Michelle Jong, Product Manager
joined in April 2022, from 🇮🇩
What led you to Product?
Since I was a kid, I have always been interested in how and why things work. In the back of my mind, I keep on thinking about why we use an object in a particular manner, whether there are any other ways to use it, or if there are any other objects that we can use to get the same outcome.
Fast forward to my first job, I started as an Infrastructure Engineer. I was happy with my learning curve, but I felt detached from the actual deliverables of the project because I did not have a lot of chances to observe and understand how the product was used by the users. I shared this with my manager and I got a chance to become the Business Analyst in the project.
As I worked in a project-based manner, my focus was on how the features can be delivered on time. This helps me on managing the schedule. However, I wanted to give more thoughts on the product and see how it grows over time. I did my own research and discussed with different people which path should I go. The term ‘Product’ kept on popping up. I started to look for opportunities, and here I am today, posting this on the Lalamove Product page :)
What does a typical day look like for you?
Weekdays
- Workout — If I don’t oversleep 🥲
- Check for messages, emails, and news + breakfast
- List out a daily to-do list
- Works, meetings, some jokes in between
- LUNCH! — trying my best to give more variation to it
- Works, meetings, some jokes, and snacks in between
- Workout — If I haven’t done it in the morning
- Watch something refreshing or catch up over dinner
- Tidy up or do other random stuff
- Prepare to sleep
Weekends
- They’re pretty random… ranging from doing almost nothing to helping a friend to move in / out for the whole day
Name three sources of inspriation in creating a product
🌍 People Around Me
From my six years old nephew all the way to the fruit-seller auntie in Bowrington Wet Market, they helped me in understanding different wants and needs. I enjoy listening to their thoughts or even just observing them when they’re interacting with other people or products.
🏎 Formula One
I see F1 races as a ‘time-compressed’ version of our product development. The teams need to innovate every 2 or 3 weeks in order to be better than the last race. It definitely relies on teamwork and it provides little room for mistakes for each role so that they won’t blow up their cars (and drivers) during the race day.
📚 Misbehaving: The Making of Behavioural Economics
This book by Richard H. Thaler highlights the importance of psychological aspects when considering the human decision-making process. This can serve as an explanation behind some phenomena where the real-world situation is in contradiction to the classic economic laws. Therefore, as my honored colleague says, I need to always see the world as it is, not as I how to expect it to be in developing my product.
Anything you want to promote or plug?
👀 Walk more, see more, listen more
Yes, Hongkong is indeed a tiny city. But once you stop looking at your phone and let yourself get lost for a while, there’s always something new, something hidden, or something interesting in it. Here is one of my go-to examples.
✨ 99% Invisible
As the name suggests, this is a podcast on unnoticed things around us. They talk about almost any topic, so feel free to pick the ones that really draw your interest. My all-time favourite will be their ‘audio tour’ at the Guggenheim Museum. Just check out the title, and you’ll understand why :)
