Solving product problems at the intersection of strategy, data and insights

Main Takeaways

• Leverage structured thinking to navigate ambiguity and break down complex problems into actionable steps.
• Use deep user research to uncover underlying motivations and create products that solve real-world problems.
• Build alignment with stakeholders through early relationship-building and ongoing communication.
• Introduce simple, memorable metrics to align cross-functional teams on shared goals.

Who are you in a nutshell? What do you do, and why do you do it?

I’m Yana, a Product Manager at Stripe and formerly at Lyft. My work revolves around solving complex, high-impact problems at the intersection of strategy, data, and user insights. I thrive on blending creativity with analytical rigor to build products that not only meet technical and business goals but also serve real user needs.

One of my most fulfilling experiences was leading teams at Lyft to create an in-house mapping system. This involved data collection, machine learning, and map updates—delivering a critical solution for the company. I’ve also worked on scaling products to reach millions of users, which requires balancing technical excellence with a deep understanding of the market and user priorities.

For me, product management is about collaboration and continuous learning. I’m driven by the opportunity to tackle unsolved challenges, and I find joy in the process of turning ideas into impactful solutions.

What’s your setup? What tools, frameworks, and products do you use? Where do you work, and what is your schedule like?

My setup is minimal but effective. I work with a MacBook Pro, a mouse, and classic wired headphones—they’re reliable and don’t require troubleshooting like AirPods. I’m also a big fan of pen and paper for notes and to-do lists. There’s something uniquely satisfying about physically crossing items off a list.

Most of my day is spent on Zoom calls, writing strategy documents, or diving into pricing and monetization calculations. My core tools are Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Apple Notes, with occasional use of Figma for quick prototyping and deck illustrations.

I’m a morning person, so my day starts at 6:00 a.m. with a walk with my dog. By 8:30 a.m., I’m at my desk, and I protect my mornings for focused, strategic work before the flood of Slack messages and emails begins.

What’s your biggest challenge at the moment, and how do you plan to overcome it?

Professionally, my biggest challenge is defining the next big chapter in my career. I’m naturally drawn to problem-solving and thrive on tackling unique challenges, like when I led the creation of Lyft’s proprietary mapping stack. Now, I’m at a point where I want to reflect on where to grow next—whether it’s deepening technical expertise, advancing in people management, or exploring new technologies.

On a personal level, I’m trying to obtain an Irish driving license. Despite driving for over a decade, Irish law requires a national license, so I’ve had to put my road trips on hold temporarily. It’s an unexpected challenge, but I’m determined to solve it!

In your opinion, what defines a top 1% product management professional?

Three skills stand out: structured thinking, communication, and the ability to set the right metrics.

Structured Thinking

Product management often involves navigating ambiguity. Great PMs can break down complex problems into tangible milestones and connect the dots between product, business, and market goals.

Communication Skills

Strong communication is essential for articulating vision, securing leadership buy-in, and fostering collaboration. It accelerates all other skills and amplifies impact.

Metrics Mastery

Setting meaningful, actionable metrics is a surprisingly rare skill. Metrics guide decisions and ensure that initiatives drive real progress. Yet, many PMs struggle to define metrics that align with their product’s success.

How do you go beyond surface-level feedback to dig deeper into user needs?

Users often come to me with specific requests or questions. Instead of jumping to solutions, I step back to understand the underlying business problem they’re trying to solve. Honest, humble conversations are invaluable. I conduct at least one user interview per week, often more, to uncover deeper insights.

In these conversations, I focus on understanding their priorities, budget allocations, and resource constraints. Key questions I ask include:

• What are their main business goals?
• What are the primary roadblocks?
• And why?

These questions help me open up a deeper level of user motivations and design solutions that genuinely address their needs.

How do you present your product vision to skeptical stakeholders and maintain alignment over time?

This is one of my strengths! Misalignment is natural in large organizations where teams have varying priorities. I make it a point to understand their focus areas and main priorities, share my own goals, and explore how we can collaborate effectively. Questions like,

• Where is your focus right now?
• What are your main priorities?
• Here’s what my goals are.
• How can we work together on this?

"Here are the benefits for you" framing help lay the groundwork for alignment. This groundwork ensures that my vision incorporates their input, creating a stronger, shared strategy.

Maintaining alignment requires consistent communication. Regular touchpoints and updates help adapt to shifting priorities while keeping everyone on the same page.

What non-traditional metrics do you use to measure product success, and how do these metrics influence your strategy?

At Lyft, I worked on building our in-house maps—a highly technical product. We used data coverage and freshness as primary metrics, but these were hard to communicate broadly. To address this, I introduced a tiered system: cities were ranked gold, silver, or bronze based on specific criteria. This simplified our metrics and aligned stakeholders on clear, actionable goals. It also helped leadership prioritize investments and measure progress.

How do you rapidly validate ideas with minimal resources?

I’m a big fan of quick testing and rapid prototyping. I use Figma to create prototypes for iteration and conduct lean user research, speaking with 5-10 users to validate core hypotheses. For more complex situations, I rely on data modeling based on historical data to test assumptions without significant upfront investment.