21 Questions With the Product Team at Tile
Ever wonder who designs Tile trackers? We sat down with Amir Pakzadian, who is the Senior Manager of Product Management on Tile's Product Team. Read on to learn a little bit about Amir's background, and what he thinks about working in the Product world.
Tell us a little about yourself.
My name is Amir and I’ve been with Tile for about two years. I received both my Bachelors and Masters degrees in Information Systems.
How long have you been working in Product?
For over a decade.
Where did you work before this?
I worked at Medium.com before joining Tile.
What’s your experience been at Tile?
Tile is a great company with a great culture! The most rewarding part of being on the Tile team is hearing stories of how Tile has helped improve people’s lives.
What’s your favorite part about your job?
That every day is different and I’m learning new things all the time.
What was the most challenging part of the recent product launch?
Aligning everyone at the company to help in launching the new Tile form factors in mid-October.
Do you prefer mobile or desktop?
Mobile for consuming media, desktop for building stuff.
Where do you think the tracking space is headed in the future?
I think the intersection of Ultra Wide Band (UWB) and Augmented Reality (AR) is the future of the tracking space.
What is the most important service aspect you consider when designing products?
Starting with a problem rather than a solution and always being customer obsessed.
What do you think customers should look for when considering purchasing a product?
Definitely do your research and read reviews before making a purchase.
How many Tiles do you own?
I honestly have no idea. Probably more than 50.
What is your favorite Tile feature?
Find your Phone. It comes handy all the time.
Which is your favorite Tile model and why?
Tile Slim is my favorite Tile. I love the form factor and how I can easily store it in my wallet. I also love that the battery lasts about three years without having to charge it.
How forgetful are you? Do you lose things often?
If you picture the range of how forgetful people can be, I’d probably fall somewhere in between. I tend to lose my Wallet the most.
How do you balance work/life?
Being on the product team the workload can sometimes be heavy; I try to disconnect on weekends and not check work emails and such, and be present in the moment.
What’s your favorite thing to do outside of work?
I love building things (i.e., designing on Photoshop or making music on Logic Pro). I also love playing Tennis and Snowboarding.
How invested in technology are you? (i.e. do you have different types of devices set up at home? Or do you stay away since you’re so immersed at work?
I invest in a lot of technology and have devices all over my house. I have Tile on many of my items, Alexa throughout the house, and 5 different mobile phones to name a few.
Tell us your craziest lost and found story (with a Tile or not!)
There was a guy that lost his dog. He looked everywhere and couldn't find the dog. He then realized he had a Tile on his dog, so he pulled up the Life360 app and found him almost drowning in the pool. Thank god he found him early enough to save him!
Name a product you can’t live without.
My iPhone.
Name a product you think is underrated.
Quest 2 is an incredible product that sadly, many people still don’t know about.
What’s a project that you worked hardest/longest on?
I started a technology/music company named Bia2 in 2003 and worked on it for over a decade.