Cam - Lead Product Manager at Resourcify

?? Can you please introduce yourself and your role at Resourcify?

Hi I’m Cam, I’m the Lead Product Manager for our Waste Management Service (WMS) platform and I joined Resourcify at the end of 2023.

I’m located in and am from Berlin but I left to study International Business in Australia and Frankfurt Oder. After finishing my degree, I started in e-commerce very early on and quickly decided to stay in the startup scene.

Back then, I really didn’t know what a startup was, but I really liked the environment, the idea of doing something with the internet (yes a different generation), and felt like this was a shot for me to progress into the e-commerce world where I began in Operations and Customer Support. I was fascinated with the startup world, with all of the possibilities, and the dynamics. I’m surprised that after all these years, I’m still working with startups as I thought I’d move out of Berlin and join the corporate world. But now I know how much I thrive in this environment that has evolved over the past 10+ years and I still enjoy working in innovative companies from Series A and beyond.

?? Have you seen any shifts in the International Business degree you studied compared to what the new generation is learning now?

Studying International Business wasn’t a direct path to becoming a Product Manager, and even the title or the concept of digital product management wasn’t well known or mature 12 years ago when I started.

I studied a very typical, traditional management business degree, and it was more about business theories, history and political science, accounting, law, and a bit about marketing and international management. But when it comes to entrepreneurship, product management, and digital management, there wasn’t much offered (or I wasn’t aware of :)).

So, I think it’s amazing to know that newer generations are more in touch with the market and are closer to what we do and I’m so glad to see the development of these degrees, as people can be more prepared for these shifts in comparison to me who had no idea how online marketing and e-commerce worked back then and we had to try and figure it out as we worked.

?? Your career started in Operations and Customer Success, but you’re now a Product Manager, how did your journey transform?

I started my career as a working student in Customer Support and considered it a temporary job. While working in Customer Support and Operations allowed me to expand my working experiences , and this is where I started to come in touch with Product Management. When you work in Operations and Customer Support? you’re customer facing and at some point, you also start to think about the processes. So back then, I would go to our Product Manager, who was like the ‘glue’ between stakeholders, and I would share with them all of our user needs and pain points and they would listen to me. This stuck in my head and is when I started to look into Product Management as I wanted to make more of a direct impact for the client.

I had so many people tell me ‘Hmm it’s unusual for a Head of Customer Support to look into Product Management’ especially because I was already in a management position. I really needed to work on pitching my motivation and intentions, and the skills I would bring to the table.

I didn't land a job in Product Management immediately, but got the opportunity from another startup to move from e-commerce to SaaS. Customer Success Management seemed to be a good starting point as I’d still be very close to customers, in addition to having an impact on the product. I thought this could be a nice transition into a product role, but quickly noticed that this wasn’t where I wanted to be. I studied even more and looked into Product Management courses but most and foremost started to talk to friends and people working in Product.

It wasn't easy convincing people that I was equipped to transition to Product and there was a lot of self-doubt, about whether I would be able making it.?

Above all, it was even more important to have people around me, who would not only advocate for me, but also encouraged me to keep trying. So, thanks to my network I got the opportunity to pitch my story and convinced the previous company I used to work for, that I had everything that was needed to excel as a Product Manager. The hard work panned out and that led me to this day.?

?? What was it about Resourcify that drew you in when considering us as your new company?

After spending a considerable amount of time working in e-commerce, I began to feel a disconnect between my personal values and the nature of my work. While the experience I gained was valuable, I wanted to contribute to something more meaningful than selling clothes or furniture and driving consumption. I realized I was missing a sense of purpose—one of my strongest intrinsic motivations. I switched over to a vertical indoor farming company where I built the ERP and a reporting tool. In addition to that, I supported the sustainability team with their waste management reporting.?

Resourcify immediately caught my attention as I was personally driven to contribute to the transition toward a more circular economy, and I wanted to explore how I could best support this effort.

