Today, we speak with experienced Product Manager Kseniia Maiorova about the skill sets required to succeed in Product Management when backed by AI tools. Kseniia has worked globally, helping businesses bring products to market. With a strong background in Applied Mathematics, she has experience in both big tech companies and startups. Her primary interest lies in creating growth environments within products to boost user engagement, drive revenue through personalized experiences, and apply her expertise in Online Marketplaces, Mobility, and AI.
Can you tell us about your journey into product management and what you’re doing now?
Sure! My journey into product management began in 2015 when I was pursuing my Master’s degree at Skoltech, a university established in collaboration with MIT. Being deeply involved in the startup ecosystem, I co-founded startups and gained valuable insights into entrepreneurship. I even had the opportunity to teach a winter course on venture capital after joining the Academy of Venture Capital.
My career initially began with a focus on data analysis, which was closely related to my academic background. However, I soon realized that my true passion was in product management, where I could apply a broad skillset to drive tangible business value. This realization prompted me to transition into managing tech products and leading major launches. Today, I lead the growth team at a global transportation company, where I focus on driving innovation and achieving operational excellence.
Can you share some of the projects you’re most proud of?
There are several, but one project that stands out is the communication platform Sferum, which I developed during my time at VKontakte, the largest social network in Europe. Leading the development of this platform, which now serves over 20 millions of teachers, students, and parents, has been incredibly rewarding. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I launched live video features within a month to support schools, which was a major highlight for me. Launches like that remind me why I have chosen the PM path after all.
What are your current interests in product management?
Well, I’m focused on building a growth environment within the product to boost active user engagement and drive revenue through creating a personalized app setup. My goal is to create tailored experiences for users that not only keep them engaged but also add real value to their journey. By understanding user behavior and preferences, I aim to develop features that resonate with individual needs, ultimately driving both user satisfaction and business outcomes.
How do you see AI affecting the role of product managers?
AI is definitely reshaping product management by automating many routine, data-driven tasks, allowing PMs to focus more on creative and strategic areas—like innovating new products or making complex decisions that require human intuition. However, as AI takes over these routine tasks, the importance of strong soft skills, such as stakeholder management, is growing. Product managers need to excel in managing relationships, aligning interests, and communicating effectively with various stakeholders. These skills are essential for navigating the complexities of product development and ensuring that teams are working towards a shared vision.
From my experience, working with stakeholders is much like working with a product. First, it’s crucial to understand who your stakeholders are. They are the people or groups that can influence the product, processes, business, or even you personally—these could be different departments within the company, leaders of other units, partners, or investors.
Here’s how I make stakeholder management easier:
- Categorise your stakeholders: Not all stakeholders are equally important or bring the same value for the project. The first step is to segment them based on two criteria — level of involvement and power within the company.
- Create a routine : Depending on the stakeholder choose the way how you’ll involve, inform or keep satisfied. Do you need a weekly meeting, slack channel or monthly check to get the project on track? You can create different rituals for different segments. But building strong relationships with those who have high power and can contribute significantly to your success is key.
- Understand their motivation: What’s important to them? What are their concerns? These are your drivers for creating solutions that address their needs.
- Identify their goals: What does success look like for them? Is it expanding their influence, achieving certain metrics, or executing a vision? Your solutions should align with their goals. Interestingly, the biggest drivers are often egos (in a healthy sense, related to achieving goals) and promoting their ideology (like “this is the right thing for our users”).
- Provide solutions: How can you make their path to success shorter together? Offering solutions that make achieving their goals easier will help build trust and support. Once that trust is established, you can ask for what you need in return.
While AI can quickly analyze large datasets, it still falls short when it comes to creativity, deep contextual understanding, and leadership. These are skills that require human emotional intelligence, and I don’t see AI replacing that any time soon.
That said, I do think AI can be a powerful tool to increase productivity and fuel creativity, but it’s important to complement it with the irreplaceable human touch and master it.