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Celonaut Spotlight: Moritz Krah, Associate Product Manager, Munich
What makes working in the Product Department at Celonis such a unique experience? What makes you proud?
You are at the forefront of building a new software category. Every day is a challenge that will often bring you out of your comfort zone and always be creative and rewarding. That also makes working in the Product Department at Celonis a unique opportunity to contribute to SaaS history. The speed and ingenuity with which the team executes on that are amazing. Within the Product Department, our squad is building data integrations between Celonis and external systems. Those integrations often are a prerequisite to unlock new use cases and – ultimately – customer value. If I imagine not only how many users leverage our product directly, but also how many of their customers eventually benefit from the Celonis EMS (Execution Management System), that makes me proud.
Which advice would you give to less experienced talents who are just starting their career?
Only because you did not do something before, does not mean you cannot do it. Change is among few constants in the rapidly moving Celonis Product Department. That can feel uncomfortable. But while I am still early in my career, I expect that to continue and look forward to it. I would encourage everyone to appreciate that beginner mode and learning mindset, take ownership and be persistent – it will pay off. Also, be aware that you are working in a team of very resource- and helpful people. That was especially valuable when I started at Celonis. You are always only one ping away from a fellow Celonaut’s advice (also remotely).
Which key qualifications should applicants have to join the Product Department?
Curiosity: That might be the most important one and has many dimensions: being curious how the product works, curious how to improve it, curious about customers and your colleagues across all departments, curious what competitors do, and about market developments – you will likely have touchpoints with all of those aspects every day which is one of the most exciting things about working in the Celonis Product Department.
Persistence: To eventually ship product features, you must keep the fire burning beyond an initial idea. At Celonis, you will get that responsibility early on.
Independent thinking: Because different stakeholders’ requirements and opinions inform product decisions, it can be hard to make everybody happy. Therefore, it is crucial to appreciate all input and reach/communicate a final standpoint together with your team.
What challenges do you face every day and how do you deal with them?
Numerous everyday challenges, such as wearing many hats at once, are tied to but greatly outweighed by the benefits mentioned above (and many more). It is key to approach those challenges with a positive attitude and be aware that they will reward you. In the end, challenges are a great thing.
To provide a more specific example: one challenge is to communicate and document all the features you will get an opportunity to work on. Not everybody will be as aware of new features as the Product Department, and quick feedback is always valuable. Therefore, defining structures and establishing routines on how to approach the communication and documentation of new features is helpful.
Describe your team at Celonis in three words.
Resourceful. Driven. Empathetic.
Which of the Celonis values matters most to you and why?
Because the Celonis EMS is valuable across industries, there is a continuous stream of exciting projects to work on and opportunities to be creative. In that context, WE OWN IT encourages all employees to assume responsibility and turn ideas into action. You can see and feel that. Working in the Celonis Product Department means striving for a shared vision as one team which empowers you to own your journey.
Moritz joined Celonis as an intern in the Product Department and joined us last year as a full-time Product Manager in Munich. He studied Business Administration with a focus on Information Management. Moritz doubled down on his passion for podcasts during the pandemic.
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