Career Path of a Product Manager at Bukuwarung
Garima's career began in customer success at a test and measurement company, focusing on automotive clients, but a desire to work "deeper in the software side of things" led to a product specialist role at a creative design automation startup. This experience, working closely with the product management team, fueled a transition into product management at an Indonesian fintech startup, where Garima "figured out the product market fit" for an e-commerce platform before pursuing an MBA at UCLA Anderson to expand their scope and influence.
Product Management, Career Pivoting, Fintech, E-commerce, International Business
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Garima Yadav
Product Manager
Bukuwarung
Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, India (graduated in 2017)
UCLA Anderson School of Management (Full Time MBA, current student)
Engineering - Electrical
Finance (Banking, Fintech, Investing)
Product / Service / Software Development and Management
International Student
Video Highlights
1. Garima started her career in customer success, transitioned to a product specialist role, and then became a product manager, showcasing a clear career progression.
2. She highlights the importance of identifying one's interests and pivoting careers to align with them, as she moved from customer success to product management.
3. Her decision to pursue an MBA demonstrates the value of continuous learning and development for career advancement and expanding opportunities in larger markets and with larger datasets.
Transcript
Could you walk me through your career path, starting with your experiences in college? Did you have any internships or jobs before your current role?
I started my career about five years ago in the customer success function at a test and measurement company. I worked primarily with automotive clients, helping them solve queries about the hardware and software they were using from my organization. I also conducted customer and marketing training programs for them.
While working in that role, I realized I wanted to delve deeper into the software side of things. So, I pivoted to an early-stage startup focused on creative design automation. There, I worked as a product specialist, bridging the gap between customer success and product management. I collaborated with end-users to develop custom solutions that optimized their workflows.
I worked very closely with the product management team and truly enjoyed their work. When I had the opportunity to become a product manager, I moved to an Indonesian fintech startup. I was the product manager for their e-commerce platform, which we built from the ground up.
During my time there, I discovered the product-market fit for the e-commerce platform. I collaborated with engineering, design, data, and marketing teams to achieve this, which was a very thrilling experience. I wanted a role with a bigger scope in terms of data and geographical influence.
That's why I decided to pursue an MBA. I want to become a more well-rounded professional and gain opportunities to work with larger datasets and have a greater geographical impact. That's why I'm here, pursuing my MBA at UCLA Anderson.