We speak to Mayka, our Product Manager to celebrate International Women’s Day 2021.
Can you tell us a little bit about your role within the company and how it has changed over the years?
I started working as a Digital Marketing Assistant for the Spanish market. Over time I then became very curious about the platform, our users and how everything worked behind the scenes. My job evolved, the same way as our product did and I am now the Product Manager for the new product we are working on.
What type of research do you undertake in order to successfully optimise the platform?
User surveys are very important to know the people you are targeting. Also market research and trends on dating can be very helpful. I always dedicate some time everyday to go through the platform to take a closer look at member behaviours (their interactions, what topics & interests they like to speak about, what’s trending, etc). This helps me understand the needs of our members which is really important when they are the centre of the product.
What trends are you finding when doing user research?
People are becoming more selective and demanding. Not only with technology but also with their own interests and personal development. That’s why I think we are going to see a bigger push on niche communities, where people are able to easily reach others with shared passions, interests and lifestyles.
Are there any exciting new developments or projects that you are working on right now that you can tell us about?
Our main projects are all about promoting and developing the community feeling. We know one of the biggest drives is convenience. Take this as an example: you’re a vegan and you want to look for people that share the same lifestyle. It’s going to be difficult to find that person on a generic dating site. That’s why we want to provide a dedicated online space equipped with tools for members to find exactly what they are looking for. Starting from emails that are tailored to people’s interests to site features (search, match…) where they can seek and connect easily with like minded others.
As a company we are committed to the safety of our members. Can you tell us about any recent product developments that supports this value?
We have lately launched a profile rating system where people can rate others based on the behaviour they see. This profile rating demonstrates the activity of other users and how they respond to interactions and communications within the site. This also highlights and targets specific behaviours that can be harmful to the genuine members, allowing us to take action against these suspicious profiles.
How do you see the online dating space changing as we come out the other end of the pandemic and progress towards fewer restrictions?
I think it’s going to be exciting! People will be able to finally meet in person (which in most cases is the ultimate goal). We will see a shift in behaviours eg. first people joined to feel connected and overcome the lockdown loneliness, now people will join the dating space as the starting point to meet new people.
You have been working from home for nearly a year now, can you give us your top three tips for staying productive?
1.Have a coffee 😀 Or a hot drink if coffee is not your thing.
2.Write a to do list first in the morning (while having that coffee).
3.Make sure that you include a task in that list that you really like love doing.
Every single job has tasks that are harder, more difficult or monotonous, but you need to get them done anyway. I think it is really important to make sure that you find something that you really love doing. One thing compensates the other and that passion will always show in the end. 🙂
Happy International Women’s Day to Mayka and all of the fantastic women within our business!