Water Cooler Conversations - Jasper Sadiang-abay

How are you amidst the Pandemic?

I’m good. I was able to spend more time learning music which I didn’t really have time for before. I've been exploring how music is a language and how I can express myself through it. I think that’s where I spent the bulk of my free time during the ECQ.

I also want to say that we’re one of the lucky ones who aren’t too affected by it that's why I try to help out here and there for the ones who are having it bad.

You're a computer science graduate, right? How'd you end up in the Marketing field?

I was naive. My boss at my first job had a marketing background and I thought that you needed to be in marketing to be a manager. My mindset when I started working was “I need to be the boss so I can earn a lot.” I didn’t really have a mentor or anyone guiding my decisions.

A few things I learned along the way:

1) It’s just a definition but I don't want to be a boss or a manager. I want to be a leader and I try my best to be one.

2) You don’t need to be in a specific field to be a leader. You can be in tech, ops, bizdev, finance, etc., and still be a leader.

3) You don’t need to be a manager to earn a lot. You can be a specialist and earn even more than managers.

What do you love most about Marketing?

Seeing a company grow. For me, it’s the ultimate validation of impact and it really gives a sense of accomplishment. I also love that Marketing is a mix of psychology and data which are two topics that I’m really into.

What are your favorite Marketing Principles?

1) Try new things - ask my team and you’ll know that I say this a lot. Things in the marketing world are constantly changing. Something that has been working for the past 2-3 months might not work in the next. Trends come and go so it’s best to try new things to stay ahead so that when you see the trend and performance start to shift, you have something in your backpocket ready.

2) Understand and ask the why - The very question you should ask yourself before posting or promoting anything. Why should people care about this email? Why should they care about this ad? Why should they tap on this push notification? Why should they read this article? Your answer for those should reflect on your marketing materials. If you don’t have a good answer to the “why”, then there is a good chance that your audience will not care about what you’re promoting.

3) If you can’t track it, you can’t grow it - I believe that every effort should aim to be better than the last one. You can even go as far as saying that that is applicable in life. You want to be a better version of your past self. If you don’t track an effort then you will not know if your new effort was better than the last one.

Those are what come to mind regarding Marketing Principles but I have a lot more.

What's the hardest thing about working in Marketing?

Even though it’s data-driven, there are assumptions you need to make initially. I guess that’s something that you need to be comfortable with.

There’s a lot of uncertainty especially when you’re marketing a new product / feature. Your performance chart isn’t always going to point up. It takes a lot of positivity, optimism, and can-do attitude. You need to understand that there are times that your metrics aren’t growing not because you aren’t working hard but because of external factors like competition, social sentiment, environment like this pandemic, etc., so having perseverance is really important in Marketing.

Would you have any advice for youngsters interested in pursuing a career in Marketing?

Being in marketing puts you in a position to make a big impact in a company so don’t just do the tasks you are given. Ask yourself or your manager what the company’s goals are and put yourself in a position where you can help the most.

What do you love most about managing?

Seeing them grow! I have the best seat, the front row seat, in seeing people learn and reach their potential. For me, that’s the most rewarding thing in management.

What's your favorite Management Principle?

I've read an Applied Psychology book before and it discussed how Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs can be applied to management. It described the 5 stages in that hierarchy and how it applies to keeping employees happy.

Physiological - Employees' salaries should satisfy their physiological / basic needs; otherwise, they will be demotivated or look for other job opportunities.

Security - Even if the pay is good but the job is unstable, employees will always be anxious and will have an exit plan if ever they lose their job. This causes employees to not invest 100% of their efforts in a company.

Relationship - Now that the person is earning and has job security, they will need to develop friends within the company. Now at this point, I want to point out that the previous stages are prerequisites. For example, would someone who can’t buy basic necessities worry about having friends in the office? Of course not. What matters most to them at that stage is earning and taking care of their basic needs but once those basic needs are taken care of, they will look for the next thing that will make them happy. In this case, it’s relationships. Everyone wants to belong.

Recognition - Accomplishments are affirmed if acknowledged by others. These are your Quarterly MVP or Employee of the month awards. If they aren’t recognized, they will feel that they're not good enough even if they work hard. Even as simple as saying good job to someone or that you appreciate their hard work goes a long way.

Self-actualization - Do your employees see that they can achieve their full potential in the company? If not, they will look for it somewhere else. That’s why it’s important for employees to see their growth path in a company. If their path is clear, they will be more motivated to push forward with the company through thick and thin.

What's the hardest thing about being a manager?

Managing tension. People clash and if they’re not able to resolve it, it escalates. What I learned is to solve these things asap before they evolve to a bigger issue. It’s also something I admit I’m not good at but I’m working on to get better at.

Would you have any advice for people new to being a manager?

Have a bottom-up approach. Encourage your team to speak up and value their ideas. It makes things easier as you don’t need to think for everyone.

At the same time, people will be happy because their ideas are heard and they can really see that they are involved in the team’s direction. Basically, it boils down to people seeing their impact and their place in the big picture.

I asked you what kept you going months ago. You said, "I just wanna have fun bro". Does that still hold true today? What are the little things in your day to day life that bring about fun?

Yes! That still holds true today. If I find myself not having fun anymore, then I will figure out how to get back to having fun. May it be work or personal stuff, I will fight for it. I want to have fun at work, at home, or wherever.

One day to day thing that brings about fun for me is helping people. It validates the value that I want to bring to everyone around me.

How do you handle adversity?

I keep in mind that nothing worth having comes easy. It has really gotten me through a lot of tough times.

Pingpong, Basketball, Football, Dota: Why does it seem like you're good at everything that you do?

I’m not good at everything I do. I’m only good at one thing at a time. I have a tendency to become obsessed with a hobby.

For example, when Pingpong became a thing in the office, I really got obsessed with it. I bought good equipment, I did a lot of research, and I spent my weekends in Pingpong clubs, etc. That’s how I got good at it.

Another example is the Futsal game - I wasn’t good at it but I bought equipment, did a lot of research, took Izzy’s (Futsal MVP - Operations Manager @ Booky) advice to heart, and changed my workout to strengthen the muscles I needed for the game. That’s pretty much the same with everything else I get into.

It creates a perception that I’m good at everything I do but honestly, it’s the obsession and dedication I pour into those things that make the difference. It’s not natural talent.