Iryna Melnyk

How did you get into your current job/field?

Technology has always been a captivating part of my life. One of my first toys as a toddler was punchcards -- my mum was a developer. I grew up loving maths, coding, languages, psychology and literature. I was really torn when I had to choose which university specialisation to pick.

A few years into my first tech job, I realised there was a role combining all my interests -- technology, human behaviour, storytelling, critical thinking, and how to run and grow a business. It seemed like magic, and it was called product management. I knew this was for me, and I never looked back.

What's a fun fact about you that people may not know?

I love art. Wherever I travel, you can bet I have a list of galleries to visit. I enjoy painting and throwing pottery by hand from time to time.

What excites you most about working at Octopus?

The Continuous Delivery space is full of opportunities — it just never gets boring, and seeing our business scale and grow due to our teams’ work is so rewarding.

I really like the people I work with every day, our culture of helping each other, integrity, curiosity, and learning.

As a product leader, I especially value the strong product culture. Empowered product teams and product trios aren’t just an aspiration from Marty Cagan’s books – it’s an expectation here at Octopus!

If you could eat one meal for the rest of forever - what would it be?

Salad! I can whip up a salad from just about anything, and I have a special secret salad dressing that makes them taste incredible.

Is there anything else you'd love to share with us!?

Don't wait for permission, or for the world around you to be perfect to do what you love. Just start!