Paths through Product: A Series of Conversations with TWG’s PM Team
For many of us who’ve seen the Toronto tech scene grow over the last 10 years, TWG has held a big place in our experiences. From hosting incredible events to the calibre of people it attracts, TWG continues to be an integral part of the community. In this post, I’ll elaborate on my introduction to working with TWG, and what I perceive makes product management at TWG truly special.
My Introduction to TWG
My first run-in with TWG was at a Startup Weekend they hosted in 2011 — an event that shaped my perception of the technology community and had a profound effect on my career. The people I met there became my mentors and friends, and pushed me to be better while I was running my own agency. Seven years later, I’m proud to be at TWG, and am grateful for their role in my journey.
My transition from entrepreneurship to product management was driven by a craving for challenge, and I’ve been amazed by the opportunity that TWG gives product managers to have an impact on the work we create with incredible partners like World Wildlife Fund, Freshbooks, Wealthsimple, and Coinsquare. From web and mobile products to ones built on future-looking technologies like blockchain and voice assistants, there’s no shortage of things to learn and solve here.
Meeting TWG’s Product Team
While I’ve been reflecting on the journey that led me to the product team at TWG, I’ve become fascinated by my teammates’ histories. Like everyone on the team, my path to product management was full of challenges, accomplishments and hard work. Many of us came from different walks of life, industries and careers, looking for a place that would continue to push us to be better.
Whether you’re new to technology or have worked with products your entire career, I believe we can learn a lot from each others’ stories. The culture at TWG, and the approaches we take in building products and advising our clients to success, is the sum of each of our stories.
What Makes TWG’s Product Managers Unique
Here at TWG I’ve noticed some similarities in the ways our team members build amazing products and approach their work.
- We have diverse backgrounds
Our product managers come from backgrounds that range from engineering, design, publishing and law, and a few of us even ran our own companies. This helps us think outside of the box for creative solutions to tough problems.
2. We embrace the unknown
We love the challenge of learning about new industries and defining an approach to help define, validate and execute on problems and solutions. The energy we bring to projects is a big reason TWG has built the reputation it has.
3. We put people first
While we’re helping businesses, we believe we’re the voice of their users throughout the product development lifecycle. TWG product managers work closely with designers and our user research team to make sure that voice is a part of the process.
4. We believe in technology’s impact
We believe that every company is a technology company, and the ability to use technology as a tool can change lives. That belief helps us push boundaries and keeps us on the lookout for what’s next.
5. We use a lot of different tools
We adapt to the problems we face with different methods of solving them and share those findings with each other. We don’t believe there’s one way to do anything and are always in pursuit of finding the right tool for the moment.
6. We care deeply about what we build
We believe we’re a partner with the clients we work with and are always looking for ways to help clients succeed. This holistic thought about the products we work on allows us to make sure nothing is overlooked from ideation to launch.
7. What you can expect from us
Over the coming months, you’ll be seeing a lot more on TWG’s Medium account and the Almanac from TWG’s product managers as we share personal interviews with members from our team! One of our focuses as a team is to create an environment where we push each other to be in a constant state of learning, and these stories will share some of that personal growth each time. I hope our stories give you the opportunity to reflect on your own journey, or give you the impetus to start on your own path in product development.
If you find these stories leading you to TWG, then please do reach out — we’re hiring All The Things and would love to have a conversation.
