An Accidental PM's Year of Miles and Milestones

One year ago, I joined amazee.io as an accidental product manager. I've been translating my improv background into tech language for some time now, and I still wonder if my unconventional path would be an asset or an obstacle. Today, I'm writing this from a hotel in Zurich, having just been appointed as the Head of Product, while also dealing with a credit card disaster in one of the world's most expensive cities, and attending an AI summit in London the week prior. This sure has been an eventful journey.

The Accidental Journey Begins

When I joined amazee, I knew the role would stretch me in new ways, but I didn't anticipate how literal that would manifest. While I'd traveled for work before, even internationally during my theater days, this felt different. I was stepping into a global tech company, still figuring out how to articulate why my unconventional background might be precisely what they needed rather than something to apologize for.

Fast forward twelve months: Barcelona, Atlanta, Chicago, and now London and Zurich back-to-back. Each trip has marked a different stage of my evolution from accidental PM to... well, apparently Head of Product (more on that plot twist later).

First stop…London

London. It had been a while since I last visited. I felt the familiar energy of a city that never quite settles into rhythm. The tube lines were down at times during the visit, forcing me to navigate around the sprawling metropolis creatively. The AI summit I attended revealed an industry still finding its voice. We have brilliant technical innovations wrapped in inconsistent narratives, so many of us are struggling to communicate complex concepts to diverse audiences while also figuring out what it all means for our collective future.

My improv background came in handy during my time in London. Observing patterns and extracting insights in ambiguous and ever-changing environments is deeply ingrained in me. At the summit, I found myself taking notes not just on the technology being presented, but on the storytelling gaps. As I develop AI products for our company, I am considering how to explain AI capabilities to non-technical individuals effectively. How do we build trust around tools that feel magical and mysterious? These gaps are what many of us face today.

Next stop…Zurich

London's beautiful unpredictability gave way to Zurich's clockwork efficiency. The trains worked exactly as advertised and felt as though they had been designed by someone who used them.

Then my credit card got locked down while I was in one of the world's most expensive cities. The credit card company decided my international charges looked suspicious, despite my telling them I was traveling. Cue my improv training once again. I embrace the "yes, and..." to whatever life throws my way, so I found solutions, leaned on colleagues, and kept moving.

More importantly, it was in Zurich that I received the news that would reframe this entire trip. Sitting in a hotel room, jet-lagged and dealing with a credit card fiasco, I learned I was being promoted to Head of Product. Not because I followed some predetermined career path, but because the organization had watched me work for a year and decided my unconventional approach was precisely what they needed.

When Organizations Believe in Accidental Paths

This is where the real story lives. In the past year, I've worked for leaders who didn't just tolerate my unconventional background; they actively leveraged it. They saw value in someone who could read a room, navigate uncertainty, and apply "yes, and..." thinking to product challenges.

I wasn’t promoted despite my background. I was promoted because of my background. My approach and experience aren’t quirks to overcome. They are differentiators.

The Power of Being Seen

The most transformative part of this year wasn't the travel or even the promotion. It was working for an organization that saw potential in an unconventional path and created space for it to flourish.

Too many companies say they value diversity of thought while hiring for pattern matching. They want innovation while insisting on traditional backgrounds. They talk about embracing different perspectives while maintaining systems that only recognize linear career progressions.

amazee.io did something different. They hired an accidental PM and then asked, "How can we leverage what makes you unique?"

The accidental PM journey isn't an accident at all. It's about organizations that are brave enough to see value in non-traditional paths and individuals who are willing to translate their unique experiences into business value.

I’ve learned that the best preparation for the future isn't following the prescribed path. It's being good at making it up as you go along and then finding teams that recognize that as a superpower, not a liability.