Product Owner at maxcluster

Discover more about Julia's multifaceted personality, her passions, and her role as a Product Owner at maxcluster in this interview.

Who are you and what defines you?

My name is Julia Müseler, I'm 27 years old, and I'm a Product Owner at maxcluster. Originally from Paderborn, I've moved around the city and its surroundings five times in recent years, but a few months ago, my partner and I bought a house and have (probably 😉) settled down. I studied Economics, majoring in both Economics and Business Administration for my Bachelor's degree, and then pursued a Master's in Business Administration.

In my free time, I love spending time with my dogs, two chocolate Labradors. Since I enjoy being outdoors, it's a great way to combine my love for animals with outdoor activities. Before having my own dogs, I volunteered as a dog walker at the Paderborn animal shelter, and my female dog also comes from a shelter in Kazakhstan.

When I'm not out walking with the dogs, I enjoy cycling or going for a jog. The latter isn't for performance but rather to clear my mind. That's why you'll often see me taking my rounds during lunch breaks. Speaking of lunch breaks, given my love for animals, it's probably not surprising that I've been a vegetarian for two years and transitioned to a vegan diet this year – although I don't preach about it, as I'd like to emphasize 😀.

Last year, I also started paragliding – despite having a fear of heights. Strangely, this wasn't an issue during my course in the Sauerland region, perhaps because you feel supported from above by the paraglider. In any case, it's fantastic and a lot of fun, and I already have the next course in South Tyrol firmly scheduled in my calendar.

How did you come to work for maxcluster?

After graduating, I briefly worked at a consulting firm but realized that consulting wasn't really for me. After that, I worked as a project manager for e-commerce at a retail company, where I had my first encounters with shop systems. Maxcluster came up in conversations from time to time, and when I was looking for a new challenge, I noticed a position as a product manager on their website and decided to apply. My skills didn't quite match the job profile, but our HR manager, Julia, presented me with the opportunity to become a Product Owner in a phone call. I found the opportunity to act as a bridge between customers and development, driving a product forward, incredibly exciting, so after another conversation with Patrick (A.d.R. Head of Technology), I accepted.

What makes your work special?

As I mentioned, I have a bridging function. Not only within the company but also externally. Within maxcluster, I work closely with various departments to capture and coordinate the requirements for our product. And hardly any department is left out: whether it's accounting, sales and service, or marketing – everyone needs different features for their work.

In addition, I naturally also gather customer feedback because their satisfaction when using our Application Center is a priority. The fact that sometimes you have to be very creative in approaching the topics and solutions makes the work interesting and diverse.

In my opinion, what's particularly special is the amount of freedom I have in self-organizing my tasks and projects and the level of responsibility in shaping the product.

What has been the most exciting project so far?

Last year, we migrated our Managed Center to new software, Vue.js, and as part of this project, we attempted to review all processes from the customer's perspective. For this, we captured the requirements from various customers to get a clear picture of their respective workflows. Project managers, developers, CEOs, shop operators – everyone works differently in the Managed Center, and we wanted to cover as many requests as possible with the new development.

Consolidating the requirements, translating them into a user-friendly graphical representation, and then developing them were challenging in coordination but also truly exciting. It was a really dynamic project because we had to set up many processes anew since we hadn't worked with external stakeholders in this way before.

And even though the project is now completed, the development process is of course not over: gathering feedback in interviews or in writing, integrating it, further developing the product, and meeting or exceeding our customers' expectations of our product remain the focus of my work.

What does your perfect workday look like?

I usually start very early, as I still have a lot of peace and can concentrate particularly well. Before I leave in the afternoon, I usually prepare my Kanban board for the next day and take a look at the upcoming tasks and familiarize myself with the topics. I usually do this while eating the sandwich that was kindly prepared for me in our restaurant.

At 10:00 a.m., we then have the Daily Scrum with the development team, so we're all up to date. Occasionally, a few new things come up, or a few more appointments follow, but usually not too many, and I can work on my tasks undisturbed. If I need more peace and quiet for that, because I need to concentrate, I also occasionally move to our flex office because our open-plan office can naturally get quite noisy.

At lunchtime, I like to take a walk around the premises or eat in the restaurant.

Afterwards, I continue working, and if I've accomplished more than has been added and have managed to clarify things before going home, it's been a perfect workday.

How does it feel to be part of the maxcluster team?

I really like it. For me, the culture of a company always comes first: communication on an equal footing and appreciation are important to me, and I have sometimes missed that in the past. There is a relaxed and trusting atmosphere here, and everyone is very open in their interactions with each other. I know that I always have someone to talk to about problems, and I always find a sympathetic ear even with more difficult topics.

But it's not just problems that are listened to, but also questions that are answered. My colleagues from development, but of course also those from other departments, patiently answer my questions and are always helpful. As a result, I learn a tremendous amount and can always take away something new.

How satisfied are you with the technology and equipment?

In our department, I'm certainly an outlier when it comes to my computer because I have a Windows computer and am surrounded by Linux users 🙂. But needing such a computer was never a problem, just like getting a second docking station for home office, a flat keyboard, or the ergonomic mouse I chose. And getting a new headset when my old one gave up was also completely unproblematic.

Although I rarely use it to its full extent, I also enjoy the height-adjustable desk I have in the office. This way, with the ergonomic desk chair, I can adjust everything to my size.

A real luxury is, of course, the top-notch catering, which even caters to my wishes. In addition to the sandwich, I could also get the ordered lunch in a vegan version upon request.

What couldn't you do without anymore?

Let's start with the equipment: the height-adjustable desk, the top-notch catering, the sports courses offered, and our terrace, which is frequented especially in the summer.

Above all, I wouldn't want to miss out on the openness and culture of humanity. Everyone addresses each other informally, there are few hierarchies, and I can discuss everything on the "short service path." The work-life balance is also right, and I wouldn't want to miss that, just like my colleagues.

Published on 11.04.2024 | Product Owner Interview | NM