Meet the Reason One Product Team!
Summary: They make sure our clients’ final web products are *chef’s kiss*, which means deep listening and rolling up their sleeves to help arrive at the right solution, so it comes as no surprise that these two are natural problem-solvers.
Geneviève Landry and Chinenye Charles are the mighty duo overseeing product solutions at Reason One. They’re the conduit between clients and the project team, translating client needs, user needs, and driving toward a solution that is both human-centered and achieves business goals.
We sat down with them to learn a bit more about their background, role, and what motivates them.
What’s your backstory?
Meet Geneviève - I've been in digital 15 years, and in Product about 7 years, working in the media, publishing, travel and telecom industries, for both desktop and mobile apps.
Meet Chinenye - I have been in the product management discipline for over 10 years, working in the telecoms, media and consulting industry. I worked on various software, payment, gaming, web and mobile products.
What sparked your interest in product management?
Geneviève - I have been working with Product Managers since the start of my digital career. I liked how they 'owned' something and could help shape it to be something better. When I learned that the main goal of a Product Manager is to think of the user, I knew it was for me. I often found websites frustrating, and wanted to fix them, not just for me, but for all users. Now that's what I do!
Chinenye - The belief in seeking solutions to problems and working with teams to provide value to clients and users. I was interested in providing value and technology provided the vehicle to do that. Product management was the fuel.
What’s a day in the life of product management like?
Geneviève- Daily or weekly project stand-ups, brainstorming sessions (for features & functions), client workshops (such as prioritization sessions), delivery roadmapping, working with design to map out a timeline for designs, user story writing, refinement (both internal and external), etc! I'm also the general go-to person (both internal and external) for any questions about "how is this supposed to work" or "we think it should be like this"... And much much more...
My favorite part is finding solutions to user pain points, whether solo or as a team brainstorming ideas - nothing beats that 'Aha!' moment!
Chinenye - My day-to-day is centered on how to provide solutions to clients through various activities like:
1. Client engagement
2. User Journey flow mapping
3. Roadmapping
4. Backlog prioritization
5. Research
6. Collaborating with team members.
I love all aspects of my job but justifiably, I love some more than the others. I enjoy collaborating and researching solutions to client's problems. Some aspects of my day to day activities can be time consuming but the end result is always satisfying, thus never challenging to perform.
What part of product management do you find most rewarding?
Geneviève - Seeing a solution implemented, and that it has met its objectives and KPIs.
Chinenye - The most rewarding part is seeing the joy on the client's face and seeing the data show that the proposed and executed solutions work well.
What is a piece of advice you'd pass on to someone interested in product?
Geneviève - Always stay curious. The most important question you can ever ask is, “Why?” And always think of the end user, not as yourself, but literally imagine being whomever that user is, and then think of what they need. They came to the site for a reason, let's make it possible for them to complete their task easily.
Chinenye - Product management is all about the user and providing solutions to their problems. If you are interested in products, you have to be user-centric and solution driven.
What do you like to do when you’re not finding solutions for clients?
Geneviève - I love fixing things—from doors that won't shut, to furniture that someone is chucking out. I'll fix it so it can be used again!
Chinenye - I enjoy playing games especially online with people I don’t know, and I also love volunteering and seeing the impact to society.
Want to learn more?
Curious about how our product team creates better solutions for our clients, or interested in joining this group of user-focused problem-solvers? Drop us a line! We’re happy to chat.