To learn more about the daily lives of our Team8s working in different departments, we created this blog series featuring some special guests. Today, we sat down with Liana Bodiu, 8x8 Analytics Product Manager, who kindly accepted our invitation to give us a sneak peek into a product manager’s world. Liana joined 8x8 in January 2022, and she’s based in Cluj-Napoca, Romania where she looks after the development of 8x8’s Analytics solution from a Product Management standpoint.

8x8: Liana, thanks for accepting our invitation. To start us off, can you tell us a bit about yourself?

Liana Bodiu (LB): Whenever I am asked to tell something personal about myself, the first thing I can think of is poetry. I always find myself reading poems that reflect what I am feeling at that moment—happiness, anger, frustration, or joy. Somehow, I can correlate a poem with my state of mind and then I start feeling better. My colleagues know this about me and there was more than one time where we started our daily stand-ups with a poetry reading. Beside this, I am a countryside girl who likes simple things: good music, potatoes with fried eggs, singing in the office, and traveling as much as possible.

Oh, and another thing about me that everyone on my team seems to know by now is that I was once part of a folkloric group as a dancer, and the music I enjoy the most is Romanian folk.

“What I value most are the people and the human connections.”

8x8: You joined 8x8 in early 2022, so at a time when we, like most other companies, were still working fully remote. Can you tell us a bit about your experience as a new hire?

LB: Indeed. I joined 8x8 during the pandemic, so for a while I did not have the chance to meet my colleagues face-to-face, which was a bit challenging for me. What I value most are the people and the human connections. Just being on the other side of a screen is not my ideal environment. However, my colleagues were supportive and we managed to build a good relationship even via video conferences. Nevertheless, whenever I have the chance to meet them face-to-face I feel better and more connected to them.

8x8: Did you always know that you wanted to pursue a career in product?

LB: This is such an interesting question. I’m an engineer, I've graduated from the Technical University in Cluj-Napoca, Faculty of Electronics and Telecommunications. When I was in my 4th year of study, I decided I wanted to become an Android developer. I even knew what company I wanted to work for. One day, during a seminar class, a colleague asked me, “what will we do after faculty?” I answered, “We'll write code and earn money.” He then said this interesting thing to me: “Well, you're more business-oriented than programming-oriented,” and laughed.

The class started and we ended our conversation there, but his words stayed with me. Later, I found a Product Owner internship and decided to try it out. Back then I didn’t even know what a PO does, but I wanted to learn. A few days into my internship, I realized I was indeed a Product person, more than an engineer. Now, I can't help but smile and be happy about it.

8x8: How would you explain Product Management to someone who has no understanding about technology, let alone about software product development?

LB: Well, I’m going to tell you what I told my mom when she asked me to explain to her what I did for a living. I told her to think of me as the lady who sells sandwiches at the corner shop. Then I went on and explained: I am that lady who asks the customer what they want in their sandwich, then passes this information to the person who actually makes the sandwich, and then delivers that sandwich to the customer, ensuring it meets their expectations. Simple as that!

8x8: What do you like about working at 8x8?

LB: I like the industry and the people. Nowadays, everyone around the world needs to be able to easily communicate and connect, and 8x8’s technology solution addresses these needs. We work in a friendly environment where everyone is willing to learn and develop new skills, to help each other, and have a coffee together from time to time. I found a lot of people I can learn from in different areas, I can continuously improve my industry knowledge and my product skills.

Other things I like are the challenges and project dynamics. Sometimes I face the need of switching the context to bring my contribution to another initiative and this keeps me out of my comfort zone. It’s an opportunity to grow and to learn. My mentor once said, “Wake up every morning and think about what you’ve learnt from the previous day and write it down.” [Laughs] I have a big list now.

“Venture outside of your comfort zone and own your career growth!”

8x8: What are your thoughts on hybrid work?

LB: Hybrid work makes me more efficient. I am definitely a person who loves being in the office and working closely with the team, but I also enjoy the comfort of my home and focus time. There are days when I need to be more focused, or I have more meetings to attend, so in those days I choose to stay at home and do my magic. Other times, when I either want to socialize and see my colleagues or I find that it would be more productive and ease the decision-making process to meet in-person and brainstorm, then I choose to work from the office.

8x8: What methods or tools do you use to structure your day and stay organized?

LB: I am a simple girl—I use my agenda and write things down. There were times when I used online tools like Trello and Reminders, but then I quit and continued using my notebook.

8x8: What’s your morning routine for a good day?

LB: Coffee! The very first thing I do is drink my espresso. Then life can start. Most of the time I skip my breakfast, but never my coffee. What I try not to skip is my morning exercise routine. I go to the gym for at least 40 minutes before reading my emails.

8x8: Working from home has its blessings but can also challenge one’s work-life balance. How do you unwind and recharge after work?

LB: Hmm, I don't really have a routine for this. It depends, but most times I just go out with my friends, read a book, or watch a movie. Nothing fancy.

8x8: What’s something surprising that not many people know about you?

LB: So, I already told you that I love reading poetry and that I look for poems that correlate with my state of mind. But there are times when I can't find a good poem, so then I start writing it. I don't show my poems to anyone, but I have them—somewhere well hidden.

8x8: What advice would you give to someone interested in working at 8x8?

LB: Venture outside of your comfort zone and own your career growth!

8x8 is made up of a diverse bunch of more than 2,000 highly driven Team8s determined to shape how businesses communicate and work in today's rapidly changing world.

To learn more, check us out on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

Interested in becoming a Team8? See all available opportunities and apply on our career page.

Read more in 8x8’s A Day in the Life series: