On the road to innovation at PayU: Aarat Bhatnagar's story:- www.deekpay.com

My journey from being a Data Science student at IIT Madras to becoming a Product Manager at PayU has been full of extraordinary experiences. Though I have not embarked on this journey for a long time, this experience will show how I went from being an undergraduate in Mechatronics Engineering at Manipal Institute of Technology to becoming an Assistant Product Manager in a short span of time through an innovation track internship at PayU.

With a degree in Mechatronics Engineering, I originally worked in the field of automation and robotics. My internships were also limited to manufacturing and automation organisations such as Eicher, L&T, Bharat Forge, JCB, Jaguar-Land Rover, Shridhan Automation, Eaton and many more. While these experiences have enriched my learning, I am about to enter a completely new field - FinTech - in my first product role. FinTech, as a fast-growing modern industry with innovation as its top priority, fits my expectations perfectly.

I used the guidance of my mentor to understand all that this job entails, which fuelled my entrepreneurial spirit to build products. Although I'm still struggling to understand the nuances behind the role, the excitement of being part of a team building a new financial product made me apply for the role without hesitation.

Selection process

After applying for this job, most companies can take weeks or even months to respond, but surprisingly, PayU contacted me within just a few days. I was impressed with the professionalism and warm tone they displayed throughout the interview process. After the screening process, the hiring of Product Managers consisted of the following rounds:

Case study session

The case study session is divided into three parts - Design Problem, Product Management Problem and Estimation Problem. I was required to use creative thinking and problem solving skills to find a solution within 7-8 hours. The assignment required me to analyse different disciplines and the process was very satisfying.

Product Thinking and Discussion Sessions

After two rounds of initial interviews, I attended an interview with Saurabh Kumar, who is the Associate Director of Product and now my direct manager. This interview was more of an insightful discussion. We focussed on how and why I did what I did in the previous round of case studies.

Leadership Session

Leadership interviews are one of the best parts of the hiring process. I was interviewed by Naveen Athresh, one of the Forbes Top-100 leaders in India and Senior Director of Product, Merchant Experience, IXD and Process Design at PayU. His perspective on always starting with understanding customers and their user problems before finding solutions has always influenced me. He continues to serve as my mentor and inspires me to achieve my goals.

Human resources link

In the last round, I met with Mr Denzil from the HR department, who asked me about my interests and gave me a brief introduction to the company's culture. The whole recruitment process lasted for about a month, after which I received an internship offer and some small gifts from the company. I was very excited to start a new chapter in my life!

From Innovation Track to Full-Time Product Manager

Witnessing an idea gradually become a reality and experiencing the process first hand is one of the most authentic things in the workplace. The role of a product manager brings that satisfaction.

In the beginning, we received thorough training to prepare us for success. This time was a whole new experience as I learnt concepts such as user and market research, design thinking, A/B testing and more. It was amazing to me that the impact of every design or process decision was enough to change customer behaviour.

After the training, I had the opportunity to own a product idea and build it from scratch with a talented team. We were given complete autonomy to lead and deliver. During my tenure, I learnt that a precise focus on metrics was crucial for this role. Backing everything up with data was one of the best lessons I learnt from this journey. Amazingly, the data-driven thought process is implemented in all the company's decisions about product sub-domains.

A touching experience during my tenure was when I contracted dengue fever and was hospitalised for a week. It was heart-warming to see all the necessary support from my mentor and the HR department during my illness. Their employee-centred attitude made me even more determined to give my best self to the company.

Looking back, my journey to move from one area to another was drastic, but made much easier by being at PayU. Now that I'm continuing to hone my skills in product management, working full-time on several projects in the Merchant Experience team, I've realised that I've been able to grow quickly because of the culture, flexibility and empathetic work environment PayU offers. I can confidently say that moving into a product role was worth it. The journey has been challenging, but also one of the most fulfilling experiences I've had.

The biggest lesson I have learnt from this journey is to take risks and never let fear and doubt stop me from learning.

Thank you for reading!

I wish you all the best in your product journey!