Dilasha Shrestha

🚀 Big News from My #ProductManagement Journey! 🌟 I'm thrilled to share a major milestone from my current PM Fellowship program at Product Space Recently, I took on a challenging Problem Statement focusing on PhonePe's plan to introduce a loyalty program for its users. 💱 Throughout this assignment, I refined my skills in several key areas: 🧠 Understanding the Product: It's like peeling an onion – delve deep into what makes the product tick, understanding its core purpose and how it aligns with the business's goals. 🔍 Getting to Know the Users: Imagine stepping into their shoes, feeling what they feel, and understanding their struggles. Created personas and identify their pain points and then brainstorm solutions, prioritizing the ones that will make the biggest impact. 📊 Broadening my approach to measuring success: Utilizing a variety of relevant metrics. This task pushed me to critically analyze every aspect of the product development process. It was a rewarding experience that truly put my product documentation skills to the test. 🎯 Check out the PRD here: https://lnkd.in/gVnCHwHb I'm immensely grateful to Product Space and Akhil Yash Tiwari for their invaluable guidance throughout this journey! I'm eager to keep you updated on my progress and insights. Don't hesitate to share your thoughts, ideas, or feedback – let's grow together! 🌱 Stay tuned for more updates. #ProductManagement #ProductDevelopment #Learning #PRD #ProductSpace

72

12 Comments

In a recent post from Lenny's Newsletter, Bangaly Kaba (Early growth PM at Facebook, Former Head of Growth at Instagram, Former VP of Product at Instacart and current Director of Product at YouTube) shared a key concept called “understand work”. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eksdRj38 The process is as follows: 1️⃣ Understand: Using first principles, look to understand what is really going on: ▶ What are the underlying jobs to be done for our users? ▶ What pain points exist? ▶ What is our data telling us? Do we have a full-funnel view? ▶ What alternatives exist in the market? ▶ What value do those alternatives have in the market? ▶ What problems exist for the business? 2️⃣ Identify: What opportunities exist based on our understanding? 3️⃣ Execute: Now you can build This approach might slow down execution but the result is worth it as it will lead to more successful outcomes in the long term. We must slow down to speed up. From this, all else follows.

6

I shared this video many times over the last few years with my product management teams at Google, with recruiters, with PM leads, and with anyone who wanted to understand the PM ladder. It's Shishir Mehrotra, co-founder & CEO of Coda and former head of product at YouTube talking about how to think about PM levels, and I really liked the way he frames it. It's a very good 10 minute watch (01:12 - 11:20). At Google my opinion was that the inflection of the S-curve happened between Level 5 and Level 6. You could be an execution machine at L5, but to get to L6 you needed to show some strategic vision.

4

Reflecting on my journey from my early days at #Amazon, where one of my initial product designs emerged from a simple problem-solving discussion 7 years ago, I realize how far I’ve come. The path from then to now has been filled with continuous learning and growth. Data Analytics and Product Management have not only honed my professional skills but also shaped me into a better person. While there’s always more to learn, Self-motivation drive me forward every day. #SelfMotivation #ContinuousLearning #DataAnalytics #ProductManagement #ProblemSolving

35

I have been hearing a lot from my follow international colleagues on how it's very hard to look for a new job while on a visa. I wanted to share a few tips based on my experience having come to the U.S. 8 years ago as an international student: 1) Schedule a consult with an immigration lawyer as soon as possible- it's typically free. This will help you have a clear understanding of the constraints of your current visa, and might open up new possibilities. Ask about ways to improve your odds at getting a visa (ex: getting published). A call with my lawyer saved me from potentially packing my life and leaving my now husband behind when I learnt that my employer at the time could no longer sponsor my visa. I learnt that I was eligible for an O-1 visa, and didn’t even need a full time job for that. Let me know if you want my lawyer’s info. 2) Identify list of organizations in your field that are more likely to sponsor your visa. This could be large corporations, if you have long enough time, or cap exempt organizations like academic institutions or non-profits. Focus on those during your application process. 3) Recognize the unique skills that you bring, especially as an international applicant, that will put you ahead of other applicants. You will probably have better odds at landing roles that require any knowledge you already have of certain markets or languages. 4) Lean on your network. Whether it’s for introductions, referrals, or letters of support for immigration applications, always ask. You’ll be (pleasantly) surprised. 5) Be kind to yourself. Job searching is stressful. Job searching while on a visa is the most stressful thing I have gone through in my entire life. Take a deep breath, talk to you loved ones, remember how skilled and experienced you are and don’t let the rejections make you doubt yourself. You've got this. Wishing you all luck ❤️

96

Signal boost - time is of the essence for this human.

