Overview
During the summer of 2018, I interned as a Product Manager on the Didi Luxe product team at Didi Chuxing, Beijing.
Team
DiDi Luxe
Role
Product Manager
Summary
I collaborated with local city teams and conducted multiple research to understand specific local rider needs, driver needs, and growth opportunities. I participated in redesigning the Didi Luxe airport pickup experience saving riders and drivers time. Also, I worked with the product management team to facilitate the product development cycle from identifying the product opportunities to the launch of DiDi Luxe "Moonlight Getaway" service on the 2018 Valentine's week. Here I want to share my experience and talk about what I learned from it.
What I have learned
Starting with reading a lot
Just like embarking on a new job, there's a multitude of aspects to grasp before I can effectively brainstorm and generate valuable ideas. I initially delved into wikis, jotting down queries that I later resolved through further research or by consulting my coworkers. Extensive reading proved to be immensely beneficial, as I couldn't identify a more efficient way to quickly acquaint myself with the job. With this foundational knowledge, I became adept at following discussions during meetings. Moreover, it was immensely advantageous when proposing solutions to challenges, to have a good understanding of the available resources for developers and designers. This not only enhanced productivity but also reduced risks significantly.
Learning from mentors and teammates
Each team member extended multiple layers of support, and my initial task involved researching ways to enhance the airport pickup experience. Collaborating with data scientists, I delved into questions such as 'how can I measure the success of my product' and 'what kind of impact could this new feature potentially have.' This process reinforced my assumptions and led to fresh insights. Valuable feedback and recommendations flowed in from the local marketing, customer service, and other teams representing diverse stakeholders, which broadened my perspective and deepened my understanding of our products.
“You should be the person who knows your products best.”
The most significant lesson I learned from my supervisor was to proactively inquire about product details, even as I was still adapting to the new work environment and my knowledge was not much beyond that of an average user. I made it a habit to ask myself questions about the products before they were posed by others. Whenever I encountered uncertainty about the logic behind certain features, I actively sought out individuals with relevant expertise and inquired. I was truly appreciative of their patient explanations and engaging discussions. Through these conversations, I grasped the intricate decision-making that underlies even the subtlest product changes. This perspective was instrumental in accelerating my growth during my internship.