Meet the Immutables - Lily Zhang

This week, we chatted to Lily Zhang, Product Manager for our Wallets and Mainstream team. Lily speaks to us about the transition from professional services to the startup industry and how she initially started with Immutable as a Strategy Lead and then found a passion for Product Management.?

How did you end up in the tech industry?

Largely by accident, I studied commerce/law at university and thought I was destined for 1 of 3 careers; a lawyer, a banker, or a consultant. I spent my last two years at uni working through a process of elimination and took up a strategy consulting position when I graduated. I did my consulting gig for 3.5 years, and it was an excellent experience. I got itchy feet, so I started looking for something a bit different and was referred to Immutable through a friend. At the time, Immutable was looking for a Strategy Lead, and it was an opportunity for me to deep dive into a new industry that was changing at a truly rapid pace.?

What is the most significant difference between professional services and a tech startup?

In professional services, you're an advisor. You assess the situation and help provide recommendations, but the business needs to accept them and then implement them. You might not be around long enough to see the results of all your effort. You have to come up with the answers at a startup, and your team needs to get it done. You see it all the way through. Depending on who you are, one might be more attractive than the other.?

What were you most nervous about when joining a tech startup?

I wasn't sure where I would fit in. I had the same reservations that I think many people have about joining the tech industry. Would it be the toxic, macho tech bro startup of my nightmares? In professional services, I was following a somewhat trodden path that determined intersectional individuals had carved before me. I was nervous that I would have to be that person in a new industry, new business, and I wasn't sure I was ready. I was so relieved when I got to Immutable and saw how many team members were passionate about ensuring a culture of inclusion and diversity.?

You were initially hired as a Strategy Lead, and now you're a Product Manager? How did that happen??

The Strategy Lead role had the remit to help build and scale the business. At the time, one of the critical areas that needed support was the product team. I ended up helping the mainstream team by providing a user-friendly experience for non-crypto users. The work was super diverse and exciting, and it pivoted me towards a new capability I had never considered before. With the support of my Tech Lead and other PMs, I was able to move over to the product team.?

Immutable is a crypto company; how "tech-y" do you need to be to become a successful Product Manager in our industry?

I don't code. That's not where I add any value (I suspect I'd actively value destructive if I tried). That being said, Immutable is a tech company at the end of the day, and it's important to know enough. At the highest level, this means understanding what is happening in the space and how changing technology might impact where we fit in the industry, the value proposition of our product, and who our competitors are. On a day-to-day basis, it means understanding what the team is building in enough depth to call out potential risks, dependencies and identify the experts in the business who should be providing input.?

It's also essential to translate the tech and act as the bridge to other teams and functions and external customers. As a Product Manager, my job is to protect the engineer's time as much as possible. The more questions I can answer, provide clarity, and explain, the more my engineers can focus on building the product.?

Any advice to people considering a Product Manager role?

Figure out what your value add is. A Product Manager role can be expansive, so there are probably some elements you're already familiar with or at least good at. As for the rest, find good mentors and peers you can learn from, and be prepared for your brain to hurt while you figure it out ?? it is fun, I promise!

We currently have open roles in the Product Management team at Immutable, come join Lily - https://www.immutable.com/careers