4

1 Comment

[🚨 Product Haven Resource Drop 🚨: Last Year’s APM Company Timelines, Job Descriptions & more] Let’s talk about referrals in early career product management recruiting. Not everyone has the resources/connections/time to get referrals for their dream APM roles/internships. For a long time, I believed that landing a PM interview without a referral is nearly impossible (esp. as an international student). Until I met so many peers like myself at Product Haven who landed PM internships/new grad roles without referrals. Here’s how they did it + how you can do it too, with a FREE resource that we’ve put together at Product Haven for 2025 PM recruiting. ❗️Applying EARLY (this is huge) Most APM recruiting processes operate on a rolling basis. That means you can maximize your chances of landing the interview by submitting your application as soon as it opens (at least <24 hrs). Don’t delay! However, constantly monitoring LinkedIn for app drops can be stressful and exhausting so as part of Product Haven’s 2025 Master Hub, we’ve put together 20+ company timelines for top PM programs from last year so you can have some idea of when apps might drop (DM me if you recruited last year and have data to contribute). ❗️Ultra Optimize Your Resume Understand what your target PM programs care about and tailor your resume to the job description. If you don’t want to scramble on the day apps drop to edit your resume, Master Hub includes top APM programs’ job descriptions from last cycle so you can get a head start ;) Another thing to note: Oftentimes, referrals are not enough to get you the interview so referral or not I would highly recommend following these steps! Here’s the link to Product Haven’s Master Hub for 2025 PM Recruiting: https://lnkd.in/gUvWk6XW We put together this free resource as a one-stop-shop for early career PM recruiting. It’s still WIP and we have more stuff cooking for y’all :) Huge shoutout to Arun Mommileti for helping build this resource and the rest of the team Kanika Mohan Chris Kong

133

11 Comments

🎉 🎉 Last week we had an opportunity to participate in Tiktok TechJam 2024, with my wonderful teammates Heramb Joshi, Hemant Pardeshi, Prathamesh Bhosale and Viraj Shah. There were many tracks to choose project title from, so we went with "𝐄𝐧𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐧 𝐓𝐢𝐤𝐓𝐨𝐤 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐩" ✨ 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐚𝐩𝐩 Our app aims to transform the shopping experience on TikTok Shop by providing personalized product recommendations. Users can discover items tailored to their preferences, enhancing their overall shopping journey. For sellers, the app increases productivity by targeting the right audience with personalized ads, thus boosting sales and engagement. ✨ 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐰𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭 𝐢𝐭 We used React.js, Next.js, and Tailwind.css to develop a TikTok clone that incorporated all the necessary features and interactions for TikTok Shop. For database, we used Appwrite platform. Product recommendation: We used Neo4j, leveraging its knowledge graph capabilities to calculate real-time product recommendations based on user interactions. We utilized advanced Cypher queries and Graph ML Algorithm to analyze and extract user relations in a social graph context, leveraging the power of 1-hop and 2-hop neighboring nodes and community(Louvian Method). 𝐿𝐿𝑀-𝐵𝑎𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑃𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑧𝑒𝑑 𝑇𝑒𝑥𝑡 𝐺𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛: We collected data on user interactions and fed it into a large language model (LLM) along with existing product descriptions. The LLM then generated tailored product descriptions based on the user's preferences, enhancing the personalization of our recommendations. 𝐷𝑒𝑒𝑝 𝐹𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝐴𝑑 𝐺𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛: We developed a deep fake ad generation system using Wav2Lip, MobileNet-V2, and ElevenLabs for voice synthesis. Influencers provided voice clips and videos, which we used to create hyper-realistic, personalized advertisements. This approach allowed influencers to reach a wide audience with minimal effort, significantly increasing user interaction and click-through rates. ✨ 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐢𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐚𝐩𝐩 We wish to explore more scalable solutions for our computational needs. As the community and user interactions on app increases, the definition of community and node importance becomes more meaningful. We wish to explore Graph Attention Networks and Advanced Diffusion model with minimal latency for better and more personalized experience. We would really appreciate if you could check out our project, hit a like and vote for us: ➡ Devpost Link: https://shorturl.at/K0YB0 Feel free to hit us up if you find the project interesting, wish to learn more about it or even collaborate for any similar future opportunity. #hackathon #React #Javascript #NextJs #GenerativeAI #GenAI #DeepFake #LLM #TechJam #Neo4j #ProductRecommendations #GraphMachineLearning #GAN #TailwindCSS #KnowledgeGraphs #Ecommerce #Innovation #Personalization #Tiktok

