Q&A with Marily Nika from Google
Meet the Manifesto Team!
Who are the 12 product people that stepped up to form the Product Management Manifesto working group? Meet Marily!
Each week we’re introducing you to working group members with Q&A on their perspective on why a manifesto is so critical today.
This week’s spotlight is on Marily Nika, AR/VR Experience Product Lead at Google. Find out her thoughts on:
How Product Management has evolved
Key challenges that a manifesto must address
Why do we need a manifesto now
What’s motivating Marily
What drew you to this Product Management Manifesto and working group?
The people. The diverse backgrounds and different walks of life of each and everyone, that has led them to become Product Managers. That’s the beauty of Product Management really, there is no straight path to enter this profession - it happens. If you are creative and passionate about users and about bringing experiences to life, it just happens, you can’t escape it. When the CEO of Product School messaged to ask me to be a part of this group, it was a no-brainer for me, I immediately said yes. I am very excited to see what comes out of it.
How have you personally seen the Product Management role evolve in your career?
If you ask any two PMs what they do on their day-to-day, the answer will be different, even PMs working for the same company or even the same team. And that is part of the beauty of being a PM - No day is the same, no product is the same, there is no routine or anything that can make you get bored in this role. The only constant of being a PM is the core skillset one needs. Skills such as storytelling, empathy for the users, strategic thinking, and so on. Other than that, the role is evolving and is at the same time somewhat ‘fluid’ depending on your product area. I personally have had the chance to experience a couple of different product areas during the past years.
I started off on the very technical / research side of being a Product Manager. I needed a deep understanding of AI in order to successfully leverage AI models into impactful user-facing products. As the years went by, I decided I wanted to ‘flex a different muscle’ and started focusing more on ways to find product-market fit for 0 -> 1 products. The breadth of the PM role is very wide and I am grateful I get to grow as a professional every single day. Being a PM is very different depending on what stage in your career you are at, and on the specific PM focus, you have. Things are moving really fast and it’s a challenge, but also a blessing, to always keep up with the fast-paced environment of Product & Tech.
What is one major challenge you see product people grapple with frequently that our principles should address?
The focus needs to *always* be on the user and impact. It is very easy to let processes, technical challenges, or other limitations get in the way of innovation. I often see people forgetting that focus, and feel that our principles should definitely address this and bring people back on track.
What are some of the reasons you feel a manifesto specific to Product Management is needed now?
I believe there was another Product Manifesto written back in 2006 by Silicon Valley Product Group. Things have changed dramatically since then in the PM world, given recent advances in technology. The main reason for a Product Management Manifesto needed now is that it’s long overdue.
We’re in a critical moment for diversity, equity, and inclusion. In what ways do you hope to see greater DE&I reflected in the work and contribution of product people?
Inclusivity matters and PMs have the power to make a difference and fight bias. Product Managers should identify bias traps and embed bias-busting strategies at key points of design and product development in order to create more inclusive and innovative products. Diversity also matters, we need diverse PMs if we want diverse products to be built. Ultimately, PMs have a responsibility to the users as they represent them within a company and I hope to see more and more DE&I in Product development in the coming years.
How will you personally use the Manifesto in your day-to-day?
I see the Manifesto as a handbook or a framework that I can rely on whenever I feel disoriented or that I’ve lost track in my career. It’s like looking at a map when you are trying to reach a certain destination, and as PMs, we know that we very often need to chart our own course, but having a compass can be life-saving.