Tosin is a critical part of our team and in this article she shares with us excerpts of her life, career and how to get started as a product manager.
Hello Tosin, Can you tell us a bit yourself?
Hello, My name is Oluwatosin Amusan. Most people know me as Tosin or Iperugirl, like Iperu of Ogun state. I'm the product lead at payourse who stumbled upon product management by chance because I'm a lawyer by profession, but the law profession wasn't giving. It was giving shackled.
Right from my undergrad years, I knew that law wasn't what I wanted to do. I later prayed about it and came to a conclusion to do law for 2 years and then get my master's degree before I eventually figure out what I want to do with my life. Luckily for me, the first place I worked was a legal tech company. I discovered I loved working with Developers and product designers and seeing a product grow from just an idea to live users, so I picked up from there.
Outside product, I love writing, I love skincare, and I love travelling, and I have different channels for each. In short, I'm passionate about communication. I'm big on food, I love food, I'm not fond of swallow at all, but I try other recipes and go out to eat often.
I don't do sports. In fact, I've never been great at sports. I also don't know anything about Art. I mean, I can't draw a circle to save my life. 😂
You have been at Coinprofile for a year. Why did you join, and what was the backstory?
When I initially got the Job offer, I was in Ireland. It made little sense for someone in Ireland to work for a Nigerian company.
Likeeee? We can understand.
You get!. Still, there were some reasons I just decided to give it a shot.
So first, I've always been a crypto fan and have tried out different areas in product management before now. I always wanted to be at the centre of everything because I believe the future would be powered by crypto. I was intrigued by what the team was building and wanted to be a part of it.
Secondly, I loved that the co-founders were all technical people, and It is always better because you have people who love to get their hands dirty.
Lastly, The interview process was different, calm, chill and relaxed, So it wasn't what I expected of a "Typical" Nigerian company.
How has the year at Coinprofile been? In retrospect, was it the right choice?
Oh, Definitely! The company has been very instrumental in my growth and journey. I think it came at the right time. The company has supported me because I was also running my master's program. Hence, balancing school and work isn't easy, but the company was hell-bent on my welfare, which was so lovely.
Product-wise, We have done a lot, launched so many features this year, and I can't wait for the end-of-the-year video.
I love the fact that no one is scared of making mistakes, everyone is trying to learn fast, no one is leaving any responsibility hanging and everyone helps out, everyone is actively learning.
The team is bent on customer experience and making it better. It has helped me understand users even better and how to prioritize them always.
So for the average person interested in Product Management and wants to get started, how should they start?
I think everyone gets into products differently, the experience for a lawyer, doctor, or shoemaker is different but no matter the background the first thing is to realize that your current skills are transferrable and you don't have to start from ground zero.
If you have no idea what product management is but fancy the field, I would say you should start with Customer Success because it gives you a solid foundation to understand users. You get to see products from the user's perspective.
Secondly, Join active communities. There are so many of them; some examples are Product Tuesdays, Product Dive etc.
The third thing I would say is to read books, It's difficult at times, and you can feel overwhelmed but it's normal to feel that way and take it one step at a time.
I would also recommend that you find a place to do an internship before taking a course, so you can understand users more before diving into masterclasses and courses.
Imposter Syndrome is something you would have to shake off because it creeps in slowly for product managers, unlike engineers and designers that can immediately see the outcome of their work, for product managers, the case is different, so you are constantly asking yourself, "I hope I'm not doing rubbish in this team."
What would you say are some personal skill that has played a significant role in your career growth?
I think it's first the fact that I can narrow down and focus, so if I see that this an area that I need to improve on, I don't wait for a saviour (except my lord and saviour Jesus) or throw a pity party, I focus on it daily until I get the returns I want.
Product is really initiative, not everyone is lucky to have a CTO or Head of Product, so you have to be able to spot lapses and opportunities and not wait for the go-ahead before starting.
Also, People say I'm a very sensitive person, and that has played a significant role in my growth because I can understand the reason at times behind each conversation. It might be the investors are breathing down the neck of a CEO, the CFO wants us to make more money, or the engineers are overstretched, which helps me navigate conversations and not let them feel bad about product demands or new updates.
So if you are a sensitive person, I think you should consider product management.
Before we let you go, what are some weird facts about you?
I don't know, really; I will have to ask my friends.
We know you are hiding something; just spill it.
Well... I've tried rice and ewedu before, and I liked it.
Awkward Silence
No, for real 😂😂, It was nice, and it was giving what it was meant to give. Oh, Another thing is that I sleep like a dead person. I find it very hard to sleep, but when I eventually sleep, It's almost impossible to wake me up.
Another weird thing, Is I don't eat apples.
What? Why? 😂
I wouldn't say I like using my front teeth. Please, they are too precious to be stressed. So biting into apples and all those things isn't for me.
