‘Why Qualtrics’ – Sachin Goregaoker – Product Manager – Seattle

What is your 'why'? How does Qualtrics connect with your 'why'?

My biggest 'why' is family and sharing my life with the people that matter to me the most. Even within that 'why' it's all about having as many memorable experiences with folks as I can. That fancy car will only be with you for so long, but memorable experiences last a lifetime. With my wife and three kids, I plan on experiencing life to the fullest!

Technology has attracted me from the beginning. I started life as an engineer and kept on collecting different experiences and perspectives in the industry that moulded me into the person I am today (at least professionally). Being a product person, I love to explore new areas and am fascinated by how much change has occurred just in the last 3-5 years and I fully expect to be using a driverless car in a matter of years!

I've also had the opportunity to both learn from and mentor great colleagues and it is always humbling to be in the presence of smart and passionate folks, may they be the new college grad that just joined your team or the company COO!

Qualtrics is on a mission to enable our customers to radically improve the experiences that matter to their customers, their brand, their products and critically, their employees. My own why is to always put experiences first (whether they are for family, colleagues or in my customer and product interactions). I get to work with engineering teams to build products focused on helping customers optimize their Digital CX, and their employee experience across the moments and touchpoints that matter.

It is awesome to be at a company that prioritizes this internally (from an employee culture perspective) and is obsessed with enabling our customers to provide the best experiences possible.

Finally, my love of tennis has sustained me physically and it is a game that has taught me grit, how to compete and above all have fun!

What attracted you to Qualtrics in the first place?

A single word - impact. I had learned from contacts within Qualtrics that this company is on a rocket-like trajectory while maintaining a solid employee culture. I had also used the Qualtrics platform at business school and I loved the ease of use and the ability to make sophisticated research simple. I was really looking for a place where my work would not be lost in the noise and I could have a meaningful impact on customers and on the business.

As I met more of the PM and engineering team during the interviews, I was struck by their passion for the company, the mission, and the culture. That sealed the deal for me!

What does your day look like?

I really hate to use the cliched 'no 2 days look alike', but that is truly the life of a Product Manager. On any given day, I'll be found brainstorming our next set of features with our engineering and UX teams, trying out 'hot-off-the press' features just checked in, getting on calls with customers to understand how they use our products and what their future needs are, training internal teams on new features, writing docs on a range of areas (strategy, new feature investments, early support docs, ...), helping with sales calls, lots of email... the list goes on.

Best of all, I love the ability to interact and learn from such a wide variety of people on a daily basis. Never a dull moment and lots to learn!

You are not originally from Seattle - Can you tell us your story of moving here?

It's funny, my father worked for an airline and from an early age, I've lived in countries as diverse as Nigeria and Thailand. I landed on American shores to pursue my Master's Degree in Computer Science and even after that I've lived in Tallahassee, Dallas, Charlotte, Seattle, Chicago, Santa Clara (Bay Area) across the roles I've had in my career in Tech and my time at business school. I lived in Seattle for a few years then went on my random walk around the country and then came back to join Qualtrics!

However, I think my wife and I have found the perfect place to raise our three kids in the Greater Seattle area and we're here for keeps. Super happy with all the outdoor fun in the summer and indoor activities (and coffee) that sustain us during some of the gloomy months.

Any tips for someone who is considering an opportunity at Qualtrics?

Come in with an open mind and a willingness to learn. Qualtrics is a company on a phenomenal trajectory and you will have lots of great opportunities to learn and grow in your role and take on new and unexpected opportunities.

What made you want to get into product management?

I started my career in software engineering and loved the countless complex problems I got to solve every day. As I grew in my role, I was exposed more to the customer-facing side of things and also into the thinking and business strategy that goes into building new products. That piqued my interest enough that I pushed myself to go get some real-life business skills by pursuing an MBA and then putting them to use in Management Consulting roles focused on the Tech industry.

As I turned the next chapter in my career, I was looking for a role where I could stay close to customers, conceive of and build great products and keep in touch with the technical side of things. Product Management has given me the perfect blend of the above and is the reason that I pursued roles in PM and I must say, I made the right decision! In my 6 years as a PM, I've loved every minute of it and have had the privilege of building cool products, helping customers and learning from super smart colleagues!

Bonus: Describe Qualtrics to a candidate in 3 words!

Transparent, collaborative, customer-focused.

Looking to join a company like this? Check out our open opportunities.

	Sachin Goregaoker is a Product Manager at Qualtrics in Seattle, WA. He has an extensive background at companies like Intuit and McKinsey & Company with a Masters of Business Administration from Northwestern University - Kellogg School of Management, a Master of Science, Computer Science from Florida State University, and a Bachelor of Engineering from the University of Mumbai.