Athan Makansi
Product. Music. Brooklyn.
Product Management Coaching
Let's connect.
I've been a product manager for 8+ years. Product management is hard and I can help you maximize your time on the job.
I offer private coaching sessions to help you accelerate your career.
Product Experience
8+ years in product management
March 2019 - Present
Lead Product Manager, Ribbon
First product manager for real estate startup backed by Greylock & Bain Capital.
Creating a real estate marketplace to simplify home-buying for buyers and agents.
November 2017 - January 2019
Senior Product Manager, CommonBond
Owned growth roadmap for student lending program.
2x growth in first year, $90MM in originations, 40k customers. Solved customer needs through JTBD frameworks. Set product goals, strategy, go-to-market options, and prioritization trade-offs. Voice of customer in every conversation, talked directly with customers every week, analyzed user needs and feedback.
October 2016 - November 2017
Product Manager, OnDeck
Product manager for $900MM term loan business unit.
Optimized application funnels, websites, and risk models - validated hypotheses with surveys/interviews, created MVP tests, scaled commercial launch.
December 2013 - Sept 2016
Product Manager, Vera Solutions
Early employee and team lead on B2C and B2B web/mobile products for first mover organization in analytics-for-development market. Tripled revenue for $3MM startup. Grew team from 8 to 25 engineers/managers/analysts, sustained growth over 3 yrs.
Bio
Personal Profile
I work with all kinds of people to solve big problems. I am enthusiastic about technology, design and leadership. I believe good quality data is the best tool for decision-making and I love getting my hands dirty in building great products. After 8+ years as a product manager, I know how data, design, and human processes are interrelated in achieving an outcome. Good products start with understanding what people need and I ultimately find the greatest delight in talking with others about how technology might help them live better.
I also run CambrianHQ for NYC. Check us out: https://www.meetup.com/cambrian-nyc.
My Skills
What I Do
Product Management Coaching
Helping product people maximize their impact
UX Design
Create experiences that delight others
Product Strategy
Achieve customer needs and business goals
User Research
Understand users and their needs/painpoints
"If you want something you've never had, you must be willing to do something you've never done"
Thomas Jefferson
Education
What I’ve Learned
May 2020
M.S. Information Systems
Baruch Zicklin School of Business
Analytics, Statistics, Finance
January 2011 - May 2013
B.A. Political Science
Davidson College
Thesis: “Microfinance in South Sudan”
Coursework: Economics, Statistics, Politics
Published research with Dr. Chris Alexander