Quick questions for a Product Owner
Pagero’s R&D department consists of more than 100 employees. One of them is no other than Martina Menfors, who works as a product owner in our Gothenburg office. Her work comes down to being responsible for a specific product and defining the vision for that product. That, and a whole lot of other tasks to maximise the value of our products.
What did you do prior to working at Pagero?
I moved to Italy after high school since I hadn’t quite figured out what I wanted to study, and I ended up staying there for four years. I worked as assistant manager for a clothing store; at the same time, I was also bartending and working as a model. In 2012, I applied for a double bachelor’s program in economics and informatics in Borås, Sweden, with one year in Shanghai. Once back home in Gothenburg, I saw an ad for application consultants at Pagero, applied, and got the job. I’ve been with Pagero for four years and three months now.
What’s it like working at Pagero in the R&D department?
No day is the same, which is something I really appreciate at Pagero. There is never a dull moment! Working within R&D is very inspiring and there’s always more to learn, which makes it a fun and exciting environment. The best part about my job is all the people who work here!
“Working within R&D is very inspiring and there’s always more to learn, which makes it a fun and exciting environment.”
What does a Product Owner do and what does a typical workday look like for you?
The main tasks that we as product owners have are prioritisation, planning and communication. We define the vision for the products we are responsible for.
We create, manage and share the product vision and product roadmap. Prioritisations are done every day, from managing the backlog or the roadmap to prioritising (or re-prioritising) tasks. We monitor the progress of ongoing tasks together with the development teams. We also do a lot of investigations and talk to stakeholders. All in all, we are constantly trying to maximise the value of the product.
A typical workday would start with setting up a rough plan for the day then continue with sync meetings with the teams. After that can vary a lot, but meetings, documentation, and investigations are often a big part of a typical day.
Do you have any special skills or quirks?
I speak Italian fluently and I DJ and produce music. Oh, and I also play the cello!
Which tech gadget could you not live without?
A good pair of headphones.
If you could automate something in your own life, what would it be and why?
All of my house chores, to save time that can be spent on more fulfilling tasks in life. I don’t have a dishwasher at home, so just getting one of those installed would be life changing.
