There comes a time in all our careers when we yearn for a new challenge. But sometimes, figuring out exactly what steps to take to reach the next level can be tricky. In this article, Nicole van Alphen, Director of Product at Vinted Go, shares her story of how she grew from a Product Owner at a close-knit startup to where she is today. You'll hear unique insights from her incredible journey at Vinted Go and discover some key tips for making the next big move in your career. &nbsp;<h2 style="line-height:1.38;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-top:0pt;" dir="ltr">Meet Nicole van Alphen</h2>Nicole van Alphen kicked off her career as a Product Owner at a local startup and worked her way up from there. She dedicated nine years to sharpening her skills in Product Management, spending over half that time in the field of Logistics. But one day, a key experience ignited a spark of inspiration, and Nicole realised she was ready for a new challenge. That's when she stumbled upon an opportunity at Vinted Go and decided to take the leap, joining the team as Director of Products in the Vinted Go carrier&nbsp;domain in&nbsp;October 2022. Now, let's hear from Nicole in her own words about how she scaled her Product Management career, plus some tips for how you can do the same.

<h2 style="line-height:1.38;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-top:0pt;text-align:justify;" dir="ltr">It all starts with a goal</h2> I remember the moment I decided to move into Product Management very clearly. It was 2013, and I was in New York for an event, doing Sales for a startup at the time. During one of the seminars, the Head of Product came on stage. She explained the company's roadmap, their vision for the platform, and how they planned to get there. It was so inspiring to hear, and I immediately set a goal: one day, I would be on a stage at an event, talking about Product Management.&nbsp; Throughout the years, this goal has helped me to keep my eye on the prize. I didn't set out with a clear path for how I would become a Director of Product. But the goal I set allowed me to stay inspired and motivated along the way. &nbsp;<h2 style="line-height:1.38;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-top:0pt;text-align:justify;" dir="ltr"> Becoming a Product Manager &nbsp;</h2>I didn't study Product Management. I actually have a different background, with a Bachelor of BA in Hotel and Event Management. But, during my studies, I realised I was interested in all things E-Commerce. Following my studies, I joined a small startup and took on many different roles, including Sales/Account Management, Marketing and even some Office Management duties.Then came that inspiring moment when I set my goal to become a Product Manager. Around the same time, I noticed a gap in the company I was working for. We had a strong platform, but we needed someone to plan the roadmap and analyse the user needs in-depth to align them with the business objectives. So, I chatted with my manager and she agreed I could fill the role of Product Manager at the startup. After that, I took some courses, dove into the topic of product and climbed the ladder from there. &nbsp;But one path is just as good as any other. I firmly believe that a mix of different personalities and backgrounds makes a great team. I also believe in hiring junior team members, as this is how we build a stronger product community together. Since there aren’t any university courses dedicated to Product Management, the field is also ideal for people seeking a career shift. Each person has their own unique skill set to bring to the table. So, a wide range of professional backgrounds are valued.As Vinted grows, there are many opportunities. I've seen Product Managers move from Vinted Go to Vinted Marketplace and vice versa. There is definitely room for open discussions with your team leader about your personal development and growth, and Vinted always strives to find what will suit you best.&nbsp;<h2 style="line-height:1.38;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-top:0pt;" dir="ltr">Product Owners vs. Product Managers</h2> These terms are often used interchangeably. However, there are some differences: Product Owners (POs) -&nbsp;come from the Scrum methodology. These people have specific tasks related to Scrum ceremonies (e.g. running sprint planning, creating user stories, etc.) Product Managers (PMs) -&nbsp;have a broader role and are not just bound to Scrum ceremonies. Product managers are responsible for ensuring their product meets the business objectives.&nbsp;At Vinted, we only work with Product Managers.<h2 style="line-height:1.38;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-top:0pt;" dir="ltr"> Common misconceptions about PMs &nbsp;</h2>My favourite one is that Product Managers are mini-CEOs of the product. Although Product Managers are experts in the product, they're not actually running a company, nor are they the final decision-makers.&nbsp; Another common misconception is that Product Managers always have or must have a technical background. As a Product Manager, you’re the critical link between the business and engineering. So, some level of understanding is critical, but you don’t need to know every detail.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<h2 style="line-height:1.38;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-top:0pt;" dir="ltr">Things every Product Manager should know</h2>&nbsp;Cross-team collaboration is vital for Product Managers in any organisation. And, it’s important for Product Managers to understand their users deeply. For example, in our domain, we often travel to package sorting centres. We work with the shift managers on-site, drive along with delivery drivers, and more&nbsp;– all to see our product in action. &nbsp;This means you must be a strong communicator, both with your engineering team and your stakeholders. Think of skills like storytelling (it’s our job to convey the vision of a product, so you’ll need to know how to explain why we’re working on certain topics over others), leadership, and influencing skills (it’s important to win people over in a collaborative way, rather than asking your team members to work on a task just because you told them to). &nbsp;A Product Manager should excel or have the potential to become very proficient at:&nbsp;Setting goalsTracking goals using measurable KPIsIdentifying the core of your user's problems and fully understanding their needsNavigating a complex trade-off between a fast, cheap and good Product Development triangle.&nbsp; &nbsp;Lastly, what's important is product-specific or industry-specific knowledge. To fully understand your users' pain points and identify opportunities, you must understand the space you're working in. Get to know your users in-depth, know the product, and understand your competitors.<h2 style="line-height:1.38;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-top:0pt;" dir="ltr">&nbsp;</h2><h2 style="line-height:1.38;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-top:0pt;" dir="ltr">The best part of being a Product Manager &nbsp;</h2>Product Managers ensure that the right features are built at the right time. They identify the user's needs, listen to the business needs and objectives, come up with a plan to measure success, and communicate all of this to the engineering team. Then, they communicate a development plan and ensure delivery happens on time.&nbsp; &nbsp;Product management is not just one skill. It's about being able to see the big picture and communicate with a wide variety of people in different roles.&nbsp;<h2 style="line-height:1.38;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-top:0pt;" dir="ltr">&nbsp;</h2><h2 style="line-height:1.38;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-top:0pt;" dir="ltr">Interested in applying at Vinted? Here's my advice &nbsp;</h2>Don't be afraid to dive in! Product management is great, and the level of collaboration is amazing. It can be daunting, but I believe with the right mindset, you can do it!We’re always looking for motivated and passionate people. So, if you want to stand out, highlight what gets you excited about Vinted or Product Management in your application.&nbsp; &nbsp;It's also a bonus when candidates are specific and can share what projects they’ve worked on and what their contribution was to them. Building a portfolio of the projects is helpful, as it's proof that you can do an amazing job in Product Management, even without having the title yet. &nbsp;Are you interested in a career in Product Management?&nbsp;<a href="https://careers.vinted.com/jobs?departments%5B0%5D=Product%20Management&amp;page=1&amp;gh_src=4dae07a2teu&amp;utm_source=web&amp;utm_medium=blog" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Explore our current vacancies on our Careers page.&nbsp;</a>