40

6 Comments

🎓 As we celebrate new grad season, a big shout-out & congratulations to the class of 2024! Here are a few nuggets of wisdom to take with you: 1️⃣ Keep Learning: The AI landscape is forever evolving. Stay ahead by continuously updating your skills, from tech to soft skills. 2️⃣ Network, Network, Network: Dive into events! Conferences and meet-ups are not just about learning; they're about connecting. Remember the buzz of university events? That's the energy to channel into your professional life. I make it a point to attend at least one event per week. 3️⃣ Fill the void: Transitioning from a packed uni schedule to 'just work' might leave you with unexpected gaps. Use this time to cultivate habits that add value to your life and career. 4️⃣ Maintain Connections: While you might not chat daily with university friends, remember these connections remain invaluable. They're your home when you visit their city, or even help with a referral. Shoutout to my CMU MSAII Class of 2023 for being awesome one year on 🏆 #NewGrad #GraduationSeason

69

Checkout this excerpt from an article I read recently discussing Apple Intelligence: 🔸 “That, by extension, is why the Ray-Ban glasses come with an app, and thus have a chance of succeeding; one of Humane’s fatal flaws was their insistence that they could stand alone. Moreover, the longer that the smartphone is a prerequisite for new experiences, the more likely it is to endure; there is an analogy here to the continued relevance of music labels, which depend on the importance of back catalogs, which just so happen to expand with every release of new music. Every new experience that is built with the assumption of a smartphone extends the smartphone’s relevance that much further into the future.” Link to the article in comments ⬇️ #product #apple #ai #tech

12

2 Comments

🚀 Product Growth Breakdown: How Slack Achieved Skyrocketing Success! 🚀 Hello Peeps! Let’s dive into an exceptional story of product transformation and explosive growth, featuring none other than Slack! I'm always thrilled to dissect such journeys to glean actionable insights. Here’s how Slack pivoted its way to success. 🌟 🔄 The Pivot: Slack began as an internal communication tool for a small gaming company, Tiny Speck, during their work on a game called Glitch. Recognizing the tool's broader potential beyond gaming, the team pivoted and launched Slack for general use in 2014. This pivot was a game-changer, focusing squarely on enhancing workplace communication. 🕹️➡️📊 📈 Growth Metrics: 1️⃣ Rapid User Acquisition: Slack’s daily active users catapulted from 15,000 at its public release in 2014 to an impressive 12 million by 2020. That’s an 800-fold increase in just six years! 2️⃣ Engagement: High engagement with an average user spending about 10 hours logged in and actively using the platform for 2.5 hours daily. 3️⃣ Revenue Growth: Slack’s freemium model proved effective, with a substantial increase in paid customers, reaching 142,000 companies by 2021, contributing to a significant uptick in annual recurring revenue. 🎯 Milestone Markers: 2013: Slack was introduced in a closed beta to a select group of organizations. (POC phase). 2014: Slack launches as a standalone product. 2015: Hits 1 million daily active users (DAU). 2018: Surpasses 8 million users and earns recognition for its innovative design and user experience. 2020: Goes public through a direct listing, showcasing its established market dominance (Slack Technologies, Inc. (WORK)). 🔑 Key Insights: Slack's strategic pivot from a gaming tool to a comprehensive communication platform was pivotal. By leveraging deep insights into user needs and continuously iterating on feedback, Slack retained and expanded its user base. Their success underlines the importance of agility and user-centered design in product management. 🤔 Lessons Learned: Grasping and responding to user feedback while keeping a clear strategic vision was essential. Slack's story is a potent illustration of how adaptable strategies and strong execution can drive impressive growth paths in the tech sector. 💬 Let’s Connect: What lessons do you think can be learned from Slack's growth? Have you observed or been part of a similar transformative pivot? Drop your thoughts or questions below! Let’s learn from each other’s experiences. #ProductManagement #GrowthStrategy #Slack #TechSuccessStories #BusinessTransformation #ProductSuccess #GrowthX #GrowthHacking #Slack #DigitalTools #ProductDevelopment #Innovation #UserExperience #Startups #DigitalTransformation #BusinessStrategy #Growth 🚀

27

2 Comments

Yesterday Deepinder Goyal announced a "cool new update," and the tech community, especially Product Managers showed mixed reactions. Many asked, "What are you solving for the end user?" while others comments were like, "Here’s my theory on why you did this and what else you should focus on." (Check out the comments on that post) This highlights a shift in tech culture: everything must solve a problem or drive metrics. But sometimes, a feature is just about having fun. I don't think any PM in Zomato would be sitting and tracking the impact created by this feature. PMs often focus on data, outcomes and metrics, forgetting that innovation can be playful. It’s not always about dashboards and growth. Occasionally, it's about creating something delightful just because it’s cool. Let’s not lose sight of that joy. Innovation doesn’t always need a reason beyond “because it’s fun.” Source - THEKEN

