Raluca Marinovici: Vinted is about “we”, not “I”

Hi Raluca! What is your role at Vinted? 

Hello! I am a Product Owner at Vinted, currently working in the Expansion Unit.

When and how did you join? Why? (Be honest!)

I joined in October 2020, when Vinted acquired United Wardrobe, where I’d already been working for three years. Why? Both companies had a similar mission, so continuing with Vinted was a no-brainer for me. Besides, Vinted provides lots of growth opportunities in my professional career.

Tell us about your typical workday. Do you have any morning rituals that help you kick-start your day?

Typical? I don't have one. Every day there’s a new challenge that we try to solve. That’s what I love about my job. There hasn't been a moment when I think that I’m bored or want to do something else.

As for my morning rituals, my typical day starts with a cup of coffee. While drinking it, I go through the platform’s performance on the previous day. Then, I look at my calendar and figure out whether there are any scheduled meetings. Based on this, I plan my day. It could be focused on data analysis, providing solutions to our members’ problems, writing product requirements, competitor analysis, and much more.

That’s a vast array of tasks! So, what makes you excited to wake up and go to work each morning?

If I had to pick one reason, it would be discovering new hypotheses on why Vinted members behave in certain ways. That makes me excited every day, and I’m glad that it's a big part of my work. 

What other motivations do you find important in your job? 

It may sound cheesy, but the fact that me and my team can make an impact on the world through our work is very exciting.

Wonderful to hear! Tell us, how important is growth in your work and generally in life?

In my perspective, growth is crucial. If I stop growing and learning new things, then that’s the moment I’d think: this is not for me anymore because I’ve reached the maximum. But I’m far from that right now. One of the biggest things that I've learned at work is patience and hearing others. This also plays a role in my day-to-day life because I can easily apply it to conversations with friends, family, and other people.

How does Vinted contribute to your growth? What work and side projects could you name that have taught you a lot?

I started as an intern at United Wardrobe four years ago. The fact that I’ve had a chance to work up to my current position and continue my work after the acquisition is the best example of how Vinted contributes to my growth. Apart from that, now, after four years, I can say that I’ve had plenty of projects that have contributed to my professional development. During this time, I have learned a lot and grown as a person. 

One example is the shipping project where we had to integrate different shipping carriers. As the project went by, I learned what teamwork is all about. For me, it's about being together in one room, caring for the work we’ve done, and when it doesn't go as planned, sticking together and fixing all issues that arise as a team.

Usually, when people talk about growth, they mean advancing to a higher, often, managing position. What do you think about horizontal growth?

Horizontal growth is part of what I’ve been doing for the past four years. It shouldn’t be undermined because as you do this, you can advance vertically as well. Why am I saying this? Well, through horizontal growth, you learn new skill sets, things that you wouldn’t think of learning if you were to stay in the same role or only advance vertically. It expands your horizon, and later on, when you do grow vertically (because it will happen), you’ll be a better manager with a lot more expertise.

People say you can learn a lot from teamwork – is that true for Vinted? Could you give an example?

Yes, it's definitely true for Vinted. When we talk about Vinted’s culture, we have five statements that say we: grow, aim high, co-create, care, and take ownership. They don’t say 'I' but 'we'. That's the best representation that teamwork is at the core of everything we do at Vinted. 

Vinted is known for its learning budgets. How do you use yours? How has it helped you so far?

I have spent my learning budget on buying a license for Reforge. It has amazing courses on growing your product and making it work. I will keep using it for this until I’ve learnt all I can from them. 

By the way, do you use the Vinted app? If so, what’s your way of using it?

Yes! I recently uploaded half of my items. I use the Vinted app mostly for selling, but I like to browse and find bargains on it as well, especially for my home.

One fun fact about you?

I am quite short (166 cm), but I've played basketball for ten years. I still love playing the 3x3 version.

To wrap up our talk, please pick one thing you'd like to recommend. Why do you think it deserves attention, and what role does it play in your life?

Reforge – if you are into product and tech work, this is the best place to learn something new every day through their courses.