How I switched from UX Designer to Payments Product Manager.

Hello there!

After working as PM for almost 2 years it's time to share my experience going from senior product designer to payments product manager without taking any shortcuts, with the full-scale war impending.

Throughout the years I've changed companies a few times, and along the way, I faced numerous challenges and learned some valuable lessons. As a rookie, I made mistakes and even experienced a couple of instances where I was let go. It became evident to me that it was not just about possessing hard skills; I also needed to understand the importance of being a team player and being sensitive to the emotions of others. These experiences, though tough, shaped me into the person I am today. I am grateful for the valuable lessons I learned during those trying times.

On the flip side, I also had positive experiences throughout my career. I had the opportunity to travel extensively and had the privilege of working closely with data analysts, product managers, developers, and even CEOs.

What are the essential qualities that a Product Manager in my company should have?

The role of a Product manager requires a mix of strategic thinking, strong communication skills, analytical abilities, and a deep understanding of customer needs.?

The role of? Payments Product Manager requires a bit more domain knowledge. Luckily for me, Wix has a strong school of PMs and a variety of resources to learn from.

PMs are responsible for driving the success of a product from its inception to its lifecycle management, continually iterating and improving to meet customer and business requirements.

Being a PM in Wix means you have to be the CEO of your product, be mindful of people and remember the technicalities of the product, and be super attentive to the economic side of the product and ROI when thinking about priorities and backlog.

Why did I decide to switch??

Overall, my journey as a UX designer has been filled with ups and downs. The challenges and setbacks have taught me important lessons about teamwork and emotional intelligence. At the same time, the positive experiences have provided me with valuable opportunities for growth, learning, and collaboration.

Around 2018-2019, I joined Wix as a Senior UX designer. During my time there, I had the opportunity to work closely with various product managers, some of whom inspired me to consider a new opportunity in product management. Intrigued by the role, I started reading about product management and even had a chance to gain real-life exposure by managing a small venture in 2019.

How did I switch?

After seeing a few of my close peer PMs leave their job, I had more and more opportunities to get hands-on experience being a PM.

Because I'm naturally shy, I assumed that our management would understand this and offer me a role. However, since I waited for a long time without any action, I took the initiative and talked to the VP of product and my design lead about switching positions.

What benefits I had as a UX designer to make the move?

As a designer, I had access to a diverse pool of talented individuals and had the chance to collaborate with inspirational people who were involved in various tasks at different levels. Different kinds of experience and expertise they had left a lasting impression on me.

Being a UX designer meant working closely with data analysts and developers, risk analysts, QAs, and other product managers so I’m super happy that those people supported my choice and shared the knowledge with me, even more than I needed back then, but eventually, it was used by me in my new journey.

The good thing is that I get along pretty well with people and the company culture supports learning if you’re curious about new things.?

Challenges I faced during the move.

It took me about a year to make an official switch to product management. Just as I settled into my new role, life brought another unexpected bad surprise. russia initiated a war against Ukraine, and many of my colleagues had to leave the country.

We had to flee to the western part of Ukraine, leaving our beloved hometown behind.

Many of my colleagues left the country ahead of time and had to settle in new places.

Of course, it presented multiple unexpected challenges starting from managing a remote team, to finding myself working in the shelter, during the air raid alarms.

Despite the circumstances, I had to ensure the continuity of the major part of the product as I inherited the responsibility for its final release.

And in addition, I also had to go through the official procedures for switching to a product management role. I am incredibly grateful to the people around me for their sensitivity and support during this transitional period.

I remember that during one of the technical interviews I had, I decided to stay in my hotel room and not go downstairs into the shelter. I was lucky enough because that day russia hit the gas station just a few blocks and not the hotel I was staying at.

Conclusion

In conclusion, my transition from a senior UX designer to a product manager has been filled with challenges and unexpected events.

I’m sincerely grateful to the management of the payments team that challenged my path with good intentions, we learn through difficulties, and I’m glad that I didn’t make any shortcuts in switching and went through the whole 9 yards of challenges. Those are the things that made me stronger.

However, with the support of those around me and a resilient mindset, I have managed to navigate the changes and embrace the opportunities that come with this new role.