Mika Reyes is a Philippines Science Highschool Graduate turned Silicon Valley Product Manager

Mika Reyes is a Philippines Science High School Graduate turned Silicon Valley Product Manager

You can see more about her on http://mikareyes.com/

INTRO TO MIKA REYES:

Ironically, after graduating from a science high school, Mika knew she did not want to be a scientist. Instead, she wanted to fuel her leadership skills to help uplift the sciences.

She received a full-ride offer from Wesleyan University where she graduated with a BA in Economics and Psychology.

After sophomore year, Mika worked her first product manager position as an intern for Medgrocer — a Filipino online health pharmacy that delivers.

During this internship, she saw that tech could have a lot of impact with just a push of a button. It was then she knew she wanted to venture into the world of technology, specifically in how tech can solve problems in emerging markets.

She committed herself to dive deep into the tech world. Right after college, she received two tech fellowships. The first was from Horizons School of Technology, a coding boot camp for students and new grads. The second was a product management fellowship from esteemed venture capital firm, Kleiner Perkins. Through this fellowship, she got her first role as the first product manager for Ripcord, a robotic digitization startup.

Mika was also the first product manager for live streaming app Kumu. Today, she is a product manager on the jobs product at Linkedin.

WHAT IS A PRODUCT MANAGER AND HOW DOES IT DIFFER FROM AN ENGINEERING ROLE?

A product manager, in sum, does whatever it takes to build & ship a product, acting like the mini-CEO of a certain area.

Visual Representation of Production Cycle

As a PM you should not be the one coding the product!

SOFTWARE ENGINEERS VS PRODUCT MANAGERS

Software Engineers are trusted to do the technical parts of what is happening under the hood of the product, while PMs understand & articulate the problems the product is hoping to solve Naturally, PMs interface more with other stakeholders compared to software engineers.

PHILIPPINE STARTUP SCENE

There are a lot of smart people in the Philippines, but to spur the startup scene requires a mindset & risk change: that working in a risky startup is worth the bet.

(Editor’s Note: See how Filipino University have a culture that makes it rare to have internship experiences in university that sets them out of the mold)

Because it is a difficult path, people tend to give up easily. It is important to take some risks and push hard to get what you want.

ADVICE FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS BACK IN THE PHILIPPINES

Cold emails can get things done. If you want access to the CEO of a company or a really interesting person, don’t be afraid to send that email. What’s the worst that can happen?. Empathy is an undervalued skill. Learn to listen more than you speak. Your teammates & your users will applaud you for it. Stay resilient. She would not have made it where she was today if she listened to the first 20 companies that rejected her when she was at her job hunt. All it takes is that one yes.

WHAT WERE YOUR FIVE YEAR PLANS ENTERING COLLEGE AND HOW HAVE THEY CHANGED SINCE THEN AND WHAT STAYED THE SAME?

Mika thought she would go have to go home immediately after graduating university, and go into a traditional business job. She didn’t know she was going to be in tech. She knows for sure that she wants to start a business of her own, but timing it is important.

She is very aware & grateful for the privilege of being in the valley & wants to bring that knowledge to emerging markets when she’s ready.

ADVICE SPECIFIC TO COLLEGE FRESHMEN, SOPHOMORES, AND JUNIORS

It’s way too easy to drink the kool-aid that these colleges offer. It’s so easy to feel comfortable where you are now. Don’t be afraid to take more intelligent risks. Try to constantly learn through other people, especially those who are dramatically different from you. Always seek growth in whatever you do.

BOOKS AND NEWSLETTERS I USE AND RECOMMEND

Andrew Chen‘s Newsletter: Notes and slides for business trends and tips for Tech companies Launchticker: Updates within the tech industry Google Alerts: Gives alerts about what competitors have announced Swipe to Unlock: A Primer on Technology and Business Strategy: A book about how to get non-coding roles in tech companies How to Crack the PM Interview: A book that gives you a crash course on how PMs think The Lean Product Playbook: Case studies and a guide on different methods of how to keep product cycles lean

PM-SPECIFIC BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS

7. Hooked: How To Build Habit-Forming Products

8. Decode and Conquer: Answers to Product Management Interviews