Nicole

Scaling up: The career path of a Product Manager

At Vinted, Product Manager (PM) is responsible for Team’s Total Outcome management:&nbsp;<ul class="ul1"><li class="li1">Defining the outcome that the team tries to achieve;&nbsp;</li><li class="li1">Understanding if the team’s output leads to the defined outcome.&nbsp;</li></ul>If it’s not the case, a PM should adjust by pivoting, cutting scope, or in other ways amending the expected outcome. We find that there are 2 key aspects that are important for someone to thrive in the field.

Product sense.&nbsp;The skill of consistently being able to craft products (or make changes to existing products) that have the intended impact on their users. Product sense relies on 2 things:<ul class="ul1"><li class="li1">Empathy to discover meaningful user needs</li><li class="li1">Creativity to develop solutions that effectively address those needs</li></ul>Analytical thinking. An ability to prioritize, identify the correct tradeoffs and set your team up for success. As well as the ability to have a structured approach to problem solving.&nbsp;A Product manager should excel or have the potential to become very proficient at:<ul class="ul1"><li class="li1">Setting goals&nbsp;</li><li class="li1">Tracking Goals using measurable Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)&nbsp;</li><li class="li1">Debugging to identify root causes if something goes sideways&nbsp;</li><li class="li1">Navigating a complex trade-off between a fast, cheap, good Product development triangle.</li></ul>

