If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to be a product manager at Moniepoint, you’re not alone. I was curious too, and decided to give it a spin - what if I explored it from the eyes of someone who just joined the team?

That path led me to Priya, a Technical Product Manager at Moniepoint, and I'm sure you’ll find it as fascinating as I did. Come with me, let's chat with Priya!

Hi Priya! Tell me a bit about your background and how you got into product management

Hi Chidinma. I grew up in a middle-class family in India. In our culture, being an engineer or doctor is something we all aspire to become. My parents wanted me to study hard and become an engineer or a doctor. 

In high school, I was super interested in mathematics, so I chose engineering instead of medicine. However, I didn’t know that engineering was less related to mathematics and more related to actual engineering stuff. I was like a fish out of water with no idea what I was getting into. Eventually, in the final year, I got super interested in programming. That kick-started my career as a software engineer. 

I worked for about eight years as a software engineer and rose to become a senior software engineer and even a team lead. Then, I moved to Germany for two years and worked as a senior software engineer. Then, I became an engineering manager, which involved a bit of management along with engineering. This gave me a broader view of engineering, especially its business side. 

I realised that the business side of engineering was interesting and important. I also saw that multiple aspects of business come into play. I became curious and wanted to know why we do what we do. That was how I started reading about product management. 

Sounds like you’ve been at this for quite a while! So, how did you become a technical product manager at Moniepoint? 

Well, let me save you the boring details of how a recruiter reached out to me, and we got talking. However, when speaking with Moniepoint’s recruiter, I was impressed with how the role was defined because it had the perfect amalgamation of the technical and business sides. 

I had read about product management before, but I was not sure whether I really wanted to leave the technical side of my career because I enjoy coding and understanding the technical design of any project or system. Basically, the technical product manager role at Moniepoint was going to include a lot and a bit of both.  

What do I mean by a lot and a bit? The role required a lot of technical depth, but at the same time, you own the complete product. This means you also get to interact with all the stakeholders who are involved in the project. 

I’ll give you an example. Currently, I am working on the reconciliation and settlement side of Monnify. This involves talking to not just engineers but also reconciliation officers on a daily basis. The settlement and reconciliation leads are those who talk to the actual business owners who are using the Monnify product. They have data, feedback, and reports from merchants using the Monnify product. Then, I’m also talking to the engineers who are working on making that product and improving it on a daily basis. 

This is a perfect balance of technical and product ownership. My role requires me to be responsible for the product but without sacrificing the technical side. This made me interested in the role when the recruiter reached out, as it was a perfect fit for my technical side. 

Very Interesting. So, what would be your advice if I want to become a technical product manager?

I think number one is that you should be passionate or enthusiastic about the product and the domain. I am very, very interested in this domain, which is why the role excites me more. But in general, if there is enthusiasm about understanding and dissecting the product, I think it would be a great attribute to have when you want to become a product manager. 

The second thing is that as a TPM, you should have either technical knowledge or technical skills because you would be talking to enterprise architects and engineers. You would also be interacting with a lot of tables, talking about SQL, making SQL scripts, and dealing with the technical side day to day. Now, I don’t think everyone has to be a coder or programmer, but having a good understanding of SQL and how systems are designed would be helpful. 

There should also be a bit of creativity, as you might also be looking for gaps in the product and pitching the idea to your stakeholders. Product managers are sometimes also responsible for proposing new features and improving the existing features by talking to the stakeholders and the actual end users, so maybe a little bit of creativity and a vision for the product.

How do you define and measure the success of a product?

It truly depends on the nature of the project. In my past projects, I have seen that sometimes the success metrics are usually defined even at the inception of the project. By the end of the project, you look back to see whether you have achieved all those metrics. 

Success could also have some mathematical metrics attached to it. It could be some features that we decided on in the very beginning. If they are fulfilled, we could say that the project is successful. Or, it could be something that the project became during execution.  

In the end, one of the most important things is whether the actual audience and end users are happy or not. The actual success would be when the merchants use the product and confirm that it is functioning the way they want.  

This all sounds like a lot of work, and I’m sure it is, so how do you unwind from work? 

If you had asked me this question a year ago, I would have had a lot of answers. However, I just recently became a mother, and things have changed a little bit. 

Before, it was usually yoga and dancing. I love to dance and used to go to studios to unwind before COVID. But for the past months, I have been unwinding with my son. After work, I try to spend time with him. Sometimes, we go for walks; other times, we watch children-friendly movies together.  My son keeps me on my toes, for sure.  

Awwwn. Wrapping up, what has been your favourite part about working with Moniepoint?

I know it's been just a few months working with Moniepoint, but I've enjoyed the people and impact so much.   I’m always happy when I read about the strides that Moniepoint is making. For example, I was pleased by the huge impact we are making with the recent launch of the Informal Economy Report.  

Overall, I'm hugely impressed with how Moniepoint has worked and is working towards making an impact on the economy and the country's overall financial growth.

I also like how Moniepoint treats its employees, giving them room for growth and career progression. This way, they stay loyal to the company.  I remember reading a story on the blog about someone who transitioned from customer support to product management. 

Some people have spent years in Moniepoint. By years, I mean those who were actually the founding people and even founding engineers are still here. My manager is a great example, and he has been here since the inception of Moniepoint. This shows that the company has great values that encourage employees to stay loyal.  

I’m excited about my journey with Moniepoint ahead!

Thank you for your time Priya!

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