Catalina Lee

Lessons from My First Three Months as a Product Manager Onboarding Date: September 10, 2024 Company: Prime Startup Role: Product Manager & Discoveries A quarter-year into my product management journey, and wow—what a ride it’s been! From diving into Product Design and User Discovery to tackling Product Research, crafting PRDs, managing backlogs, and facilitating teamwork, every day has been an opportunity to grow and adapt. Projects I’ve Worked On SPLITA A revolutionary app that simplifies group travel planning. With tools for communication, itinerary building, budgeting, and expense sharing, it’s designed to take the hassle out of planning group trips like vacations, excursions, and tours. HOMELUXE https://lnkd.in/ecrdeNUV... : A comprehensive Real Estate Solutions Framework designed to address key challenges faced by homebuyers and renters. This was part of the Group 7 project for the Bectified November 2024 cohort, where I served as both the Product Manager and Presenter. Here are the lessons that have shaped me so far: 1. Collaboration Is Key Building relationships with senior PMs and teammates has been invaluable. Their advice, feedback, and mentorship are shortcuts to wisdom. (Pro Tip: Never hesitate to ask questions, even if they seem basic. Knowledge is cumulative!) 2. Explore Before You Specialize Early on, I felt the urge to niche down. But this is a phase for exploration. By working across diverse industries and projects, I’ve discovered what excites me most. 3. Volunteering Matters Experience is experience—whether it’s paid or unpaid. Volunteering has helped me refine my skills, expand my portfolio, and demonstrate my capabilities as a PM. It’s also a fulfilling way to give back! 4. Never Stop Learning Product Management is constantly evolving. I’ve gained a wealth of knowledge from books, online courses, podcasts, and even LinkedIn posts like this one! 5. Tackle Imposter Syndrome That nagging feeling of, “Am I cut out for this?” is normal. Instead of letting it paralyze me, I’ve reframed it as evidence of growth. 6. Balance Is Everything I’ve learned that burnout isn’t a badge of honor. Setting boundaries and prioritizing mental health has made me both happier and more productive. Points to Note User-Centric Design: Truly understanding users’ needs is the bedrock of great products. Adaptability: Each challenge has required me to adjust my approach and think creatively. Teamwork: The best outcomes arise from collaboration, not solo efforts. Continuous Improvement: There’s always room to grow, so I embrace feedback and stay curious. To Senior, Fellow, and potential PMs What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned as a Product Manager? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Kindly drop them in the comments below! Let’s connect, share, and grow together.

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soooo who's #hiring engineers in LA? I'm putting an uno-reverse on the hiring process 😂 for TECH WEEK by a16z where startups pitch themselves to engineers in LA, show what makes their engineering culture unique, & why top engineers should work there! DM me if you want pitch at the event. We will give a preference to companies actively interviewing for 3+ open eng roles in October. Register directly if you're an engineer who wants to attend: https://lnkd.in/gtHsfXRU #LATechWeek

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With so many new metrics/jargon in LLM evals, it's often difficult to interpret what is the right trade-off we should make when it comes to deploying a gen AI-based product. One of the underrated metrics that is my favorite is response diversity. In a nutshell, response diversity measures the varied outputs/creativity of LLMs given the same input prompts. In the beginning, I was part of a deterministic/natural language query project, so the lower the response diversity, the better. In this early days, I tend to mix up low hallucination with low response diversity (especially in naive RAG implementation). However, when it comes to applications like learning AI with personalization, this metric has become more important than ever. While factuality and accuracy remain the top priorities, engagement and personalized motivation are keys to effective learning; hence, the need for higher response diversity. As AI continues to grow, I believe the importance of this metric will continue to grow.

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🚀 Product Manage Your Life Like You PM Your Products 🚀 Got inspired by Lenny's Newsletter's podcast where Lenny Rachitsky featured Deborah Liu. In that episode, she tackled why we should PM our career like how we PM our products. 💡 Lightbulb moment because I tend to PM most aspects of my life - including financials. 💰 Month-end is my time for retros: what went well and what could be improved? Key results this month:  🚗 47.5% reduction on Transportation & Gas expenses 🛍️ 63% reduction on Miscellaneous expenses (eat outs + random purchases) 🐾 $250 overbudget in pet expenses (my yorkie needs updated vaccination!) Do you PM your life or career too? #productmanagement #liferoadmap

