A Product Journey #8 with Florian Said Head of Product at Papernest

Hi Florian! It's a pleasure to have you. To kick things off, could you introduce yourself and share the journey that brought you to the world of product management at Papernest?

Sure! My path to product management was quite fortunate. During the latter part of my studies in a business school, I found myself at a crossroads many in tech face: launching directly into entrepreneurship (what I’ve always wanted) or gaining some work experience first. Product management emerged as the ideal blend of both worlds because, to me, it promised a vast skill set pivotal for tech entrepreneurship. So, I joined Papernest as an intern focused on B2C pathways, which was enlightening. I was drawn to the balance between technical challenges and business impact. This initial exposure led to my role in forming and leading our first operations-focused squad. The journey through various product launches and verticals within Papernest has been a rapid learning curve, propelling me from a Product Manager to Head of Product. It's been a ride of embracing new challenges and learning on the go.

What's the product management philosophy at Papernest, and how does this philosophy translate into the product strategy?

At Papernest, our product strategy is anchored in being lean and user-centric, where the time to market is central to each project. This approach is about balancing speed and adaptability to address business needs efficiently. One of our key strategies is leveraging internal tools, like our low-code solution papercraft, which empowers product managers to test, adapt, and deploy product changes quickly without heavy reliance on development teams. This capability is crucial for iterating on product features directly impacting user experience and business outcomes. Our lean methodology is not just a strategy; it's part of our culture. We acknowledge our products may not launch perfectly, but we see each release as a step towards refining and improving, allowing us to make informed decisions swiftly for future iterations. It's about valuing progress and learning over perfection.

With over five years at Papernest, you've witnessed its accelerated growth. Can you share some of the major product-related challenges encountered during this period?

The rapid growth journey has been rewarding and challenging. Three key challenges stand out. First, the challenge of building quickly yet sustainably. It's a delicate balance between embracing lean methodologies for speed and ensuring the scalability of our solutions for the long term. Second, prioritizing effectively has been crucial. In a fast-paced environment, where there's always more to be done, making strategic choices about where to focus our efforts has been key to our success. Lastly, managing the intensity of our work while maintaining stamina over time. The nature of product management is inherently intense, requiring constant innovation and iteration. Finding ways to sustain this pace without compromising our team's well-being has been a critical focus.

Collaboration between different teams is crucial in product development. How does Papernest manage the interplay between the other teams?

Indeed, collaboration is pivotal for us. The key to successful collaboration lies in constant communication and ensuring that our teams are aligned on goals and processes. We view our development team as an integral part of the product team (and vice versa), which helps foster a unified approach towards product development. So, we emphasize the importance of regular, structured communications through meetings and updates for collaboration beyond the product and tech teams. But we also want to avoid useless meetings because everyone hates that. This ensures everyone is on the same page and can move quickly on new initiatives. Establishing these communication channels and rituals, especially in areas where collaboration might not naturally be as smooth, has been crucial in maintaining our agility and responsiveness.

Lastly, for anyone aspiring to join the product team at Papernest, what advice would you give?

At Papernest, we are not really focused on the educational background or specific experiences. But more on demonstrating a mindset geared towards learning, experimentation, and teamwork. We value curiosity, ambition, and the ability to work collaboratively above all. Understand deeply the industry you're in and the needs of your users. Embrace ambition not just as a personal trait but in alignment with our vision to simplify administrative life for millions. Being a team player, eager to learn, and quick to adapt are the qualities that will truly make you stand out.

Thanks a lot Florian! Your experiences are surely enlightening for many in the tech and product community.