In this blog series we bring you guest posts from folks at YourMechanic. We ask what projects they are working on and what they are passionate about outside YourMechanic. This time, we interviewed Dmitry. Dmitry is a Product Manager and has some valuable insights for people looking to join this field.
Find out more about Dmitry's life at YourMechanic:
Can you tell us more about what you do at YourMechanic?
I work with everyone on the YourMechanic team to make software products that help us deliver quality service for your car. We make quite a bit of software here - from our internal tools that help us build quotes and schedule mechanics to the mobile application that our mechanics use, and the website where customers book services. My job is to take all of the great ideas people have about our software and make them work.
Why did you join YourMechanic?
I joined YourMechanic because it was the merging of two of my passions—building high-quality software and fixing cars. I used to build Porsche race cars before making the switch to developing software products, so it’s great that I was able to find a place that doesn’t make me choose between my two passions.
What gets you excited about coming to work every day?
I’m a person who loves to fix things. That’s why I became a mechanic when I was 15. Showing up to YourMechanic every day and dealing with new challenges that keep me learning is what motivates me. YourMechanic is now my 8th startup, and with each one, I learn more about what makes companies like YourMechanic successful. It feels great that I’m able to share my knowledge here and keep learning at the same time.
What's unique about being a Product Manager at YourMechanic?
I think the unique thing about being a Product Manager at YourMechanic is the level of complexity of the product. People think Uber is a technically challenging product—but we’re a few levels above that when it comes to a services platform. There are so many different cars, with different parts that we order ahead of time - and mechanics tend to specialize in the types of vehicles they work on. The fact that we can get somebody with the right skills and parts to come to repair your car at your house in just 2-3 days is nothing short of a miracle.
What is something you now know about YourMechanic that you didn't know before you joined?
The automotive community is a tight-knit group of people. One of the things I love is talking to my colleagues and finding out what cars they drive, why they like them, and sharing stories about our vehicular debauchery. It’s like a Sunday morning Cars and Coffee meet whenever you want.
Do you have advice for anybody who wants to work in your field?
Product Management is an exciting field because it doesn’t have a college major that feeds into it directly. For this reason, you get a wide variety of Product Managers that each have different strengths. Some are better at product vision, some are great project managers, and others excel at being able to design features and break them down into buildable chunks. Each of those qualities is important in a product manager, but I think the most essential quality of all is an excellent communicator. A grand vision, great design, and excellent project plan will stay just that if you aren’t able to inspire others to help build it.
If you want to combine auto repair and software development, we are looking for great minds to join us and help us improve our tools and exciting products!