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“As a software engineer, my first impressions of Ketch were surprise and delight. The UI is intuitive and rooted in a clicks-not-code approach, with sensible defaults built in that make changes a breeze.” - Paul Yi, Software Engineer at Flexport Faced with complex privacy regulations and a growing global footprint, Flexport needed a solution that could scale with their business. 🔧 Here’s how Ketch helps Flexport today: 🔸 Scalable Compliance: Customizable regulation templates for every major privacy regulation, handling current and future requirements with ease. 🔸 User-Friendly Design: Intuitive, clicks-not-code approach, perfect for a lean team managing a complex compliance landscape. 🔸 Rapid Deployment: Quick setup and integration, ensuring Flexport met their privacy compliance needs without delay. Ketch simplifies Flexport’s privacy management AND ensures they stay ahead in a dynamic regulatory environment. Learn more about Ketch. #DataPrivacy #Compliance #Ketch #Flexport

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Silas Mähner 🔍🌎 🔍🌎 and the team on CleanTechies have spoken to a lot of carbon accounting platforms. Here are the main reasons they think Gravity is different: - We offer something to every key stakeholder: Execs love the ROI focus, Procurement Love the Marketplace, ESG teams get their wishes - Our product is super simple and easy to use: We've focused on genuinely serving customers. Many companies would have to hire a Proper ESG Team before adopting GHG software, Gravity makes it easy to upskill and empower anyone to manage the carbon measurement process. - Focus on Return-On-Investment: Investing in decarbonization presents a unique opportunity to reduce business risk and drive savings. We firmly believe that if a customer spends $1 on our platform, it needs to return $5 in energy savings. - More than just a GHG Accounting platform: We firmly see a need to go beyond carbon accounting. That's why we're building out a marketplace of providers to help customers reduce their energy costs – at a discount.

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My Autonomous Waymo Experience: Riding the Future This weekend, I had the opportunity to ride in a Waymo autonomous vehicle, (formerly Google's self-driving car initiative) and it was nothing short of mind-shifting! As we head to #Dreamforce, I couldn’t help but think about the parallels between this experience and the transformative potential of #AgenticAI and the announcement of #Agentforce (formerly #Einstein #Copilot).  In the same way that Waymo’s driverless technology navigates complex environments seamlessly, #Agentic #AI is poised to revolutionize how we interact with digital systems.  Imagine AI Agents that can independently execute complex workflows, collaborate with other agents and humans, and continuously learn to improve their performance. Here is a video clip of my Waymo ride and if you’re attending #DF24, let’s connect! I’ll be diving into discussions about Agentic AI and its implications for improved customer experience, and increased productivity.  Among the areas of interest I am going to keep my eye on how independent Agents are (or are not) coordinating, communicating with other agents. To avoid disconnected systems, people and processes across your enterprise (including AI) find me at #Dreamforce, and I can share with you how our Publicis Sapient team approaches these challenges leveraging our proven Value Alignment Lab framework where we help companies develop a holistic roadmap, focused on thei customer, with prioritized use cases that drive business outcomes. Want to dig in a bit more? Check out the following: • AGENTFORCE - WHAT IT IS https://lnkd.in/gBB5HW5y • AGENTFORCE - HOW IT WORKS https://lnkd.in/gppCbBy3 • AGNETIC AI - Forbes https://lnkd.in/gCzZVXvG • Salesforce TRENDS IN AI - REPORT https://lnkd.in/gXBMxgZV • Salesforce Ben - OVERVIEW https://lnkd.in/gatd4s6B • WAYMO - HOW IT WORKS https://lnkd.in/gf5EdDVz • WAYMO - CHALLENGES https://lnkd.in/gKYMTqWQ #Dreamforce2024 #AI #Salesforce #AutonomousVehicles #Innovation #CustomerExperience

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This week I rode in a Waymo for the first time and it immediately made me think of the parallels between autonomous vehicles and smart home technology. Both are about taking complex and inefficient systems, removing friction, and creating a seamless experience for the user. With Waymo there’s no driver to guide the car yet everything feels intuitive and effortless. In smart home tech it’s the same goal: to give people solutions that simplify their lives—whether it’s automating temperature control, streamlining access, energy efficiency or customization. What excites me most is how these technologies are evolving to not just meet expectations but exceed them. The common thread is efficiency and time—freeing people to focus on the things that matter most. It’s amazing to see how these innovations are redefining industries and how much potential there is ahead. Smart tech isn’t just about convenience—it’s about creating a better way to live.

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Once in a while a product development book comes along that elevates your approach to building products that have "it". I’m thrilled to share that my uncle, Jawwad Farid, a seasoned serial entrepreneur, has just released his latest book, "Craft: Why Products Are Hard." Grab your copy today and join the conversation on what makes products hard but incredibly rewarding to build!

