Please briefly describe your background prior to Haas
I grew up in Eastern Europe, specifically in Georgia. I did my undergrad in international relations and political science. However, I've been immersed in tech and entrepreneurship since childhood. During my undergrad, I realized I was on the wrong track and needed to follow my passion for tech. I pursued self-education in technology, taking various classes. Eventually, I decided to move to the US to start my entrepreneurial journey. I founded and led a startup in the AI and Robotics field. Through this experience, I discovered that anything related to product development would make me happy. I particularly enjoyed developing product roadmaps, defining requirements, and creating inspiring product marketing campaigns that would resonate with people.
What industries and functions did you recruit for and why?
I recruited for both PMM and PM roles. My desire was split 50-50 between these two functions. I received offers for both roles and really struggled to make a decision. After evaluating different variables, I ultimately prioritized the company that I liked more and felt more culturally aligned with.
Briefly describe how you approached recruiting. Anything worked particularly well for you?
I tackled the recruiting process from multiple angles:
- I approached anyone and everyone I could possibly connect with and learned a lot about how each company operated. I tried to build meaningful relationships without fully focusing on getting interviews.
- I applied to all possible tech roles for PM and PMM positions because I knew there are never guarantees with any application.
- After securing interviews, I approached people who already worked at the company to help me prepare.
Briefly introduce your internship company and your team
My internship was with Adobe, specifically with the Adobe Stock product team. Adobe Stock is a marketplace for all creative assets.
Briefly describe your summer project or job description
I had 3 summer projects:
- Defining new GenAI features for the Adobe Stock Platform.
- Conducting a Freemium Study - evaluating GenAI feature monetization strategies across the market and developing product recommendations.
- Creating product tear-downs of competitors and turning them into a product framework to help Adobe Stock improve its GenAI features.
My main focus was developing GenAI features for the Stock platform, defining new user journeys, and evaluating feature sets and synergies to improve major KPIs. I conducted around 21 user interviews and defined the product's conceptual, technical, and positioning aspects.
Notable experience during the summer
During my internship, my main manager left the team, and I had to start reporting to the PMM director. It was quite stressful at the time but it turned out to be a super interesting and exciting experience.
Thoughts / reflections on your internship
This summer, I learned that product-related work is an area where I can truly excel. I found joy in collaborating, understanding user needs, translating them into powerful features, and giving this value back to customers through positioning.
Closing thoughts or advice
Last year, I developed the idea of how to be a shameless networker. My advice is to ask for help when you need it and give help to others whenever you can. This approach to networking and mutual support was key to my success.