Debugged S3 E12: Redefining Creative Experiences with Emily Kellman

Hello! Welcome back to Debugged, the Congressional App Challenge’s alumni-led podcast that connects the country’s youth with technology by debugging the intricate world of computer science.

In the episode, host Medha Gupta had the pleasure of chatting with Emily Kellman! As a senior product manager on the Adobe.com team, her role involves leading personalization efforts across digital media pages to drive customer acquisition. However, her career did not begin with customer-facing work. She began by working at an IT company, where she learned about the various stakeholders in technical development processes, like quality assurance teams and database engineers. Having placed a high value on these early career experiences and internships alike as opportunities to discover what she does and does not like about certain roles, she begins to discuss her nonlinear path to Adobe as someone as someone who almost studied business.

Emily was initially drawn to Adobe as a technology company with a twist of creativity. Unhappy with the intensity of other tech companies’ interview processes, she fell in love with Adobe’s culture, immediately thinking “I need this job; these people are amazing!” She was originally in the digital experience suite of products working as a technical consultant, and explains how she later transitioned to working on product for the digital media teams, as well as her reasoning for doing so. Emily explains how product managers sit at the intersection of both technological and business stakeholders, and help align and connect them towards a common goal. With Medha, she shares what this specifically looks like for Adobe’s marketing websites, and the traits that she believes help her and others manage product teams successfully!

While Emily’s path to Syracuse’s school of information studies was rather serendipitous, she shares a plethora of advice for students who would like to pursue a career in product management today. She mentions a variety of resources where you can learn about the field of product management, but also her advice for opportunities you can take to prepare yourself that may not be explicitly labeled by field. Finally, she discusses some soft skills—like how to sign emails, or etiquette for following up with people—that she believes are helpful for students transitioning into the professional world. “Work is one large group project,” she exclaims, and for aspiring product managers especially, there is a lot of value that can be found in taking team leadership positions early on.

Tune in to this week’s episode of Debugged to hear more about Emily Kellman’s experiential path to the world of product management at Adobe, and more of her advice and lessons learned for ambitious students!

More about Debugged

Founded in 2021 by the Congressional App Challenge’s Alumni Advisory Board, Debugged is a unique podcast experience that seeks to redefine STEM education, shine a light on diverse voices, and further the narrative around a myriad of computer science topics. By highlighting trends in the industry, breaking down complicated concepts, and interviewing high profile guests, listeners are given the opportunity to delve into the world of technology in an analytical yet engaging way.

Debugged is free to stream on your favorite platforms, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more via Anchor.fm! To be the first to know about new episodes, and to learn more about the team of eleven alumni behind every one, follow @cacdebugged on Instagram and X. Thank you so much for your viewership; we hope you enjoy the episode!