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We’re in the transition phase from value creation through human labour to value creation through machine labour — labour being the key word. The jobs that’ll be replaced first are the most laborious. Three areas stand out: 1. Movement of People & Goods Autonomous vehicles. Wayve, Tesla, Waymo. 2. Movement of Parts Warehousing and robotics. Figure, Tesla. 3. Movement of Information AI agents. OpenAI, Anthropic. My back-of-the-napkin calculation suggests that over 250 billion human hours are spent each year in these areas. From delivering packages to component fabrication or intra-company accounting, we’re headed toward a future where over a billion people will need to rethink how they spend their working time. What’s interesting is that training for these laborious roles is incredibly skill-specific, making them particularly vulnerable to automation. In a way, they’re very non-human tasks, requiring situational awareness within the capabilities of today’s machines. This suggests a stark truth: each year, 250 billion hours of human life are spent enduring non-human behaviours to make a living. The issue? Many adjacent roles face a similar risk, pushing unprepared workers into potentially major career shifts. I think we’re dropping the ball when it comes to preparing today’s workforce for this shift. And we’re certainly failing the workforce of the future through outdated education. The shift to machine labour is happening. It’s glacial — slow, unstoppable, and world-changing. On balance, I think it’s a net positive. Fewer laborious, non-human jobs being done by people. But we need much greater emphasis on preparing people for that change.

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Japan expansion is here!!

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After a long hiatus, I'm excited to share my first newsletter! 🎉 Breaking down the unexpected Waymo-Uber partnership: - Former rivals join forces in autonomous ride-hailing - Uber gets AV tech, Waymo gains massive user base - Both face risks & regulatory challenges What does this mean for the future of transportation? Check out the full analysis in my newsletter: https://lnkd.in/gQHPTKeh

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This EV charging station is a small but impactful affordance at our Atomic Object office. As an EV driver, I appreciate it as a tangible way that my company supports environmental sustainability, while also providing me the convenience of a full charge for longer trips after work. Over a year ago I led the task team to research, buy, and install this unit, and it has been super rewarding to see more Atoms purchase electric or hybrid vehicles because charging at work was no longer a barrier. Many days we even have contention for space at the charging station — which we’ve solved with a Slack channel and a few simple habits (which basically boil down to, “sharing is caring”). It’s a charging station, but it also represents a spirit of shared ownership in our office space and culture, where any individual can take steps to improve something that isn’t working right, or create a new perk to share with their colleagues. And I love that. I see it in other places around our office, too: last year somebody installed better bike racks. Another person set up a fitness station and had our coffee machine serviced by an expert. Somebody else is setting up a garden bed where we can grow some fresh veggies for summer lunches. When folks in your organization come forward with needs and ideas for improving your office or your culture, how does your org respond — is it a “yes, and” or is it “we can’t, because”? Often these things don’t cost much and have an outsized impact on engagement and productivity. I'd love to hear about the affordances that make your office or company culture special to you! #bcorp #employeeengagement #sustainability

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Thanks to so many of you who just joined me for an awesome chat with 2 alumni from Career Strategy Lab who recently got hired into roles as a Senior UX Researcher and a Lead Product design at Dexcom and Nextdoor! 3 key takeaways: 🗺️ 1) Just like a product needs a roadmap, your CAREER needs a roadmap. Without a roadmap, product teams flail around in chaos – and without a roadmap, you'll flail around when creating your resume, portfolio etc. A roadmap serves as a compass for your career ... and decisions are a LOT easier when you have a compass to guide you! 👥 2) Just like many entrepreneurs "build in public," navigating your career is a lot easier when you do it in community (and not a silo.) The benefit to building in public is that you learn from each other's mistakes, learnings etc. If you create your resume, portfolio, etc, in a silo, you'll second guess everything and get stuck in negative thinking, etc. With a community, you can have the support and collective knowledge of like-minded people who are on a similar journey. 🧠 3) Like startup founders, it's easy to get stuck in your head and overthink everything. The same applies to getting hired! Startup founders are often too close to their own idea! Chances are, you're too close to your resume, portfolio, etc, and you've been overthinking things and NOT considering the "users" (aka recruiters and hiring managers). Eventually, startup founders realize they can move faster and more effectively when they hire the right experts to help them bring their ideas to life – and the same applies to your career! There you have it ... I hope these takeaways were helpful! Thanks again to all of you who showed up live for our little Q&A session with alumni today and the mini portfolio workshop I taught :) Excited to see some of you on next week's Q&A Call (Tuesday) and Mindset Call (Wednesday) ... and with that, I'm logging off for the day! #ux #uxdesigner #productdesigner

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The latest B2BaCEO podcast episode features Samsara CEO Sanjit Biswas sharing how he went from grad school to the start-up world, and some important lessons he learned along the way. Check it out! 

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The latest B2BaCEO podcast episode features Samsara CEO Sanjit Biswas sharing how he went from grad school to the start-up world, and some important lessons he learned along the way. I am currently pursuing my MBA at University of Washington's Foster Business School and listening to this podcast by our own CEO at Samsara was eye opening as I look to pivot into Product Management. Especially, his insights about product management vis-a-vis Entrepreneurship and leading companies was extremely helpful. Give it a listen!

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