Where did you grow up and what was it like?
I grew up in a small suburb in San Diego, California. My parents immigrated to Southern California from the Philippines in the 70’s and were able to see their house be built. Following their American dream, they worked significantly long hours and multiple jobs and though we didn’t have a lot growing up, I was extremely grateful for a loving home they tended for myself and my older brother and sister. Things you can expect from the Francisco household: On the outside, you’ll find several different types of flowers, plants, and fruits constantly cared for by my mom. Inside our house, you’d find the latest and greatest gadgets and knick-knacks, due to my dad’s passion for new and old technology.
Outside of work, what are you irrationally passionate about?
I love adventures, in all shapes and forms! Whether it be traveling to a new destination to hike a volcano or exploring a new skill at home, the comfort I find in the wonder of exploring new territories has been a feeling I’ve entertained for as long as I can remember.
It’s rather common that PMs have uncommon paths into the discipline. Walk us through the process that you went through to get into Product.
I started out in the industrial design world and established a love for exploring solutions for digital and tangible experiences. I took on roles within product and product marketing, procuring subject matter experts, testing alongside quality assurance teams, learning the cadence of product development, all while learning about the systems that make a product or service worthwhile. Starting out as a contractor, I jumped from industry to industry, getting my debut into product in e-Learning to more recently advertising and media. Being a part of such dynamic teams through the years has inspired me to stay and grow within Product with the goal of working towards sustainable solutions within the health and climate realm.
We talk a lot about our jobs being the opportunity to imagine the future and then make it real. What vision do you have for the future and want to make real?
I aim to be a part of a community and team that seeks to empower underrepresented groups of people and create paths for those who face great power imbalances in our society. I believe we only have so much time on this planet and working to make a more equitable future through innovations technology continues to provide us can be a beneficial use of that time for the generations to come. I’m very much a “leave it better than you found it” type of person and favor building a foundation in which people who will be here long after me can thrive to do the same.
Not everything we do works and that’s okay. We learn from those things. What is the least successful product or project you’ve contributed to and what did you learn? (No need to mention real names if it’s an issue)
I was tasked to work on a project that was included in a list of top-down initiatives within an enterprise setting. Due to severe time constraints, my team was given a little over two weeks to complete discovery on what was desired to be built on top of a limited amount of time provided for development of the product itself. It was assumed that because we were “given” all of the requirements of what was desired, the product on its own should have been a shoo-in once launched. Unfortunately, after launch, its features were barely trafficked and used due to an already highly demanded tool in a competing product. Post that project, it became apparent that all ideas (even those funded and/or urged by leadership) should go through the necessary discovery and development stages to intercept “red flags” earlier on.
How has a failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success? Do you have a “favorite failure” of yours?” (Borrowed from Tim Ferris’ “Tribe of Mentors”)
I am a terrible actress. It was much earlier in life when I grasped that but it took an embarrassing skit with my local youth group (and a few several after that in different settings through the years) to solidify that. It’s one of my favorite failures because it was one of the key moments that made me comfortable with failure and not taking myself too seriously. Nowadays, I’m not really coming across any more acting opportunities to remember this moment but think of it often when faced with failure– it’s about having my back when I do fail and walking myself through it to give it another shot and to not fear failing again but to “fail better” (shout out to Samuel Beckett).
What’s been the most exciting part about joining Sidebench so far?
The community that Sidebench prioritizes has been my favorite part about being new. I love that everyone has come from all different walks of life and are interested in learning from one another. Feeling safe, heard, and motivated to do great things by a community that also values these aspects is what I consider an integral part of a mighty team.
We love to find people that ADD to our culture vs fit into our existing culture. What are some cultural aspects that you’ve experienced that you hope to bring with you?
I believe that you don’t always have to be the loudest person in the room to get your point across and that introverted people can be leaders. As a first generation Filipina-American, I did not find many leaders I looked up to that looked like me nor advocate for me. I’d like to be that person for someone interested in pursuing similar paths.
Describe your super power or describe what unique skill/perspective you bring to the team here.
I find myself to be truly passionate about how people regard the world and their individual experiences. I enjoy learning about what makes us as humans similar and different in our behaviors and how we live our lives. I think being empathetic in this sense and finding that in others can definitely be a superpower!
What skill, practice, behavior, hobby or habits are you currently working on?
I am learning to improve the way I communicate and listen. From telling stories to breaking down key aspects of a challenge, I’d like to better understand how I can slow down, digest and/or discern familiar patterns and information.
Bonus Question: What book, publication, or podcast have you most recommended lately and why?
I definitely recommend the podcast “Ologies” by Alie Ward. If you’re interested in learning about fun and interesting topics in the biology realm, Ward does an excellent job picking the brains of people who dedicated their lives to these studies! My favorite so far is her conversation with Dr. Suzanne Pierre on the topic of critical ecology (essentially how societal structures have impacted and/or continue to impact our planet). You can listen to the episode here!
