Criya || YC W22

We are on a mission to empower millions of professionals offer their expertise and build their professional brand 💪

Founder & CEO

Forbes

Forbes Contributor

PayPal

- Leading global teams of product managers, engineers & UX to build Future State of PayPal's Personalized, Predictive & Guided Agent Experiences powered by AI & machine learning 
- Evolving the Multi-tenancy strategy to consolidate PayPal Inc. companies (Xoom, Venmo, Braintree etc) under a common Customer Support CRM platform
- Spearheading revenue generation initiatives for PayPal's SMB segment with Value-based Servicing 
- Leading India & China Geo-Enablement strategy 
- Pioneering a culture of Product Excellence across Customer Success (2019-20) and now across PayPal (2020-21) as a Product Transformation Change Ambassador through Customer Discovery & Human Centered Design, Usability Studies, Data Driven Decisions & Agile bootcamps
- Hiring & Coaching Product Managers across the wider organization

Day to Day responsibilities:
- Leading cross functional teams of PMs, engineers, UX, Operations, Change Management & Launch management to deliver intuitive human centric experiences to our 12000 agents, servicing 350M customers & 33M merchants across the world
- Own Product strategy,  Build vs Buy assessments, Executive presentations, Roadmap planning & Execution, operational readiness partnership & Launch management
- Hiring & Coaching  product managers & designers across APAC, NA and EMEA, setting up Development plans w/ regular cadences to ensure Team member success

Building Product Culture: 
- Human Centered Design Playbook on conducting User research, Journey Mapping, running Usability Studies 
- Driving a culture of Product Excellence across the organization, coaching ~40+ PMs to practice Customer Discovery, Design Thinking, Agile methods, practicing making Data Driven decisions
- Change Ambassador for PayPal's Product & Technology transformation initiative

Head of Product, Unified Engagement Platform

Chief Product Owner, Enterprise Services Platforms 
- Pioneered product strategy & evolution of the Enterprise Decision Management Platform providing AI & ML based Personalized Experiences & NextGen Marketing recommendations to PayPal's SMB and Mid market Merchants 
- Led adoption of next-gen Risk / Fraud Detection Platform leading 17 engineering teams serving PayPal's 250M user base, with ~500M in annual savings

Senior Product Manager

Various Product events

Deb is a strong Advocate for Women in Entrepreneurship, Tech & Leadership and is a Featured Speaker at several events
- Keynote speaker at Women in Product conference
- Soho House NY on Women in Entrepreneurship
- Keynote speaker at White Label expo (largest small business conf), Las Vegas 2021
- Product leadership program - May 2021
- Run the world - virtual speaking engagement - 2020
- Speaker ProductCon - 2019
- Speaker Product Event 2019
- Keynote speaker at UC Berkeley
- Keynote speaker at Santa Clara business school
- SAGE - young entrepreneurs event judge at UC Berkeley
- HPE women in leadership panelist
- Product School speaker (multiple events)
- TV interview at RegalixTV
- Expat Women Speaker (multiple events)
- Launched the Women in tech platform at Hitachi Data Systems Bay Area chapter

Public Speaker

Hitachi Data Systems

Led Global Product Management for Hitachi's IoT Smart City Software portfolio focused on integrating video, sensors and analytics for public safety customers.

- Led a team of 25 engineers and PMs (in Italy, USA & India) to launch Hitachi's first Video Analytics based IoT Smart City SaaS platform (HVS - Hitachi Visualization Suite) 
- Launched Digital Evidence Management (DEM) application in FY17  
- Delivered crisp PRDs & Story Boarded entire user experience for HVS & DEM, guided API design to enable 3rd party integrations enabling partners to write apps over HVS, reducing Engineering team's load by 75%
- Guided pricing, branding, collateral creation & PR briefing for Smart City Marketing launch
- Delivered Sales Enablement training to 10+ global Channel Partners, 150+ Sales & Pre-sales execs driving opportunities with HDS's top Public Safety accounts
- Evangelized product vision & demos to customers at ISC West (30,000+ attendees), IoT World (11,000+ attendees), Analysts, Press as well as internally to Hitachi C-suite and executives
- Created Product Management Process Playbook based on Lean Innovation model for the my group

