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AsKinQuestions to Juan Ospina, Product Consultant

AsKinQuestions Background

Our name is intentional. “Kin” refers to family and “Carta” refers to maps. When together, we’re Kin + Carta — a group of connected makers, builders and creators, who come together everyday to help our clients build experiences and plot a clear path forward in today’s digital world. Carta is what we do, Kin is who we are.

AsKin Questions is a series that brings the day-to-day experiences of working at Kin + Carta to light, all through the eyes of our Kin. And today, our guest is Juan Ospina, Product Consultant, who shared his experience visiting the brand new office in Buenos Aires and walked us through the dynamics of the Product Practice team, whom he had the chance to meet there.

AsKinQuestions Background

Can you share a fun fact about yourself?

Of course! Something fun about me is that I  speak three different languages. Spanish, of course, is my native language. And, I also speak English and Italian. I actually lived in Italy for a while, which is where that third language comes from.


Tell us about your role at Kin + Carta

I’m a Product Consultant, which has a wide range of functions across the industry. But to sum what it means I always like to say that we're the voice of the end user. With the help of all our teams, we’re responsible for ensuring the value of a solution that ends up fully embedded into a product.


What challenges do you have in your role right now?

I’m working on a project for a very big global client, meaning that we work with people from different locations such as India, Spain, Portugal, the UK and the US. Finding a time to connect with the teams sometimes can be a challenge given the time zones differences. In my role what this means is that I often have to be flexible, and excel at coordination. In hindsight, these skills are so valuable.


Wow! That’s a lot to coordinate. How has your experience been working with different people from different cultures?

That's actually one of the things I like the most about my job. I love to meet people from different parts of the world. Of course, at the end of the day you’re working, but it’s really cool to have the chance to ask questions or to learn fun facts about other countries. It's really nice to have this experience to connect with people from all over the world.


And what about your experience working in a Product role?

One of the things that I’ve found particularly interesting is that there is no absolute truth about any specific topic. There are a lot of points of view, and there are many ways to deal with complex challenges. While as a Product community we likely share some common knowledge and concepts, you can often build each individual product through a variety of means. It's nice to have so many perspectives, as it keeps daily work very engaging and I feel like there’s always more to learn or to consider.


You recently traveled to Buenos Aires to visit our new office and meet your Product Practice team members. What was this experience like?

It was great! I loved finally meeting the people whom I often talk to in remote meetings. They even took me to their favorite places to eat. I was blown away by the food — it was delicious! But beyond the personal connection, I enjoyed the opportunity to participate in the workshops that the Product Practice put together. It was an amazing learning experience that strengthened the connections of the team.


What is it that you most appreciate about your work at Kin + Carta?

One of the things I like most about working here is the fact that we all have a sense of ownership and participation. Everyone is empowered to bring their ideas to the table and discuss them with the team. For example, this morning my team had a workshop about a roadmap with multidimensional challenges. Two of my colleagues were explaining a specific topic which ended up being a team-wide debate. This was a totally open event where we were all participating and giving our points of view about the benefits and the drawbacks. The people I work with strive to create the best results, together.


You are so passionate about your role! But we’re curious, what is it that inspires you?

I practice crossfit and one of the things I like about it is that for you to succeed and achieve great results, you need a lot of discipline and consistency. This is extremely motivating to me. You can see and feel the results that you achieve when you're consistent, and this same experience also applies to the work I do for Kin + Carta.


What piece of advice would you give to someone starting at Kin + Carta?

Be like a sponge. Capture and absorb every piece of knowledge that you can. We have a big team full of professionals with a lot of knowledge and experience. This is a place where you can really grow, and you’ll do so if you’re eager and willing to listen and to learn.

Want to join Juan and work on projects that matter alongside an exceptional group of Kin?

Apply now

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