181

10 Comments

Very excited to share that I've completed an enriching Natural Language Processing(NLP) course at UC Berkeley this quarter(Part of my Masters degree)! Delving into the intricacies of language comprehension and analysis has been truly enlightening. As we explored concepts like information extraction, sentiment analysis, and machine translation, I couldn't help but reflect on the significance of attention in NLP. Indeed, "Attention is all you need"(Transformer based model) proved to be a guiding principle throughout our studies. Grateful for the opportunity to expand my knowledge in this field! #NLP #UC Berkeley School of Information I highly recommend diving into the research paper linked here (https://lnkd.in/ggA_SrUb), though it may take a few reads to fully grasp its depths, along with Jay Almmar's insightful blog post (https://lnkd.in/gbDJ3Ddj). Excited to delve into "Generative AI" as my focus for the upcoming quarter!

61

5 Comments

Crafted with precision and designed to enhance your growth initiatives effortlessly! Checkout Waxwing AI on Product Hunt: https://lnkd.in/gpTSRzRV #GrowthMarketing #AI #Marketing_Automation

8

As silly as it might sound, I like to prioritize how many things I stress about at any one point. The past 6-8 months have been incredibly exciting. After Bashirah and Sha joined OPT, it was crucial for me to focus on setting and building OPT together with them. Yes, it came with a good amount of stress. So, for the past six months, I decided to drop losing weight as a stress factor. To help manage this, I chose to take off my smartwatch. If you know me, you’ll know I NEVER TAKE MY SMARTWATCH OUT. As someone who has been monitoring steps, sleep, calories burned, and weight daily for many manyyyy years, it was a big change. But it was necessary to not stress myself out further. Today, six months later, together with Bashirah and Sha, OPT has reached a decent momentum and while we are still focusing on growing the business, I think it's time to start stressing about my health again—haha. And so, my smartwatch is finally back on my wrist. It's all about knowing when to shift your focus. Prioritize your stress factors and manage them wisely! Okay thats all from me people.. wish me luck, priority for todday.. to get my daily 10,000 steps again 🤗🤗🤗

37

2 Comments

Today at work, I heard from Founder & CEO of Notejoy Sachin Rekhi about how to develop a compelling product strategy. It's all about being intentional about 𝘩𝘰𝘸 you are expanding the product. ⬇️ Sometimes, that means choosing which innovations are the most meaningful at the given moment, and incrementally moving the needle to introduce new, strategic innovations. I recently watched the movie 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬, in which a core argument was whether Facebook should focus on 𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘳 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘵𝘩 or 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘻𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. Zuckerberg had to examine the current state of Facebook and predict how monetization would 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺 with Facebook's value proposition, growth strategy, target audience, etc., which led him to delay monetization and focus first on user growth. 🔑 The key insight is that simultaneous expansion in all dimensions isn't always feasible (e.g. user growth and monetization). Instead, it's about staying true to the vision and taking deliberate, incremental steps towards it, considering the current context. Even as an intern, this is useful for thinking about my work: What is the vision for my project? How can I strategically choose steps to maximize impact, given my project's unique value proposition and target audience? 👀 Thanks to Walmart Global Tech for organizing this event! #WalmartGlobalTech #WalmartAcademy #WalmartIntern2024 #Entrepreneurship #Intern #SoftwareEngineerIntern

30

1 Comment

🚀 Exciting News in My Product Management Journey! 🌟 I'm thrilled to announce a significant milestone from my PM Fellowship at Product Space: tackling a challenging Problem Statement on PhonePe's loyalty program. 💱 Throughout this assignment, I honed key skills: 🧠 Deep Product Understanding: Like peeling an onion, I dove into what drives the product, aligning its core purpose with business goals. 🔍 User Empathy: Stepping into users' shoes, I crafted personas, identified pain points, and prioritized impactful solutions. 📊 Comprehensive Success Metrics: Broadening my approach to measuring success using relevant metrics. This project pushed me to critically analyze every stage of product development, putting my documentation skills to the test. 🎯 Explore the PRD here: https://lnkd.in/dVZmEUnS I'm grateful to Product Space and Akhil Yash Tiwari for their invaluable guidance on this journey! I look forward to sharing more insights and updates with you. Feel free to share your thoughts – let's learn and grow together! 🌱 Stay tuned for more updates. #ProductManagement #ProductDevelopment #Learning #PRD #ProductSpace

47

5 Comments

I am thinking of learning OOP in cpp right from d to depth, should I learn it parallelly or should I focused on PERN only until E-commerce is done? Your feedback may help me to take right decision more quickly. And, Today marks the #day47 of my journey and I: -worked on the UI of footer. Github: https://lnkd.in/d9GcDbgW #MERN #PERN #WebDevelopment #DaysOfLearning

7