Head of Product

- Led geo-distributed engineering teams (based in Italy) to deliver IoT platform (Paas - platform as a service) for the public safety and smart city market and strategic customer initiatives
- Responsible for driving product roadmap, agile release planning, POC and customer support, production upgrades
- Regular demos to customers, conferences and trade shows as well as evangelize product during internal Hitachi town halls 
- Actively involved in hiring, mentoring  employees and building successful teams  promoting a culture of creativity and support

Women in Technology
=================
- Pioneering the Women in Engineering initiative to advocate for opportunities and empowerment of women in the technology community.
- Part of the core team to conceptualize, formalize and launch the WIT group at HDS. Responsible for operations, communication & promotions, recruitment, networking events.

Cisco

Senior Software Engineer
=========================
Mobile Optimization 
- Lead development of Mobile optimization client to deliver a performance accelerating transport layer solution for VPN customers on Windows & Mac OSx from conceptualization, implementation to field trials.
- Played product owner role and collaborated with global cross functional teams, identifying deliverables, timelines and roadmap.
- Created Software Design & Functional specs and lead reviews with cross functional development, test, marketing leads for funding the Execution Commit.
- Developed key features of the client multithreaded gateway - connect, policy, config, load balancing, debugging and statistics modules on client and headend.

IWAN APIC EM Controller (SDN) 
- Working on provisioning the APIC EM, Performance Routing (PfR) and Rest APIs for single and group of policies using RabbitMQ
- TestNG, Tigerstripe XMP models, Java Spring, JSON, Rest API, Grapevine

Leadership board of Women in Science and Engineering
========================
- Creative marketing through Monthly Newsletters
- Professional Development events - Women in Technology series

Senior Software Engineer

- Leading vendor expo and sponsorship for Cisco’s annual cyber-security conference “SecCon”. 
- Responsible for creating partnerships with 10 industry leading cyber security companies to showcase innovative solutions and promote Cisco Secure Development Lifecycle (CSDL) company wide.
- Solely responsible for presenting vendor package, securing sponsorship, tracking milestones, and maintaining continuous communication with vendor till event completion. 
- Achieved quickest and highest turnaround by securing 8 vendors

Partnership Director SecCon 2014

Nokia

	Developed key features on 3G and LTE mobile gateways for Verizon through 2 release cycles such as Session Bounce, Reattach logic, Caching for retransmissions, Inter-rat Handover from 3g-4g on GGSN and PGW, High Availability audit on SGW.
	Developed call trace infrastructure to enable field testers to troubleshoot field issues and significantly improve gateways’ debuggability .
	Developed instrumentation to track Memory usage during Scale and Endurance scenarios

Software Development Engineer

Microsoft

	Designed a completely automated and extensible UI framework with the Test Architect for testing EF on SQL Server with ASP .Net, Winforms, WPF, Azure & Silverlight to create technology agnostic UI test scenarios. Widely appreciated and adopted by EF team for the uniqueness and extensible design..
	Direct Responsible Individual for Dev10 Exit Criteria Test Pass, collaborating with management to identify weekly goals and driving team to meet quality gates with SCRUM agile methodology.
	Delivered detailed end to end test plan and test suite for EF Data Binding and Self Tracking Entities.

Software Engineer

Developed a business intelligence based Project Management application used by Program managers to monitor product status with Key Performance Indicators. 
Learnt on the job - C#, APIs for Sharepoint, ASP .Net, XML, SQL Server Integration, Analysis and Reporting Services

Software Engineer Intern

Oracle

Worked with the Diagnostic & Defect Resolution team in Server Technology on customer critical patches. Developed a perl tool for automated installation and testing of patches on UNIX platforms.

Member of Technical Staff

Deb is the CEO & founder of Criya, determined to help professionals turn their professional expertise into their personal brand. Deb is a Product leader (Ex-PayPal, Microsoft) with 12+ years of experience, holds a MS in Computer Science from Carnegie Mellon.  

Prior to Criya, Deb was Head of Product management at PayPal (4+ years) leading a global teams of product managers responsible for PayPal’s AI powered Customer Success experiences. Prior to joining PayPal, Deb was Head of Product at Hitachi’s smart city IoT group.

