Meet Anna Grigoryan, Director of Product Management (Core Experience and Mobile) at Wrike, a living testament to the power of determination, innovation, and leadership in the tech industry. With over three years of experience at Wrike and a wealth of knowledge in product management, Anna's journey offers valuable insights for aspiring professionals, especially women, looking to leave their footprint in the field. In this interview, we explore her path to success, the challenges she's overcome, and her vision for the future of product management.
Early in my career, I earned a master's degree in computer science and began working as a software engineer. While I enjoyed the technical side, I quickly discovered that I excelled in interacting with stakeholders and understanding business and user needs. This revelation led me to switch to product management while I was leading a technical support team. This was pivotal to me, and one of the most important decisions in my career. My passion for solving user problems is ultimately what drew me to product management, and it continues to inspire me every day.
My journey to becoming the Director of Product Management began when I joined as a Lead Product Manager for the Platform UIunit late 2020. At the time, our strategy focused on enhancing our platform. This transition was relatively smooth for me because I've been in the collaborative work management space since 2009 and was already well-acquainted with the problem space and our customers. Throughout my career at Wrike, I’ve been fortunate to work with exceptionally strong Engineering and UX partners, as well as a supportive leader who provided valuable guidance and growth opportunities.
My most significant professional achievement at Wrike has been seeing the Product Managers on my team grow and excel in their roles. I'm like a proud parent, cheering them on as they deliver strong solutions and navigate difficult decisions with stakeholders. In terms of personal achievements, leading the launch of the Team plan stands out. It was one of the most complex releases at Wrike, focused on improving and simplifying user experience. Since then, we’ve continued that focus with several more updates, including the Lightspeed release, and we consistently work on improving our product on a daily basis. These milestones not only represent significant strides for our product but also highlight the collaborative efforts of an exceptional team.
In my humble opinion, based on what I have seen throughout my career and what has worked for the best product managers,essential skills for success in product management include:
● Curiosity and inquiry: Continuously asking 'why' and digging into the root causes of user problems and challenges.
● Open-mindedness: Being ready for failure and being wrong, and being able to accept different perspectives to make the right decisions.
● Collaboration and growth: Surrounding yourself with the right people who challenge you and help you grow.
● Adaptability: Recognizing that if things feel too easy, you might not be in the right place. Constant learning and challenges are crucial for growth and success.
● Product sense and decision-making: Having the gut to call the shots and knowing the right path to take, even when you can't research things endlessly or have data to back up every decision. Sometimes, you have to take risks and trust your instinct.
Fostering innovation and collaboration within my team involves creating the right environment and mindset. Here are som estrategies I use:
Cultivating the right mood and environment: It's essential to create a space where people feel encouraged to collaborate and let theircreative juices flow. At Wrike, one of our core values is “creative”, which means we prioritize exploring different paths and coming up with out-of-the-boxideas and solutions.
Emphasizing continuous learning and creative exploration: In a remote environment, nurturing innovation can be challenging. I encourage my team to challenge themselves daily by reading books, listening to podcasts, and sharing insights with each other. We regularly conduct ‘Lunch and Learn sessions’ to share what we've learned from recent releases or discuss how we can challenge each other to make our product better before launch.
Building a supportive culture:Team members need an environment where they can express their ideas without fear of judgment. Ensuring a supportive culture where everyone feels valued and heard is key to fostering both innovation and collaboration.
Identify your unique strengths: Figure out what sets you apart. What types of user problems are you particularly good at solving? Do you have deep knowledge in a specific industry or with a particular persona? Seek opportunities to work at companies where you can leverage these strengths, even if it's not in a product role on day one. Many successful product managers began their careers in different roles and transitioned into product managementby showcasing their strengths.
Build strong relationships and allies: For leadership roles in tech, it's crucial to find allies—people who support you and advocate foryou when you're not in the room. Most career decisions are made behind closed doors, so establishing strong relationships with influential colleagues and decision-makers is key. Additionally, be clear about your career aspirations. Communicate your desired state and what you want to achieve in the next 2-3 years so your leaders or managers don’t have to guess.
Showcase your strengths: Ensure that you’re able to demonstrate your skills and achievements effectively. This might involve taking on sideprojects, leading initiatives, or volunteering for roles that can highlight your capabilities. The goal is to build a portfolio of work that illustrates your value.
Empowering women from the early stages oftheir careers to reach leadership positions is incredibly important, but it's never too late to aim for leadership roles, even if you've been in your industry or role for several years. Early empowerment lays a strong foundation and can accelerate career growth, but opportunities for advancement and personal development remain throughout one’s career.
From my experience, I actively support and mentor high-potential employees whenever I notice them, regardless of the management chain. Sometimes, a single sentence of encouragement or a compliment from an unexpected source can make a significant impact and motivate someone to push through challenges. This is why spreading kindness and support is essential. We should always be looking for ways to uplift and empower women, creating an environment where they feel valued and inspired to aim for leadership positions. Ultimately, fostering a culture of empowerment benefits not just individuals, but the entire organization by bringing diverse perspectives and strengths to leadership roles.
The most valuable lesson I've learned in my career is that the moments when you feel the most challenged and want to quit are often the times when you are growing the most. Embrace these challenges and focus on what you can learn from them. Even the colleague who gives you a hardtime is teaching you something valuable. I've gained so much from peers who have challenged me or been competitive; those experiences have provided lifelong learnings that have significantly contributed to my growth. By viewing difficult situations as opportunities for development, I've been able to continually evolve both personally and professionally.
Mentorship has played a significant role in my career development. I have informal mentors whom I reach out to when I’m stuck or need a second opinion. These are people I trust and am not shy to ask questions or hear their criticism. I lean on them occasionally, especially when I need different perspectives or a new source of motivation. While I’m not formally mentoring anyone at the moment,I have mentored others in the past and always remain open to offering help and support if someone reaches out. Mentorship, whether giving or receiving, has continually provided valuable insights and growth opportunities throughout my career.
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