Between 2010 and 2011, several pivotal moments shaped my career. Firstly, I left my role at Enterprise Rent-a-Car after a challenging three years. I grappled with demanding customers, extensive work hours, a branch with no cars but numerous reservations, and the pressure to upsell services. My subsequent relocation to a branch inside a soon-to-be defunct car dealership, which later became a Whole Foods, made it evident that my career progression there was limited. I felt adrift.

This sense of aimlessness prompted a yearning for adventure. Taking a step entirely out of character, I decided to teach English in Korea. At 26, I thought, “Why not?” Prepared with training, certification, and a plane ticket to Eunpyeong, a small town outside of Seoul, I was all set.

But how does this connect to my journey into Product Management?

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Before my planned departure, I sought my dad’s advice on supplementing my trip funds. He recommended a temp agency connected to one of his clients. I approached them with no specific job preference. Surprisingly, by the time I reached home from that meeting, I was already placed at One Kings Lane or OKL.

OKL, a flash sale home décor startup, was a revelation to me. Initially unfamiliar with the tech industry’s intricacies, I gradually became immersed. Our office was split into 2 different worlds: one side dealt with customers and operations, and the other with engineering, which included the CEO’s desk. I noticed many on the operations side aspired to transition to the “tech side,” a term that’s since evolved significantly.

At that juncture, my primary goal was to excel in my role and not dwell on long-term career prospects. However, OKL recognized my potential and offered me a full-time position. This unexpected opportunity, coupled with concerns about healthcare in Korea, led me to abandon my travel plans and embrace the tech world.

Fortunately, a colleague from the engineering team, whom I had befriended over shared stories and free snacks, became my mentor. His then-girlfriend (now wife) had taken a Product Management course at General Assembly, which OKL partially funded. Inspired by her experience, I pursued the same course. Although OKL only covered a quarter of my expenses, the knowledge I gained there kickstarted my career in Product Management, leading to this blog post

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Though I’ve already delved deep into my story without directly addressing Product Management directly, my journey at OKL enlightened me about the role, which I still take many learnings to this day. I realized that while coding wasn’t my passion, understanding and managing technology was. My inherent tech-savviness coupled with a desire to build technology solutions that I thought people needed aligned with a Product Manager’s role. Of course, the path wasn’t as straightforward as simply asking the higher-ups for a PM position. It took a lot of having to prove myself as well as convincing myself I deserved to be there.

Just remember: life ain’t a straight arrow.