Deb writes for Forbes business council and has been featured on New York Times, TechCrunch. 
IG: 150K followers, partnered with 300+ brands. Visit @debduttaofficial 

Deb is a strong Advocate for Women in Tech & Leadership and is a Keynote Speaker at several national & international product conferences. Deb was awarded the EB-1 (A) Green Card by the US Govt for her contributions in the Product Management space in the industry.

Meet the newest cohort of industry experts and leaders via Criya (YC W22)'s EXPERT CIRCLE!

In this time of uncertainty and recession, establishing ourselves outside of an employer's reputation is more important than ever. Criya's Expert Circle is a community of disruptive tech leaders changing how we define our careers, experiences, and skills-

Product leaders from Google, Meta, Canva, LinkedIn, and more have come together to share their expertise through playbooks, classes, and 1-1 mentoring sessions. We've started a movement for Tech Leaders to elevate their careers into their personal brand.

Want to get involved? Send me a DM or apply through Criya's website!

MEET THE COHORT - Links in Comments!
Hala Saleh - VP of Product at GigaStar
Neetu Jain - Executive Director at JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Colin McDonnell - Head of Marketplace Exp at Michaels Stores
Disha Ahuja - Director of Data Science & Engineering at Cisco
Priti Jagger - Sr Product Manager at Lumistry
Gayatri Moray - Sr Director of Product at eBay
Akash Mukherjee - Product Lead at WeWork
Afrina M - Product Manager at Google
Purti Anjaria - Sr Engineer at Infinera
Colton Kaplan - Next Gen Area Manager at Walmart
Ramakanth Kanumuri - Sr Product Manager at Dell Technologies

#linkedin #community #careers #productmanagement #careerdevelopment #leaders #mentoring #tech  #sde #womeninstem #womenintech #engineeringjobs 


Deboshree Dutta

Founder & CEO, Criya (YC W22). Ex-PayPal, Microsoft. 150K Instagram. Forbes writer. Keynote speaker. Startup advisor

Hey product managers! Need some insight from an experienced PM on tackling product strategy, navigating recruitment, or improving team dynamics? You're in luck! Meet one of Criya (YC W22)'s newest experts - Hala Saleh Saleh, VP of Product at GigaStar! 

Check out Hala's Criya site (Link in comments) to schedule a complimentary 1:1, build a long-term coaching arrangement, or just get a new perspective! 

Hala's expertise include: 

Product Management Coaching: Discuss specific pain points and challenges regarding product management, develop your approach to product strategy, and more. 

Career Transitions: Whether you're transitioning in or out of Product Management, changing careers, or just figuring out your professional goals, Hala can help you navigate the journey. 

Interview Prep & Resume Reviews: Learn tips & tricks for acing PM interviews and gain invaluable feedback on your resume from an established PM.

Women in Tech: As a mother, partner, and pioneer for women in tech, Hala is here to support you, share her perspective, and help your career thrive!

Team Dynamics: All teams have their challenges (oof), and it can be draining to balance expectations. As a VP and senior PM, Hala has learned from experience how to create better team outcomes through communication.

Agile and Agile Teams: As a former agile coach, Hala can help tackle Agile-related challenges and how Agile processes can improve team dynamics. 

#womenintech #womeninproduct #productmanagement #careerdevelopment #agile #leaders #mentoring #recruitment 

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Meet the Expert: Shubhansha Agrawal

Shubhansha is a product leader with 12+ years of experience, a speaker, and a coach. As the Head of Product Management at Yelp, she's leading a global team of product managers responsible for Yelp's flagship product.

Her mission is to empower women to grow their product careers with confidence and effective tools under their belt. She's a strong Advocate for Women in Product & Leadership; she's spoken at several national & international product conferences. As a Criya Expert and an active member of multiple women-leadership organizations where she guides and mentors young executives.

Tune in to learn more about Shubhansha's career portfolio, her experience as a Woman in Product, and more! 

Shubhansha Agrawal, Bharath Nagaraj and 11 other attendees

What does Criya do?
Your professional journey is more than just a day job- it culminates your experiences, identity, worldview, and passions. You're not just a PM, an engineer, a marketer... You're also a mentor, a creative, a volunteer, and a thought leader.

Criya's all-in-one system empowers you to maximize your potential, create new opportunities for yourself, and redefine your narrative. 

