Yasmin Kothari

Customer feedback is critical to how we build, and we incorporate it at every step of the product development process. We get customer feedback from a variety of places. When building new products we proactively reach out to customers to learn about their needs and make sure we’re creating the right solutions for them. We have a User Research team that regularly speaks to customers via a variety of methods - everything from interviews and surveys to card sorting and field studies. Along our prod ...Read More

Disagreements among stakeholders typically stem from three key factors: Differing underlying goals - Each stakeholder is optimizing for their primary goal and if these goals are conflicting, there will be a mismatch Varying strategies on how to achieve a goal - Especially in a world with limited resources, each stakeholder may have conviction in a different initiative, even if their goals are the same Cultural issues - There may be a communication gap or trust deficit that contributes to disagre ...Read More

When you decide not to prioritize a stakeholder's request in your roadmap, make sure to: Acknowledge and empathize - Recognize their effort and express understanding; they will likely be disappointed, and your empathy will go a long way Highlight prioritization process - Explain how decisions are made based on various factors (like cost to build and impact) and organization objectives. Provide a transparent explanation - Clearly explain the decision, and what factors went into the decision makin ...Read More

Junior product managers can face challenges when working with executives around: Communication - articulating complex ideas concisely. To combat this, think through what are the key 2-3 points you want this busy executive to take away from this meeting and use visuals, data, and examples to illustrate those ideas effectively Influence - convincing executives and managing expectations. To combat this, build a compelling case based on data and user insights. Show how product decisions align to the ...Read More

As many of us now know, aligning stakeholders in a remote working environment presents unique challenges. To foster alignment, consider the following strategies: Agree on shared objectives - define and communicate clear project KPIs and refer back to them repeatedly Communicate effectively - foster transparency, and effective asynchronous communication. Send pre-reads and meeting agendas to have more effective meetings. Send clear and concise status updates. Build relationships - actively involv ...Read More

At Asana, we break down PM skills into 6 core competencies. Demonstrating growth in these competencies is critical for all PMs, including our senior folks. Growth Mindset: Be open and curious when building, growing, and leading Strategic: Create the best and boldest ideas with a boundaryless mindset, making decisions with the company mission in mind first, team second, and self third Get Stuff Done: Find the best solutions with the highest ROI to deliver value to our users fast Grow Team Asana: ...Read More

This is the constant battle of product management! To work with your executive team and narrow the focus, you should: Always align on the goals - constantly make sure everyone understands and agrees on the strategic objectives. Write them down, so it’s easy to refer back. Make data-driven decisions - use qualitative and quantitative data to showcase how you are prioritizing projects with the most impact Keep an open mind - when new ideas surface, dig deeper to understand the “why” behind them. Y ...Read More

When looking for a new opportunity, I ask myself four questions: Am I excited to work on this mission? If I’m going to dedicate 40+ hours a week on solving a specific problem, I need to be sure that the solutions I’m working on are ultimately helping people and making the world a better place. Will I be happy working with these people? I operate best in an environment that values transparency and high standards, has a low-ego culture, and encourages people to bring their whole selves to work. I ...Read More