My Metamorphosis
My R&D career began in the semiconductor industry. Discovering that products surviving way up high (satellites) and way down low (downhole drilling) face many of the same challenges (ample heat and vibration) meant that we were always pushing the physical boundaries of possibility. I enjoyed building 3D models and simulating their real world performance, but fulfillment came in learning what everyone else did in the building and finding opportunities to collaborate.
I found that helping others filled my cup and that working in a customer facing role would give me the chance to have a positive influence on hundreds of products, rather than just my own. Empathy, in addition to technical prowess, produced fantastic outcomes for all those involved. This sentiment led me across various facets of the field organization. Each time, perspectives compounded and strengthened my value to the customer.
My professional true love (already met my wife the first week of grad school) entered my life with product management. Folks born and raised in the ivory tower are often focused on the amazingness of their product. My unique path to this point has gifted me a different perspective. Success is achieved by making my customer (the sales team), making their customer (the end user), feel like superman when they enter the office everyday.
Where does this leave us? Priorities are not competing when everyone agrees on the driving force. Is this easy all the time? Certainly not. Does it recenter efforts routinely to deliver on business objectives? Absolutely!