How can diverse perspectives drive innovation on a product team? In this episode of the Product Divergence series with Ubiety Technologies CPO Nacho Andrade, Ampla Product VP Tui Allen shares insights on her journey to product management. She speaks about the importance of driving innovation with diverse perspectives through experiences such as living abroad or spending time with customers from different backgrounds. The conversation also covers what makes a strong product leader, the skills needed for product management roles, and advice for those looking to get into the field. Learn about the best practices for building great products through empathy, collaboration, and an entrepreneurial mindset.
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Show Notes
- Tui Allen’s journey into product started through solving problems for customers at Ernst & Young and Blackbaud.
- She moved into product roles at Blackbaud and Shopify to build financial tools.
- She now works at Ampla building financial platforms for consumer brands.
- Driving innovation with diverse perspectives helps product leaders look at problems through different lenses.
- Getting out of the building and spending time with customers helps build empathy.
- Small changes can make a big difference for small businesses.
- An entrepreneurial mindset and grit are important for product people.
- Empathy and curiosity are foundational skills for product managers.
- Collaboration and influencing skills are also important for product managers.
- Getting passionate about a problem space can help someone get into product.
- Finding opportunities to partner with product teams on small initiatives is a way to learn product.
- You don’t really learn product until you build a product.
- Building financial products requires responsibility beyond just code.
- Launching new businesses requires more than just features.
- Ensuring trust, safety and fraud prevention is important for financial products.
- Google Translate has improved with features like in-context translations.
- Continuing to innovate on existing products is important.
- Small businesses are important to the economy and fabric of communities.
- Understanding challenges small businesses face helps build better products.
- Diversity drives innovation by bringing different perspectives.
About the speaker
Tui Allen is a seasoned innovator with over 20 years of experience in technology, design, and product-led growth. She’s currently the VP of Product at e-commerce financial services platform Ampla. She’s the former Head of Product for Shopify's Financial Services, where she successfully led the development and growth of key products, including Shopify Capital and Shopify Balance. Prior to Shopify, Tui contributed significantly to Blackbaud's FinTech and vertical products, generating over $200 million in annual recurring revenue. Her impressive track record showcases her commitment to innovation and ability to deliver tangible results in technology and financial sectors.
About the host
Nacho is an Evangelist for all things product, advocating for innovation, diversity, and building amazing products. Nacho has spent over 10 years in product roles ranging from startups to enterprise in industries like education, healthcare, finance and gaming.