Felix & Michel, Product Management Camper
Felix and Michel both work in product management at CHECK24 Camper in Augsburg - a comparison product that emerged from the CHECK24 Rental Car comparison in 2023. In the interview, they give many exciting insights into their day-to-day work and about themselves.
Hello Felix & Michel, please introduce yourself.
Felix:
Hi, I'm Felix, Product Manager at CHECK24 Camper in Augsburg. After a trip in Europe with my own motorhome, I joined CHECK24 Camper in 2022 and was able to accompany the relatively new comparison product to go live in summer 2023. I was able to try out the most diverse areas of product management and gradually developed from my core activity in partner management into the area of payment solutions.
Michel:
Servus! I'm Michel and I've been a Product Manager at CHECK24 Camper in Augsburg for 1 ½ years. After working mainly in the industrial sector during my master's degree, I wanted to get to know something new after my studies and ended up at CHECK24 600 km south of home. Right from the start, I was mainly responsible for the area Postbooking, but over time partner management also became one of my core activities.
Describe your day-to-day work at CHECK24 in three words!
Felix:
Varied, solution-oriented, cooperative
Michel:
Versatile, fast-paced, instructive
What characterizes your work in the product management team at CHECK24 Camper?
Felix:
Product management at CHECK24 Camper is characterized above all by its high level of innovation, close cooperation and rapid implementation. We are extremely customer-oriented and drive the further development of our product as well as the change in the campervan rental market with a clear focus on customer satisfaction and user-friendliness. Everyone in our team can contribute their expertise and ideas, which leads to creative solutions and a cooperative working atmosphere.
Michel:
For me, working as a product manager at CHECK24 involves fast-paced and challenging work, which gives you the opportunity to support and develop your own ideas through to implementation. At CHECK24 Camper, we also have the advantage of a small team. As a product manager, you don't just cover one area but have the opportunity to have an impact at every point in the product.
What meeting formats do you have in your team to ensure successful product releases?
Felix & Michel:
For us, the goal of successful product releases does not lie in a meeting, but in continuous coordination, which we ensure through classic stand-ups and priority rounds. For us, it has proven successful to always bring IT on board directly as a sparring partner. The more direct the coordination here is, the faster and more reliably we can bring a new feature live.
The best thing about CHECK24?
We immediately see the impact of our work and everyone has the drive to keep improving the product - that's definitely motivating!
Felix & Michel, Product Management Camper
What was your team's last successful product launch?
Felix & Michel:
We have both recently integrated providers onto our platform in the partner management and payment areas. To enable our customers to pay even more flexibly, we launched the “bank transfer” and “payment invoice” options as new features in February.
Another topic that we have already implemented and would like to expand further over the course of the year is “customer feedback”. In our opinion, there is hardly any better support for customers than the knowledge of other customers.
In addition, we have made it possible for customers to customize their offers by adding bundled extra services at the best price point.
What skills are needed to be successful in product management at CHECK24 Camper?
Felix:
As a product manager at CHECK24 Camper, I experience an exciting mix of strategy, data analysis and hands-on implementation every day. To be successful here, you shouldn't be afraid of new topics, have a pragmatic way of working and be motivated to implement features and projects quickly.
Michel:
Probably the most important skill is the ability to put yourself in the customer's shoes. Our product is good if it is good for the customer - it's not for nothing that this is one of our guiding principles. You should also have analytical skills and an affinity for IT. It's not about developing the code yourself, but understanding what IT does. Also essential: having fun learning new things and always wanting to develop further to make the customer experience even better - this only works if you are always keen to try out ideas that no one has ever implemented before.
How would your colleagues describe you?
Felix:
Without having asked them, I would say that they perceive me as a team player and responsible colleague. I enjoy organizing and structuring - whether it's roadmaps, project plans or feature implementations - I like to keep an overview and ensure that projects are carried out properly.
Michel:
I can only make assumptions at this point but I hope that my colleagues describe me as very empathetic, helpful and willing to get things done. If they also say that I'm always up for a joke and enjoy making one or two, I would be very happy with that.
And finally, tell us what your ideal weekend looks like.
Felix:
In short, an ideal weekend for me consists of a good mix of relaxation, exercise in the fresh air and fun experiences with friends.
Michel:
As my colleagues know, I'm not averse to spending the weekend watching every soccer match imaginable. And if Formula 1 is on that’s even better. Also, I like to go cycling or skiing in the mountains at the weekend, and the gym is also a must.