Biggest Challenges Faced By A Product Manager And Engineer At A Fintech Company
Honorebel's biggest challenge as a Product Manager-Engineer in a FinTech company stems from a lack of prior experience in finance, requiring them to navigate "a very complicated industry" with numerous nuances. This necessitates overcoming communication barriers to effectively translate business needs, understand financial concepts, and contribute meaningfully despite feeling "very confused" and "very lost" at times.
Communication, FinTech Industry, Product Management, Business Needs, Technical Translation
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Honorebel S. Walker
Product Manager - Engineer
Fintech Company
University of San Diego
Engineering - Electrical
Aerospace, Aviation & Defense, Finance (Banking, Fintech, Investing)
Product / Service / Software Development and Management
Scholarship Recipient, Pell Grant Recipient, Took Out Loans, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. Communication is a significant challenge, particularly translating business needs effectively within the FinTech context.
2. The role requires navigating a complex and nuanced industry with regulatory standards and various products, which can be overwhelming without a finance background.
3. Overcoming confusion and knowledge gaps is crucial, often requiring asking clarifying questions to understand business needs and contribute effectively to product development.
Transcript
What is your biggest challenge in your role?
The biggest challenge in my role? I honestly think it's probably just communication.
I have zero experience in finance or FinTech. I went to school for electrical engineering, math, and physics, and also studied entrepreneurship. The financial space is very different from my previous experience in rocket companies, construction engineering, and EA Sports.
It's a very complicated industry to learn about because there are so many nuances, from regulatory standards to how we make money and the plethora of products we offer.
The biggest challenge, I would say, is really understanding that I don't have a financial background to the level required. When we're trying to build products, I need to grasp what that even looks like. I've never worked with a bank before.
I've also never really interfaced with small businesses or even the government before. So, the biggest challenge right now from a communication perspective is being able to translate business needs.
If there are ten business needs and our team gets, let's say, three or four, how are those translated to me? And how can I understand them so that I'm also contributing? Because sometimes I do find myself being very confused and lost. I just have to ask more questions, but I think that's kind of the biggest challenge.