Introduction

Hello there, I’m Jason Abdo. I’m passionate about product management and have had the chance to sharpen my skills with a range of companies, from startup environments to Fortune 50 giants across various business verticals. When I’m not delving into the world of products, you’ll likely find me singing and strumming a guitar with my band here in Atlanta, experimenting with recipes on my kamado grill, or running personal A/B tests on different life approaches.

Personal Life

I’m a family man at heart, blessed with a supportive wife, two wonderful kids, and Louie, our red golden retriever. My life is a harmonious blend of professional pursuits, family time, and personal passions.

Early Interests and Hobbies

Growing up, I developed a love for exploring new hobbies. I enjoyed the thrill of performance—first through music, where I experienced the creative process and collaboration required to bring a song to life with a four-piece band. Later, I found a different kind of performance art in card magic, which taught me the importance of presentation, audience perception, and the power of confidence.

During my high school years, I was the kid with a different phone every month. It all started when my parents gifted me a Kyocera phone, and I became obsessed with understanding every aspect of its operating system. This sparked a passion in me to explore the nuances of various devices. I’d trade up on eBay, strategically buying phones when auctions ended at less competitive times and selling mine when bidding activity was high, like on a Friday right after work (and payday!). Over time, I experienced the ecosystems of LG, Motorola, Samsung, and eventually iOS and Android and memorized every screen, the phone’s defaults, what you could customize, and how many taps it took to match my intent with content.

College and Early Career

During my time at Penn State University, I chose to study Mechanical Engineering, a decision that significantly shaped my approach to problem-solving. The study of mathematics and physics was exhilarating, but it was when I transitioned into the professional world and landed in traditional roles that I experienced a stroke of luck.

Discovery of Product Management

Little did I know back then that my fascination with these operating systems was nurturing a deep-seated passion for user experiences. I loved dissecting what worked and what didn’t, always imagining alternative approaches that could make the experience better. While I didn’t have a clue then about the job title “Product Manager” or even how to get into such a role, I knew I loved the challenge of thinking of new ways to optimize how people interacted with their devices. Today, I get to live out that passion daily by designing systems that fulfill customer needs seamlessly and efficiently. It’s a joy to turn my curiosity into a career that makes a difference for millions of people.

Career Journey and Progression

After working for about 18 months out of college, a recruiter from The Home Depot contacted me about an intriguing opportunity in “product management.” I responded with unbridled enthusiasm, diving headfirst into hours of research on their website, just as I used to dive into exploring operating systems in the past. Although I didn’t have the industry jargon at my fingertips, I was able to draw parallels between my past experiences and my preliminary understanding of their site. I emphasized my problem-solving abilities as a key asset, sported my biggest smile, and landed the job. This began my journey into the world of product management as an analyst of product management.

My career trajectory continued to evolve as I embraced various roles and responsibilities in the product management sphere. See LinkedIn

Professional Skills

Throughout these roles, I’ve honed my professional skills, including servant leadership, product and business strategy, e-commerce and payment systems, B2B, B2C, SaaS platforms, agile transformation, delivery management, UI/UX research, user feedback analysis, team building, OKR management, roadmaps and prioritization, brainstorming sessions, analytics program frameworks, AI technology, and product excellence.

Technically, I’m well-versed in Scaled Agile frameworks, Microsoft 360 Suite, Google Workspaces, Adobe Analytics, Google Analytics, RichRelevance recommendations, Adobe Test and Target, Adobe AEM, Bloomreach Site Search, Optimizely Experiment (A/B testing), Bazaarvoice Ratings and Reviews, Atlassian Jira & Confluence, FullStory, Zeplin, PayPal Integration, Alipay Integration, Demandware, Firebase, Alchemer Mobile, and Branch.io.

Achievements and Contributions

I’ve had the privilege of building multiple product management teams, working on international projects, and leading efforts in AI-driven personalization, on-site and app search, and analytics platforms. My approach emphasizes agile processes across teams, managing multi-billion dollar consumer and business websites and mobile apps, and developing strategies that maximize impact through A/B testing and data-driven decisions.

Whether working with startups or Fortune 50 companies, my goal has always been to deliver exceptional digital experiences that resonate with users and drive business growth.