A degree in art history and years of experience working in the nonprofit sector may not be the most obvious background for a thriving career in technology. But for GameChanger’s Senior Product Manager Jamie Sawyer, her nontraditional background is a creative superpower.
Perhaps the most exciting thing about an atypical path into technology — compared to a degree in computer or data science, for example — is the value of a diverse perspective. A product team is only able to build new tools from their shared perspective, therefore a team with a more diverse set of skills and experience is likely to get to the best, most creative solution faster.
As a product manager, Sawyer underlines the importance of flexibility when it comes to delivering a product that solves a real problem for users. Each new tool — like GameChanger’s AI-powered basketball streaming and video software that makes critical gameplay review more digestible — is the result of careful, but decisive prioritization and iteration. Sawyer’s less-traditional journey into tech armed her with the drive and versatility to make smart decisions in bringing new and impactful products to end users.
Built In NYC sat down with Sawyer to discuss her background, including her journey into product management — and the advice she has for those looking to break into a similar career.
GameChanger supports youth sports teams with video streaming, scorekeeping and team communication tools.
Can you describe your journey into product management? What motivated you to pursue this career, and what key experiences helped you transition into the role?
I did not have a direct path into product management — most product managers don’t, which makes for a stronger product organization.
As an art history major in college, I worked in the nonprofit sector for seven years after graduation. Over time, I developed a passion for data analysis at work while also growing increasingly frustrated with the lack of data and technology available in the nonprofit sector.
This led me to consider a career in tech. I needed to level up my technical skills, so I enrolled in a pay-as-you-go boot camp, Dataquest, where I learned SQL. I also joined a local meetup group, Women Who Code. Through that group, I created a shortlist of smaller tech companies that interested me.
An associate product manager position opened up at Upside Business Travel, one of the companies on my shortlist. I interviewed and landed the role, and I’ve been a PM ever since.
When I look back, the experiences that were the most impactful were joining Women Who Code, showcasing SQL and Python on my resume and the well-rounded nature of my liberal arts education and work experience.
Tell about a product you managed from conception to launch at GameChanger. What were the key challenges you faced, and how did you overcome them?
Picture this: you’re a Little League coach, scrambling before the game to get the kids ready. You approach home plate to exchange lineups with the opposing coach. However, the other coach doesn’t have a printout of their lineup, so you’ll have to input opposing players as they come up to bat. This causes you to fall behind in your scorekeeping, leading to inaccurate stats.
During a recent hackathon, two teammates came up with a hack to solve the pregame stress coaches face when sharing lineups. Their work sparked inspiration to address this pain point, and I prioritized the opportunity in our immediate roadmap.
While scoping this feature beyond a hack, we navigated both technical and real-world complexities. Part of being a product manager is finding a compromise to ensure we deliver value to our users as quickly as possible. It’s critical to ship something small, learn from it and either iterate on the solution or move on.
In March 2024, we launched a QR-code-sharing experience. The feature has been used in 1 million games and has saved coaches 2 million minutes. For now, we’ve decided to sunset active development of the feature, but we are excited to see where it goes in the future.
What advice would you give to someone looking to follow in your footsteps and become a product manager?
The best product managers I’ve worked with exhibit these mantras: be curious, be humble and be flexible.
If you innately possess these qualities, you’re well on your way to having what it takes to be a product manager. Additionally, any work or personal experience that highlights your critical thinking skills, ability to collaborate with different types of people and comfort with ambiguity will set you up for success in product management.
“Your critical thinking skills, ability to collaborate with different types of people and comfort with ambiguity will set you up for success in product management.”
Beyond that, I suggest talking to friends in tech about their day-to-day work. Explore online resources or books written by product leaders — I recommend Inspired by Marty Cagan. Start paying closer attention to your favorite products or apps. Why do you like them so much? What problems are they solving — or could they solve? How is the business generating revenue?
If, after that, product management still feels like the right fit, look for associate product manager positions at companies whose products you admire. Develop your own story and find your “in.”
You got this!
