ushakov
GitLab Group Manager, Product Management • March 7
There are a couple of things that make some candidates stand out from the rest: * User-focused: The most successful product managers are those that think deeply about people and want to understand them to build great products. Product managers should have contact with end users in some ca......Read More
790 Views
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Melissa Ushakov
GitLab Group Manager, Product Management • March 7
Domain experience is not at the top of the list of things I look for in a candidate. I have changed domains a couple of times in my career and it has helped me get a richer perspective. For this reason, I prefer to see some variety in product management candidates. Domain experience can be a ......Read More
798 Views
2 requests
Melissa Ushakov
GitLab Group Manager, Product Management • March 7
TL;DR - Be clear about what you want to learn and then ask for help. You'll find most people are eager to help others grow. Before finding a mentor, it's critical to think about what you are hoping to accomplish with mentorship. I think of it almost like writing the job description and measure......Read More
789 Views
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Melissa Ushakov
GitLab Group Manager, Product Management • March 7
Contributing myself and supporting my team can be at odds with each other. Coaching and supporting my team is always my number one priority. There are times when I simply need to say no and deprioritize things to ensure I have enough time to support my team. It's important to have open commun......Read More
982 Views
3 requests
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