👋🏾 I’m Gaurav

If you are reading this, its likely we are either already working closely with each other or will soon be, and I am looking forward to our collobration. 😊

This README is a quick way to understand who I am, answer some frequent questions you may have as we start working together, and set expectations for what you can depend on me as your manager or or more broadly, colleague.

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A Bit About Me

1. Global with a startup mindset
   • Lived and worked in NYC, Stockholm, Singapore, Bangalore. Most startups fail so I know how hard the journey can be.
2. Product Leader
   • Founded Merchii in Stockholm in 2013, which connected users with buying opportunities by enabling publishers to tag fashion images with products. Sold Merchii to a media startup in NYC in 2014.
   • At Merchii, we built great things no body ever used, which is a classic eg of a the build trap even though we had a soft exit, only because our technology was worth something (not the business though)
   • I've been a Product Leader in companies like Grab, PayPal and more. Check my LinkedIn
3. I believe in being collaborative and thoughtful
   • I thrive in diverse and multicultural teams, and known to bring good energy to the room.
   • I am driven by a curiosity to understand the “why” behind product decisions and users/anyones core motivtions.

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Working Principles

1. Written Communication

   • If you are unclear, write it down. Complex decisions are made in writing. AI is here to help you. Google Docs is a great place to stat.

   • WAYRTTD or What are you really trying to do?. Best drawn out as the The XY Problem here for eg.

   • 

   • Shreyas on Clear Communication.

2. No Micromanagement

   • I trust you to fully own the product experience, and depending on what help you need, we can decide how I can engage with you.
   • If its a high leverage project, I may involve myself to keep a check in, so we can guarantee success.

3. Bias Toward Action

   • I believe action producess information, though thoughtful action. See Execution Orientiation Bias

4. Do What You Say

   • If you say you are going to do something, I will asumme you are on it, until you set expectations clearly that there are [delays, change of plans etc]

5. Focus on Impact

   • Prioritize high-value work using the impact vs. effort mindset.
   • Winning | Getting things done > Looking good.

6. LNO (Leverage, Neutral, Overhead Tasks)

   • Lets figure out what our LNOs are. Reading

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Feedback for You

Feedback is a gift and goes both ways; it’s key to building trust within teams. I provide feedback in a way that best suits how you receive it, so this is the first thing I ask my reportees

Survey

1. What is Your Learning Style?

   • Discover your learning preference.

2. How Do You Prefer Feedback?

   • (a) Written (Slack/email)
   • (b) Verbal (1:1/Call)

3. When Do You Prefer Feedback?

   • (a) Immediately after an event
   • (b) During 1:1s the same or upcoming week
   • (c) At a scheduled time (e.g., end of a project)

4. How Detailed Should Feedback Be?

   • (a) High-level overview with some directional examples
   • (b) Highly specific details with links, context, and actionable suggestions

5. How Do You Prefer the Tone of Feedback?

   • (a) Direct and to the point (Army style)
   • (b) Balanced (positive + improvement areas)
   • (c) Gentle and encouraging (like a caring family member)

6. Do You Find Follow-Ups Useful After Feedback?

   • (a) Yes, I’d like a check-in later
   • (b) No, I prefer to take it from there

Pointers

• It’s perfectly fine to share your feedback about others with me, but I trust you to also communicate directly with them. I will only share feedback that I have personally observed and avoid giving secondhand feedback.
• 1:1s are an excellent time to share feedback (both ways). If you feel you’re not receiving enough feedback, please let me know.

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Your Performance

I believe that if you have to improve your career, you have to improve your skills. To improve your skills, you need to know what skills you need to improve, and for that, we have to decompose each skill set group as below.

• PM Skills Map

• What I Look For:

  1. Understand your learning style: Figure out how you learn best so you can learn faster. PMs have enough things to do and are often stressed, yet, its important to dedicate time to learn and grow.
  2. Know where you are: Part of why the skills map is important to asses, both self and with your parters, what level you are at, for each skill set.
  3. Make and act on a plan: Every career is different and depending on your professional dreams, we can work on a plan on how you can grow.

• No Surprises:

  • We’ll maintain open dialogues to ensure that performance reviews and compensation discussions are smooth and transparent, without unexpected feedback.

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My Quirks

• Not a Mind Reader: If something is unclear, please be direct and let me know.
• Minimal Meetings: I prefer to avoid unnecessary syncs. My schedule is transparent, so only invite me if it’s truly needed.
• Passionate & Opinionated: I can be enthusiastic and strong in my opinions. Feel free to push back or correct me if needed.
• Occasional Multitasker: I might briefly type during the start of meetings, but I’m still listening. Please call me out if you feel I’m not fully present.
• No Blame Culture: Let’s focus on solving problems rather than pointing fingers.

Footnote: The inspiration for this document and its structure is from my mentor Ian Robbins