Meet the Team: Samantha Zerman, Codecademy Senior Product Manager

Everybody’s career journey looks different — even the journeys of our own team members! That’s why we’re so excited to share stories and advice from Codecademy’s Software Engineers, Data Scientists, Product Managers, and more to show people what it’s like to work in tech.

Today we’re spotlighting Samantha Zerman , a Senior Product Manager at Codecademy who has been with us for one-and-a-half years.

Tell us about yourself.

“I’m a Senior Product Manager [PM] on the Reach Team. The Reach Team’s mission is to create an engaging free experience that drives new users to Codecademy.

As PM on the team, my role is to prioritize customer and business needs, outline roadmaps, ensure alignment across teams, and facilitate day-to-day discovery and execution of initiatives to achieve our goals. I lead a cross-functional product development squad of engineers and designers and collaborate closely with stakeholders in other business units — especially marketing and curriculum.

My journey into product management was somewhat coincidental. I started my career in public relations but gravitated towards enhancing the digital products of my clients. I found myself interested in listening to users, identifying pain points, and leveraging technology to improve their experiences. So, I transitioned into product management where I could collaborate with designers and engineers to create innovative solutions that people would want to write about.”

What’s it like being a Product Manager?

“You can describe product management as the intersection between business, technology, and user experience. (I didn’t make that up myself, Martin Eriksson did but he explains it well for non-technical people).

Business because you are focused on delivering business value, technology because you are directly involved in the development of the product, and user experience because you should act as a user advocate and always represent the needs of your user.

During my time as Reach PM, I have worked on rebuilding all the landing pages for courses and paths, which was an important project since these pages are some of our top entry points for users. After several rounds of experimentation, we successfully launched a new page that not only significantly increased signup rates, but also addressed our users’ needs and enhanced our SEO performance.

Another noteworthy initiative is the development of our user-generated content (UGC) platform, Codecademy Docs. Learners use Docs to look up syntax, definitions, and solidify their understanding of concepts. What makes Docs unique is its open-contribution model, providing contributors with hands-on learning experiences and helping them grasp new technologies while building their online presence.

I also can’t overlook our involvement in AI-related projects. One recent achievement was the launch of the Codecademy ChatGPT plugin. Our plugin is accessible to ChatGPT Plus users, and offers recommendations for Codecademy courses, paths, docs, and articles based on user prompts.

This project allowed us to gain valuable experience with Large Language Models (LLMs) and position ourselves in the evolving AI landscape.”

"Embracing failure as a learning opportunity and recognizing the right moments to pivot are indispensable in this field."

What advice do you have for people interested in product management?

“There are several hard skills to master as a PM, such as prioritization, road-mapping, data analytics, user research, A/B experimentation, Agile project management, and even fluency in business basics like revenue, profit, and budget management.

It also depends on your specific department. For example, in my role, it is important for me to hone my SEO skills. PMs in mobile app development will require a whole separate set of technical skills. And of course, interpersonal and soft skills are just as important.

Successful PMs bridge diverse departments and align everyone toward shared goals. Building strong relationships with your team, stakeholders, and users is crucial. A collaborative mindset, fostering trust, active listening to both team members and users, nurturing empathy, and effective communication with stakeholders are vital for success.”

What do you wish you knew before you began your career?

“I would stress the importance of adaptability in product management. While I grasped Agile methodology in theory, truly embracing the constant need for change was a gradual process.

Accepting that most experiments won’t yield anticipated results can be challenging. Embracing failure as a learning opportunity and recognizing the right moments to pivot are indispensable in this field — hence the popular mantra, ‘fail fast, fail often.’

Additionally, it’s crucial to understand the volatile nature of the professional landscape, especially with transformative technologies like AI. The ability to adjust strategies in response to evolving technology is imperative for success.

To sum it up, my advice is to nurture a mindset of adaptability, learn from setbacks, and maintain the agility necessary to thrive in the ever-changing realm of product management.”

What do you want to learn next?

“In the age of AI, staying ahead of the curve is important for a Product Manager like me.

I don’t aim to become an AI expert, but having a comprehensive understanding of the field is essential. It allows me to collaborate more effectively with my partners in engineering and data science. So lately I’ve been delving into AI, broadening my knowledge beyond what I knew before.

To keep my skills sharp, I follow product podcasts like Masters of Scale , How I Built This, and Lenny’s Podcast. I also engage with organizations like Women In Product , attending their events whenever possible.?Learning is an ongoing journey and staying informed ensures I remain relevant in this evolving landscape.”

What’s your favorite Codecademy course?

“Lately, I’ve been exploring our new AI courses like Intro to ChatGPT, Intro to Generative AI, and Intro to LLMs. I’m also working through the Learn SQL course.

Even though it’s not a PM’s main job to be an expert in these fields, having a good understanding really helps. It makes collaborating with experts easier and improves overall efficiency.

Knowing when to ask for help is essential, but having some knowledge in these areas makes a big difference in my work.”