?? You started at Resourcify at the end of last year as Snr. Product Manager and have recently been promoted to Lead Product Manager. How has this transition been for you?

It’s been quite a rollercoaster journey. I remember very early on, I shared that I wanted to eventually become a Product Lead, but I didn’t expect it to happen so quickly as I became the interim Product Lead after a month. So my transition was merged with my probation time. I had to prove from the beginning that I was fit for this position and I think after 6 months of actually doing the job, the hard work paid off, is very much appreciated, acknowledged and seen. I’m providing value and having an impact on the company.

?? What has been your greatest learning experience on your career journey so far??

I would say two things;

Step out of your comfort zone even if it’s harsh and hard. You have your own pace, so you do you. But you need to step out of your comfort zone to learn more things as it’s the moments of hardships that are teaching you to grow. It’s not easy, but it’s necessary.

If no one believes in you, then you need to believe in yourself. So many people told me not to look into Product Management or questioned me if this is what I wanted to do. I even had people tell me ‘We don’t think you can do this’. I faced so many rejections and at some point I could have stopped as I already had an established career. But I wouldn't be here now if I didn’t believe in myself. So even if people tell you, you can’t do it -? Don’t believe them! (Most importantly, don’t compare yourself and your journey to others).

?? What qualities do you think a Resourcian should embody?

In a nutshell, resilience, curiosity, and passion or the willingness to drive things.?

What we do is quite mission-driven and passionate so I think that if you want to work at Resourcify, you should bring that, as that’s the culture we’re living. We all have this purpose and mission in mind. You can’t sit and wait for the mission to be accomplished, you have to proactively take action, reach out, and fight for it to bring it closer to reality.

?? What currently excites you most about working at Resourcify?

Along with the mission and purpose, what excites me is the opportunity and the possibility to shape things around and ensure that I can make a change here. I can choose how I want to work, I have freedom, and I also can have a positive influence on people and the work around me.

?? What advice would you give to younger women just entering the tech workforce today?

I know it can be intimidating sometimes to be in a very male-dominated area. So I say look out for your peers, and lift yourself up and make sure you lift other women up too.?

I know it’s very women-focused, but I think it’s important to instead of fighting against each other or isolating yourself, it’s important to share your experiences and lift each other up. Only when we have a strong community, can we be seen and this is so important for women in tech to be seen and acknowledged.

I’m not a big fan of ‘us against man’, we need allies and the creation of an inclusive and diverse environment. To this day being a woman in tech (especially in leadership) is still very lonely as it feels like you have to fight on your own to be seen and respected and hopefully this changes for the better and for good if we all contribute towards it.

?? How do you balance your work and personal life?

I used to balance my work and life by compensating a hard work life with a rich social life, which was amazing but also really tiring. Nowadays I value quiet evenings to (and with) myself a lot more, and include Yoga (either alone or with a friend) and meditation in my routine, sometimes the gym (I am not a gym person sorry). Social life has changed a lot, less social gatherings, more 1:1 encounters with more in-depth conversations. This works much better for recharging my batteries :)

?? What did you want to be when you were growing up?

When I was much younger, I wanted to be an artist (didn't matter what kind, I just wanted to paint and draw all day) or librarian because besides drawing I could read all day long. So clearly becoming a librarian meant that I would be able to read a lot :D And if all above didnt work out, selling website templates was still an option (by that time I discovered photoshop and HTML and thought that this would get me close to creating art too!)

?? What is the oldest item in your closet??

Probably a bolero jacket I have owned now for almost 15 years. It’s a loved piece of clothing that I still wear every now and then but I mostly keep it because of sentimental value.

?? Do you have any working from home accessories that you love??

Not necessarily an accessory but rather my WFH set up. I am most productive in the evening, when I am done with meetings :D and all my lamps are turned on and music is playing in the background. A cup of tea next to me completes the cozy vibe. I absolutely love it!

Thank you Cam for sharing your story with us!

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