Diversity in Product: Mirza Beširović

Showcase originally published on the Product Teacher blog on May 4, 2022.

Mirza (they/he) is a product leader with 10 years of experience in hypergrowth tech, including two unicorns, a streaming service, a social network for scientists, and a fintech incubator. Originally from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mirza lives and works in Berlin, Germany. A self-described “product management nerd,” Mirza enjoys reading non-fiction, and thinks and talks a lot about social justice, work culture, and cheeky poetry.

We’d love to hear about your journey into product management. How did you become a PM, and what were some of the challenges you faced in securing your first PM role?

I came to product in a really roundabout way, like most folks. I was doing my Master’s in American Studies and ended up dropping out to pursue a career in tech, originally starting out with a menial data entry gig. But that job put me in close proximity with product teams, and I helped them build and ship data products.

My first proper product job came a couple of years later. I was working at an online travel booking platform that was struggling to fill an open role due to a particularly bad hiring crunch. The market needed more product managers than there were people doing the job at the time. (Honestly, still the case today). I had demonstrated good project management skills, so I was asked if I could fill the role in an interim capacity. Some Scrum training and Agile coaching later, I became the Product Owner for a backend team doing API integrations.

It was a bumpy road, and there was some skepticism about me, particularly from engineers. But we turned out to be a really well-oiled team. A few of those folks went on to work for Big Tech.

The next few years were a combination of consulting, EIR and venture development roles, but my focus was always primarily on product strategy, which is my uncomfortable comfort zone.

Today I lead a team of product managers at a scaleup, and one of my main concerns is how to be an effective coach and mentor to my team.

What are some ways hiring managers can make that first PM role easier to obtain for people who don’t look or think like them?

Early on in my career, I observed that leaders and hiring managers tend to hire people who not only look like them, but dress, walk, and talk like them, too. In effect, they’re hiring versions of themselves. Perhaps it’s the familiarity that makes people prioritize these folks over others.

So my first advice is to be aware of this familiarity bias.

Hiring for diversity has proven beneficial effects for individuals and the business. Diversity of background, lived experience, and knowledge all lead to diversity of solutions and creativity of approaches impossible within a homogeneous group.

Hiring managers should also be aware of the various barriers to entry folks from underrepresented groups typically must overcome to land interviews and jobs.

Now, I’m lucky because I can express myself confidently, I pass as “male” (although that’s not how I self-identify), and I get all the associated privilege that comes with that.

But I’m also Bosnian, queer, come from a Muslim background, and I’ve experienced upfront rejection because of all of that. Hiring managers have ghosted me, and I’ve noticed I tend to receive fewer replies to job applications if I spell my last name with its proper diacritics (“Beširović” vs “Besirovic”).

Looking back on that first PM experience, what advice would you give yourself?

I’d give myself a hug and tell myself to take a deep breath. I was such a workaholic, always trying to prove something to myself and everyone else. Perhaps this came partly out of a sense that I didn’t really belong. Today I know better, and I carve out space for myself. Doing this interview is a way to do that, too.

Back then, I gave myself no margin for error. Today, I’m the first to ask a question when I don’t understand something, and I find it much easier to forgive myself for my mistakes.

Product management can be a psychologically taxing job — give yourself time and space for plenty of R&R. We’ve developed a culture in product that teaches that 60-hour weeks ought to be the norm for the job. I disagree with that, whatever some of the leading voices in product have to say on the subject. Burnout in product management is a real problem, and having experienced it firsthand, I would tell my younger self to pace themselves better and maintain a healthier work-life balance.

Another important piece of advice is to reach out and connect with others. I’ve noticed queer folks struggle to find their way in product — Whom to talk to? Where to turn?

A couple of friends and I are thinking about starting a Queer Product Meetup in Berlin as a way to help out some of the new arrivals navigate their way through product. If you’re reading this and that sounds interesting to you, please reach out!!

Product management can sometimes be an isolating role. What are some approaches you’ve taken to get support?

