Ashka Vakil

Sr. Director, Product Management, strongDM

Content

What is most challenging about being a Platform Product Manager?

Ashka Vakil

strongDM Sr. Director, Product Management • December 13

Given platform product managers are not directly building an application or a tool or a solution for a single use case, the most challenging aspect of being a platform product manager is multiple stakeholder management. This multiple-stakeholder management requires platform PMs to have certain......Read More

832 Views

What's your framework to prioritizing needs/deliverables when you're the first Product Manager at a company establishing the function?

Ashka Vakil

strongDM Sr. Director, Product Management • December 12

The product manager's primary responsibility is to ensure that the right product is delivered to the market at the right time. In order to do this effectively, you will need to establish a framework for prioritizing needs and deliverables. This framework should take into account the company's ove......Read More

689 Views

What is your first step in developing a 0-1 product?

Ashka Vakil

strongDM Sr. Director, Product Management • May 2

The first and most critical step in developing a 0-1 product is to identify a customer problem that is pervasive and unmet. This requires conducting research and gathering insights into the target market, understanding their pain points, and identifying gaps in existing solutions. The goal is to ......Read More

524 Views

What are the top mistakes product managers make when building a 0 to 1 product?

Ashka Vakil

strongDM Sr. Director, Product Management • May 2

Building a 0 to 1 product is challenging even for experienced product managers. Here are a few things that can make it challenging to successfully build a 0 to 1 product. * Ignoring market research: It's important to conduct market research to understand the needs and preferences of your tar......Read More

478 Views

What is your advice for creating and/or improving the product management process when joining a small but growing team? Particularly for a small company with no or little structure?

Ashka Vakil

strongDM Sr. Director, Product Management • December 13

When joining a small company with no or little structure or joining a small but growing product team, it is essential to understand the current state of the product management process before establishing new processes. Rushing to make changes and establish processes that have worked for you in th......Read More

462 Views

How do you know when to invest in a second product and become a multi-product company vs innovating on your existing product?

Ashka Vakil

strongDM Sr. Director, Product Management • May 2

The decision to invest in a second product versus innovating on an existing product depends on a variety of factors, including market demand, core competencies, competitive landscape, resource allocation, strategic goals, and financial viability. By carefully considering these factors, a company ......Read More

435 Views

As a product manager, what are the make-or-break things for you when interviewing a potential next product manager for your team?

Ashka Vakil

strongDM Sr. Director, Product Management • December 12

The product manager's job is to identify the most impactful problems to solve, enable their team to build and ship solutions that delight users, learn, and iterate. Product managers need a multitude of skills to be successful. The two most important skills that I view as must-haves no matter the ......Read More

432 Views

How do you align roadmaps for product managers on individual products with the broader platform?

Ashka Vakil

strongDM Sr. Director, Product Management • December 13

Aligning roadmaps for product managers on individual products with the broader platform requires a collaborative approach. It is critical to establish overarching strategy and platform goals that are aligned with the company's business objectives and extremely important to understand clearly each......Read More

428 Views

How do you prioritize various validated problems?

Ashka Vakil

strongDM Sr. Director, Product Management • May 2

Prioritizing validated problems ensures you are focusing on the most pressing problem that will have the largest impact. It is finding out what will give you the biggest bang for your buck. Prioritization requires a thoughtful and strategic approach. Here are some ways to prioritize various valid......Read More

422 Views

How do you know if you have validated the problem space enough to start dedicating engineering resources to building out the product?

Ashka Vakil

strongDM Sr. Director, Product Management • May 2

To ensure that you are investing your resources wisely, it is critical to have a high degree of confidence in the problem you are going after. You do not want to spend engineering resources on a problem that may not be large enough or is technically not possible to solve. Here are some key indica......Read More

417 Views

Credentials & Highlights

Sr. Director, Product Management at strongDM