Who is Criya For? 
Our vision is to build a supportive community of industry leaders, driven professionals, and multi-faceted individuals. 

Whether you're an industry leader who wants to give back to the community through mentoring and coaching but has limited bandwidth to handle the logistics, or a young, ambitious professional who wants to build their personal brand, establish themselves, and earn extra income- you’re in the right place.  

Apply now- Link in Comments! 

#job #community #opportunities #coaching #engineer #productmanagement #womeninproduct #mentoring #playbook 


Happy Friday, LinkedIn!

Today we chatted with Sabah Qazi (Senior Product Manager at Yelp, Criya (YC W22) Expert, and Product Buds Mentor) about how her immigrant journey and cultural identity have encouraged her to break unspoken barriers for South Asian minority women in tech, her approach to mentorship, dealing with imposter syndrome, and more. 

Schedule a 1:1 with Sabah to discuss immigration, being a woman in tech, discuss recruitment, and more through her Criya site- Link in Comments!

#ProductManagement #Careers #WomenInTech #Leadership #Immigration #impostersyndrome #WomeninProduct #mentorship 

For many of us, our professional journeys are more than just a day job- they're a culmination of our experiences, identity, worldview, and passions. H

Open article: Empowering Communities & Connecting on Criya by Deboshree Dutta

Deboshree Dutta on LinkedIn • 2 min read

Empowering Communities & Connecting on Criya

Meet the Expert: Sabah Qazi

Sabah’s on a mission to break unspoken barriers for South Asian women, immigrants, and minorities by sharing her experiences and learnings. Sabah is an experienced product manager with 7+ years of experience across multiple industries. As a Senior PM at Yelp, Mentor at Product Buds, and an immigrant, she guides international students, early career grads, and aspiring PMs on navigating their professional journey across borders.

Tune in as we discuss her journey as a minority woman in product, her immigration experience, and more!

Hannah Tan, Bharath Nagaraj and 4 other attendees

Happy Monday LinkedIn!

Last week I chatted with Shubhansha Agrawal (Head of Product at Yelp, Criya (YC W22) Expert, Woman in Product mentor, and artist) about the full potential of career portfolios, what it means to find success as an empowered woman in tech, and most importantly, how being an artist has influenced her approach to product strategy. 

I wanted to share insights from our conversation because I found it incredibly relevant as many of us try to navigate how to stand out in a competitive recruiting environment. 

The importance of hobbies and personal passions is often downplayed, but they can help you hone valuable skills that easily bolster your professional profile and help differentiate what you bring to the table. 

Book a free resume review, sign up for an exclusive product workshop, or schedule a 1:1 with Shubhansha through her Criya site- Link in Comments!

#career #opportunities #careers #tech #productmanagement #womeninproduct #creativityandinnovation #recruitmentadvice #resume 

The importance of hobbies and personal passions is often downplayed, but they can help you hone valuable skills that easily bolster your professional 

Open article: How Creative Outlets Make You A Better Job Candidate by Deboshree Dutta

How Creative Outlets Make You A Better Job Candidate

Hey LinkedIn, I'm so excited to announce this week's Meet the Expert guest, Sabah Qazi - Sr. Product Manager at Yelp, Criya (YC W22) Expert, and Product Buds Mentor) 

Join us live TOMORROW at 1 PM PST to chat about how Sabah's immigrant identity has impacted her professional journey and her mission to break unspoken barriers for South Asian minority women in product. 

❓This is an interactive conversation, so please add your questions in the comments below or drop them in the chat during the event!

#ProductManagement #Careers #WomenInTech #Leadership #immigration 

Hey LinkedIn, I'm so excited to announce this week's Meet the Expert guest, Shubhansha Agrawal - Head of Product at Yelp, Criya (YC W22) Expert, Woman in Product mentor, and artist. 

Join us live TOMORROW at 1 PM PST to chat about the full potential of career portfolios, how creativity impacts product strategy, and what it means to find success as an empowered woman in tech.

❓This is an interactive conversation, so please add your questions in the comments below or drop them in the chat during the event!

#ProductManagement #Careers #WomenInTech #Leadership

Meet the Expert: Hitashi Dhawan

Hitashi, a Product Manager at Meta, is passionate about supporting aspiring PMs by providing in-depth interview prep, skill evaluations, negotiation training, and more.

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