Here are some helpful resources for growth in the Product Management discipline.1. Books for…&nbsp;Product Management Craft<ul class="ul1"><li class="li2"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35249663-inspired">Inspired: How to Create Tech Products Customers Love</a>, by Marty Cagan</li><li class="li1">One of the main Vinted PM working principles:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53138083-working-backwards">Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon</a> by Colin Bryar, Bill Carr</li><li class="li2">On becoming a better manager:<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38821039-the-making-of-a-manager"> The Making of a Manager: What to Do When Everyone Looks to You by</a> Julie Zhuo</li></ul>Business acumen:<ul class="ul1"><li class="li2"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2615.The_Innovator_s_Dilemma?ac=1&amp;from_search=true&amp;qid=iUn5HfmIGU&amp;rank=1">The Innovator's Dilemma: The Revolutionary Book that Will Change the Way You Do Business</a> by Clayton M. Christensen</li><li class="li2"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34536488-principles?ac=1&amp;from_search=true&amp;qid=GjVrWn1JrI&amp;rank=1">Principles: Life and Work</a> by Ray Dalio</li><li class="li2"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18050143-zero-to-one?ac=1&amp;from_search=true&amp;qid=wlNip4k5ac&amp;rank=1">Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future</a> by Peter Thiel, Blake Masters</li></ul>Analytical acumen:<ul class="ul1"><li class="li2"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26844398-superforecasting">Superforecasting: The Art and Science of Prediction</a> by Philip E. Tetlock, Dan Gardner</li></ul>Engineering acumen<ul class="ul1"><li class="li2"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44135420-team-topologies?ac=1&amp;from_search=true&amp;qid=Devgrywyml&amp;rank=1">Team Topologies: Organizing Business and Technology Teams for Fast Flow</a> by Matthew Skelton, Manuel Pais</li></ul>Leadership:<ul class="ul1"><li class="li2"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23848190-extreme-ownership">Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win</a> by Jocko Willink, Leif Babin</li><li class="li2"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29939161-radical-candor">Radical Candor: Be a Kickass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity</a>&nbsp;by&nbsp;Kim Malone Scott</li><li class="li2"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26156469-never-split-the-difference">Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It</a>&nbsp;by&nbsp;Chris Voss,&nbsp;Tahl Raz</li></ul>&nbsp;2. Newsletters:<ul class="ul1"><li class="li2"><a href="https://cutlefish.substack.com/">The Beautiful Mess | John Cutler | Substack</a></li><li class="li2"><a href="https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/newsletter">Newsletter — Lenny Rachitsky</a></li><li class="li2"><a href="https://stratechery.com/">Stratechery by Ben Thompson</a></li></ul>&nbsp;3. Courses:<ul class="ul1"><li class="li2"><a href="https://www.udemy.com/course/become-a-product-manager-learn-the-skills-get-a-job/">Become a Product Manager: Learn Skills by Training for the Job</a></li><li class="li2"><a href="https://www.reforge.com/">Reforge</a></li></ul>&nbsp;4. Videos<ul class="ul1"><li class="li1">Product Management in Agile Methodology:<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=502ILHjX9EE">&nbsp;Agile Product Ownership in a Nutshell</a></li><li class="li2">On Product Strategy:<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EQzoXBsktI">&nbsp;Intro to Product Strategy w/ Gibson Biddle, former VP of Product at Netflix</a></li></ul>&nbsp;5. Articles<ul class="ul1"><li class="li2">What is Product Management:<a href="https://www.atlassian.com/agile/product-management/product-manager">&nbsp;Product Manager: The role and best practices for beginners</a></li><li class="li2">On the key PM principles:<a href="https://blackboxofpm.com/the-first-principles-of-product-management-ea0e2f2a018c">&nbsp;The First Principles of Product Management</a></li><li class="li2">On how do PMs thinking:<a href="https://future.a16z.com/product-thinking/">&nbsp;The Power of Product Thinking</a></li></ul>&nbsp;6. TV Series, more fun to familiarize with the tech world:<ul class="ul1"><li class="li1"><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2575988/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Silicon Valley</a>&nbsp;</li><li class="li2"><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12005128/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">WeCrashed</a>&nbsp;</li><li class="li2"><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11173006/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Super Pumped&nbsp;</a></li></ul>

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Mastering the art of Product Management: key skills and resources for success

Meet Raluca Marinovici, Product Owner at Vinted’s Expansion Unit. During our interview, Raluca talked about her path to Vinted, her professional and personal growth, and how Vinted has contributed to it.

Hi Raluca! What is your role at Vinted?&nbsp;Hello! I am a Product Owner at Vinted, currently working in the Expansion Unit.&nbsp;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.&nbsp;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.&nbsp;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.&nbsp;&nbsp;What other motivations do you find important in your job?&nbsp;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.&nbsp;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.&nbsp;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.&nbsp;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.&nbsp;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.&nbsp;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.&nbsp;&nbsp;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.&nbsp;&nbsp;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.&nbsp;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.&nbsp;To wrap up our talk, please pick one thing you'd like to recommend.&nbsp;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.

Vinted blog

Scaling up: The career path of a Product Manager

Mastering the art of Product Management: key skills and resources for success

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