Micro-Interview: Martin Voynikov, CEO, Former VP of Product
Read 451 words below ↓
EDITOR’S NOTE:
Martin (Marto) Voynikov is a co-founder of Qualy, a product discovery tool that helps PMs go 10x faster from problem/idea to implementation. Previously, as one of the first employees, he led product management at Quantive.
He loves snowboarding, surfing in the ocean, and cooking. He also founded “Tvoi red”, a movement that has experienced professionals working with teenagers in Sofia’s underprivileged neighborhoods to get a better career.
In under 500 words, he shares:
How he got into product management…
How he starts her mornings for maximum productivity…
Some of his sources of learning…
And more…
Enjoy!
“How did you get into product management?”
I was in my second job - a Biz Dev intern. I saw the landing page we were using to sign up big corporations. It was crap and I assembled a small team to fix it. At the time I didn’t know what PM was, but later when I spoke to one of my (now) mentors, it all clicked. He told me that if I understood strategy and had a crack for design, I should go into Product.
“How do you start your mornings at work?”
Quick check of email for any urgent things before I write down on paper what I want to achieve today. Usually, it’s several bullet points. On Mondays, I try to do that for the whole week. And during the week, using pen and paper to scratch off things when I’m done is the most gratifying thing.
“What do you know about product management now that you wish you’d known when you first started?”
When you start, you’re very focused on being good in the (PM) craft and a top performer (product metrics, velocity, feedback). You ought to be an enabler for others – every function that you work with. Only then can you make magic happen. And for that the most important skill is persuasion.
“What did your biggest product failure teach you?”
If I must go back and re-do some things, I’d trust my gut more and spend more time to rationally unpack why I feel something. I do that now as the CEO of Qualy.ai because the level of responsibility doesn’t allow anything else. It unlocked a different level of clear thinking within me. Before, because of all the stakeholders involved (CSO, CEO, CTO, etc.) your judgment can get clouded, and you might go for a local maximum. So, clear thinking and persuasion are your friends.
Clear thinking (backed by evidence) will bring up the truth and it’s hard to argue about it. That’s when you, your team, and the company make decisions that will compound and keep on giving in the future.
“What’s the #1 thing that has helped you shorten your product management learning curve?”
Talking to friends from other companies, many of whom appear here. The challenges we face repeat a lot. But the single biggest lever is if you start a company/create a product from scratch where you are the majority owner. I always said this to my team – they are not PMs. They are investors of a lot of resources. So, understanding risk, taking some, maximizing chances, and mitigating downsides – that’s what I believe will propel you to be successful in evaluating new frameworks, architectures, markets, etc.
“How do you stay updated on the best practices in product management?”
I follow Marty Cagan and a couple of others, but that’s it. I believe that many ideas get recycled or are glorified. So, if you’re your best self at work, you will inevitably define what the best looks like. But now and then comes something that I enjoy listening to or reading - as long as it’s novel.