Developing Top-tier Members to Create the Ultimate User-First Product Development Organization as a PdM

In this edition of our Professional Series, which delves into the lives of the extraordinary professionals working in the PayPay group, we spoke with Tian, Senior Manager of the CoreApp & Growth Department to find out how she joined the company, memorable projects, and her devotion to developing team members.

Captivated by PayPay’s Product, Becoming a Manager from a Non-Product Background

Can you tell us about your career and what motivated you to join PayPay?

I majored in Japanese while I was in university in China, and when I came to Japan as an exchange student, I felt very comfortable living here. After graduating, I wanted to work in Japan, so I pursued graduate studies in Japan and then gained sales experience dealing with Chinese clients at a Japanese manufacturer.

I later joined Yahoo Corporation (now LY Corporation) through my friend’s referral. As I was able to speak Chinese, I was hired for a business position based on my potential, and I was responsible for strategy and planning in selling Chinese companies’ search advertising products in Japan for about a year. After completing the project, the head of the department at that time recognized my strong English skills and recruited me to the product team, allowing me to participate in the project to launch PayPay. I had almost no engineering background, but after being seconded to PayPay, I was responsible for management roles in the engineering field such as PMO, PM, and PdM, mainly focusing on the development of cashback-related products. The products created by PayPay were truly attractive, providing a sense of worthiness in creating them while gaining experience.

What is your team’s mission and your responsibilities?

The CoreApp & Growth Department I lead aims to increase the number of PayPay users by developing new features and improving existing functions of the core PayPay app. It consists of three teams: the “CoreApp Squad,” responsible for improving several main screens, including the PayPay home screen; the “Marketing Squad,” which leads the implementation of cashback-related functions such as PayPay scratch lottery and referral campaigns; and the “Search & Discovery Squad,” which handles the search and map functions designed to discover new features and deals, aiming to enhance user engagement and loyalty.

My main duty as the Senior Manager is to outline the overall product strategy for the PayPay app, taking into consideration the company’s goals, business conditions, and requests from both the business and product sides. I also focus on supporting and developing the PdMs within the team to ensure that each project is released smoothly and safely.

Always Put Users First : PayPay’s Home Screen Redesign Project Increases LTV by over 10%

Tell us about your recent noteworthy projects.

One memorable project was leading the PayPay home screen redesign project as a PdM. While PayPay is shifting the focus to financial services, the home screen of the PayPay app was still prominently featuring payment services, and the latest business vision was not reflected on PayPay’s face—the home screen.

Our challenge was to correct the misalignment with the company vision and create a home screen that 66 million users (as of October 2024) seek. In order to achieve this, we listened to the requests and issues from the business side, including the finance, payments, and marketing teams, and of course, our management team many times, and came up with a design that especially increases touch points for PayPay Card among the other financial services.

My main focus was coordinating internal requests while maintaining the convenience of our payment service that many users rely on. The home screen has a significant impact on users, and even the placement of a single icon can have a noticeable effect. We ended up receiving numerous internal requests to place specific service icons on the home screen. However, the space on the home screen is limited, and at the same time we couldn’t deviate from the company’s policy.

Facing numerous requests, I focused on prioritizing the requests and putting the users first. PayPay is an app used by a wide range of users of different ages and backgrounds. People have different values, and whether a particular feature is noticeable or not depends on the individual, so it is important to prioritize not only from the business perspective but also from the user’s perspective. Specifically, I prioritized the requests that directly led to the financial shift while not compromising the user experience when making payments. When faced with uncertainty, I returned to thinking from the user’s perspective, asking myself how I would feel if I were the user.

We repeatedly showed ideas to stakeholders across the company and made adjustments until the design was finalized. As a result, the LTV of new PayPay Card users increased by more than 10% compared to before the home screen update. We succeeded in creating a design that increases touchpoints for financial services while not compromising the convenience of payment, and the number of inquiries also remained stable. Having overcome the pressure of renewing the home screen, which represents the face of PayPay, and utilizing the experience of expressing the company’s vision for financial shift, we will continue to improve the PayPay app to make it more user-friendly and integrated with financial services.

What do you find most rewarding about your job?

The attractiveness of being a PdM at PayPay is the significant amount of discretion you have regarding the product, allowing you to realize “the ideal product you envision.” At PayPay, there is an impressive quality to the products and a great level of discretion given to PdMs, as well as a sense of speed from development to release, allowing you to fully experience the essence of being a PdM—being engaged with a good product.

Of course, having a high degree of discretion comes with responsibility and pressure, and working in a fast-paced environment can be challenging. I always prioritize a user-first approach, but I also strive to be flexible with stakeholders to quickly advance projects. I review all requests and even for those I can’t accommodate, I provide alternative solutions or compromise points. In this way, I have managed to overcome difficult situations by standing firm to the beliefs, while being flexible when necessary.

Mission to Nurture All Members into Top-tier PdMs

What is the atmosphere like in your team?

The team is composed mostly of young members in their 20s to late 30s, fostering a bright and enjoyable atmosphere. While the team members come from various backgrounds, none have experience in the financial industry. Even without experience in the financial domain, the members possess the ability to logically articulate the intentions behind their designed products, as well as strong communication skills and flexibility. Leveraging their past experience as a PdM, they are continuously facing the challenges of engaging with both the product and its users every day.

What aspects do you prioritize to support the growth of your members?

I strive to create a frank and approachable atmosphere while providing advice on mindset and detailed feedback, to support each individual’s desires and aspirations.

For instance, in this project, I included a member who was in the process of developing as a PdM. While ensuring the smooth progress of the project, I also aimed to create growth opportunities. I initially placed her in a support role, allowing her to observe how I devise strategies and coordinate internal stakeholders as a PdM and I gradually handed over the responsibility. The growth she gained through the experiences has been remarkable. For the upcoming renewal project, I have asked her to draft the strategy, and we are moving forward with me reviewing her work.

What are your future goals and vision?

Firstly, to provide the best user experience and create a world where you can’t do without PayPay. For example, in China, payment and financial apps can already be used to complete administrative procedures, including displaying the user’s driver’s license. Of course, this is not an apples-to-apples comparison, but I want to make PayPay an essential infrastructure for our daily lives, or at least create an environment where we can manage our money completely with PayPay.

The second goal is to nurture team members, as I have done in this project. I believe it is my mission to develop each member into a top-tier PdM. I want to contribute to business growth by moving the cycle faster to make core app improvements, alongside the members who have grown to be able to push projects forward with me.

Any last words for our readers?

I believe an excellent PdM can articulate how their product improves the user experience. If you want to excel as a PdM at PayPay, a user-centric perspective is absolutely essential.

In addition, I believe three mindsets are critical for a PdM. The first is to have ownership. With many stakeholders and a fast-paced business environment at PayPay, it will be difficult to drive things forward with a passive attitude. Those who value taking on challenges and want to deepen their knowledge through trial and error will fit in well. The second is to have a broad perspective. While PayPay is one of the leading apps in Japan, there are many superior apps in terms of user experience and functionality when we look globally. Since we have engineers coming from different countries, it is important to proactively acquire the latest information from overseas markets and integrate it into PayPay.

Lastly, it’s to have a flexible mindset. User first is important, but there is no definitive answer. That’s why making decisions on “what to do / what not to do” is crucial. While believing in your own decisions, it’s important to also listen to stakeholders and seek the best solution. I would like to work with those who possesses both flexibility and strong conviction and can proactively help shape the future of PayPay.

*Job openings and employee affiliations are current as of the time of the interview.