I believe in the concept of Wholeness — work life and private life are intertwined and part of each other. However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t reach out beyond your workplace for help.

Talk to your friends. Find people outside of your job who work in the same space. Share your stories.

One of the hard things for queer folks in tech is that we have to come out over and over and over again. I spent a decade coming out as gay in the workplace, and as of last year, also as nonbinary.

It took me a great deal of time and courage to find the words to come out as nonbinary at work, which is ironic, because privately I had been doing it for years. It was a big day when I updated my pronouns on LinkedIn, and an even bigger day when I came out to my coworkers.

But the lesson I’ve learned through coming out is that people are there for you. Most of them respond genuinely to genuine acts.

That doesn’t mean that the only way out of feeling isolated is by coming out. Coming out is a deeply personal thing and choice, and you should feel comfortable with it.

Making queer friends and allies at work is another important way to overcome feelings of isolation.

And being open about who I am has helped greatly with that.

What do you find frustrating about being underrepresented in product management?

The fact that some dropdowns still only offer “he” or “she” pronoun choices. *cue laugh track*

But in all seriousness, I don’t actually know that many people like me in product, especially not in product leadership roles. I am working hard to build a personal network of underrepresented, minority, queer, trans, nonbinary, BIPOC folks in product, and it hasn’t been easy.

Being underrepresented means your unique perspective and experiences are not taken into consideration when designing organizations and even when building products.

Folks who are outspoken about their identity can likewise find it harder to move up the career ladder. I used to say I am fortunate because my hard work paid off and helped me move up, but the truth is I spent years suppressing my gender identity, or at least avoided being particularly vocal about it. I performed more masculinity not only to fit in and belong, but to ensure I wouldn’t be passed up on promotion day. I have that privilege, and I used it. And I felt a lot of guilt about it. But many people feel you have no other choice. And I think we all do the best we can. At any rate, this is a much more common story than is perhaps obvious to most.

What’s frustrating about being underrepresented is that, in a way, you always have to clear the path ahead for yourself. And you have to be extremely strategic about it. It can make you feel like you’re somehow dishonest, which I guess is a trope of being a minority. It’s all very tiring and means you have to work doubly hard.

From your perspective, what’s one thing people should be more aware of?

People should be aware of their standing and position in the world, of their privilege and entitlement. Not because we’re looking to accuse each other and point fingers, but because self-awareness is the first step required to understand that privilege can be used to improve your work environment.

As a hiring manager with personal privilege, you can choose to prioritize hiring folks from underrepresented groups.

As a leader, you can clear the path forward for your reports, and ensure you are taking their unique context into consideration — that you are aware of the obstacles on their path.

As a fellow coworker, you can stand up and lend your voice in situations when that might be hard for your colleagues.

We should all be aware of the power of allyship and solidarity.

But above all, we should all treat each other with compassion. A deficit of compassion is the modern scourge of many tech companies, as we all get lost in the hustle and bustle of business.

We are humans working among other humans, after all, and a little kindness can change everything.

What question do you wish we asked you? How would you respond to that question?

I’ll ask your readers a question instead:

What’s stopping you from moving into product? And how can I help?

What’s the best way for readers to reach out to you and stay on top of what you’re doing?

I post and write articles about product management and work culture on , and share my daily experiences and product tips on Twitter (@mirzawriting ).

A couple of friends and I are hoping to start a Queer Product Meetup in Berlin (in-person and virtually). If you’re interested in participating or attending, please give me a shout.

I’m also a Community Member at 2hearts, a network for folks with immigrant backgrounds providing mentorship and support for young talent in tech. Find out more about it here: https://www.2heartscommunity.com/ or reach out directly.

Always happy to connect with folks interested in product & looking for tips, advice, and introductions, especially if you’re a member of an underrepresented group!

We’re always looking for new perspectives to highlight, to bring more diversity into product management! If you have someone you’d like to nominate, please send us an email at admin@productteacher.com, we’d love to hear from you!