Get to know… Our Lead Product Manager – Maria Janjua

What first drew you to working in technology, and specifically products?

I didn’t set out for a career in tech. I studied theatre and wanted to be a writer. However, the jump to product wasn’t as strange as it sounds. 

Both are about people: what moves them, what resonates and what makes something matter. That instinct has stayed with me throughout my career.

My early roles taught me the same thing from different angles, from selling records at HMV to rebuilding supply chains at Superdry: meeting people where they are and making something work better for them.

Product gave me a discipline for that, sitting right where people, business, and technology meet. Curiosity has been the constant thread  – it’s what stops you building the obvious thing and gets you to the problem worth solving beneath the surface.

What drew you to working for Waracle?

The variety was a big part of it. 

I’ve always liked stepping into something I don’t know, getting under the skin of a new problem and working out where I can make a difference, and Waracle gives me plenty of that.

But what really drew me in was the way Waracle works with clients. It’s not just about delivering a piece of technology and walking away; it’s about working alongside people, sharing knowledge and leaving them stronger than when you started. That way of working really resonated with me, and the culture here made it feel like somewhere I wanted to be.

What Waracle project are you most excited about right now?

Genuinely, there’s so much! I’m particularly drawn to our public sector work; I was on NHS previously and I’m now on CalMac, and building services that people really depend on keeps me energised.

I’m equally excited by the work I’m doing inside Waracle. I designed our company-wide Mentoring Programme and now steward it, help grow the Women of Waracle community, and get to influence how our Product community of practice develops. That work is really important to me, it’s about creating the kind of environment where people can learn from each other, find their people and do their best work.

How do you balance strategy with delivery when a project hits a roadblock?

I’m comfortable sitting between the two – setting direction, but staying close enough to the work to make sure the vision actually happens.

When something hits a roadblock, my instinct isn’t to push harder, it’s to pause and reframe. Usually the block is a signal we’ve lost clarity somewhere, so I bring the team back to the outcome we care about, make sure we’re aligned, and then work through the options together. The most resilient teams I’ve been part of weren’t full of the toughest people –  they trusted each other enough to say when something wasn’t working.

What’s your go to song or podcast for a high-stake day of work?

The Women of Waracle Spotify playlist, every time! We built it collaboratively across the community while designing our mission and objectives, so it’s got a bit of everyone in it. 

On a high-stakes day, I find it both empowering and grounding. It takes me out of my own head and back to the community around me.

Where do you turn for inspiration when you need a creative reset?

Getting outside. A walk on Hampstead Heath does the job most days; when I want a bigger reset I head for the hills – I climbed Snowdon in July. But the ultimate reset is my bi-annual surf trips to North Devon with my closest friends. Twice a year, we get in the water, switch off and come back with a bit more perspective. There’s something about being by the sea that helps me step back and see things differently

What advice would you give to someone just starting out in the industry?

Stay curious – it’s the thing that’s carried me further than any single skill. 

Every career path is different, and mine certainly didn’t follow one track, so don’t let other people’s expectations define what’s possible for you.

Lead with empathy, and find yourself a good mentor. The best development doesn’t happen in a framework; it happens in conversation with someone willing to sit in the complexity alongside you.

And think early about the kind of ancestor you want to be. One idea from the All Blacks, explored in James Kerr’s Legacy, is leaving the jersey in a better place than you found it. That’s something I try to bring to every team I’m part of.