Welcome back to our Life at LetsGetChecked series, a sequence of features that offer insight into what it’s really like to work at LetsGetChecked.
This week, we speak with Dominic Sherlock, our Senior Product Manager at LetsGetChecked.
Dominic grew up with a dream to become a pilot, but says that he enjoys piloting products just as much; “Being in a Product role, I'm lucky enough to be working closely with people from very diverse backgrounds. I get to work with inventors, artists, medics, epidemiologists, biologists and engineers, to name but a few of the roles here in LetsGetChecked, which means that whatever I might have wanted to work at in the past, I can do here.
What is your role title?
Senior Product Manager.
How long have you worked at LetsGetChecked?
I joined in at the start of 2018, but I have been a big fan of the company for years previously.
What industry did you want to work in when you were growing up?
Like a lot of kids, I wanted to be a pilot, now I play a role in piloting new products and programs, so I guess I made it!
The variety of opportunities that exist now weren’t known to us when I was making early career choices, so it's exciting to be working with a company that is set to disrupt what has heretofore been a monolithic industry that impacts everyone: healthcare.
Being in a Product role, I'm lucky enough to be working closely with people from very diverse backgrounds. I get to work with inventors, artists, medics, epidemiologists, biologists and engineers, to name but a few of the roles here in LetsGetChecked, which means that whatever I might have wanted to work at in the past, I can do here.
What is your academic background?
I studied Economics and Politics as my undergraduate degree because I had outgrown most airplane cockpits and didn't know what exactly I wanted to do.
I followed this degree with postgraduate studies in Advertising Management and then Business & IT.
Everyday is a school day though. I've definitely learned more in my time at LetsGetChecked than I did in college.
What interests you about healthcare and in particular health tech?
The thing that interests me the most when it comes to health tech is the opportunity to make a real difference to people's health in new ways.
Whatever other things are important to us in life, health is key. "Your health is your wealth" might sound a bit trite, but it has stood the test of time as a saying for a very good reason. Just ask anyone whose health is failing.
LetsGetChecked is creating a fundamental change in how people manage their health. We are creating whole new types of demand of technology and finding that the solution hasn't existed to address the need, so we are the ones who are inventing it.
Have you always worked in this space?
My previous role was in a digital healthcare company, so a lot of the terminology and concepts were familiar to me, but we’re really creating a new space at LetsGetChecked - so I guess nobody has "always" worked in it. It's amazing to see the talent that is coming aboard at LetsGetChecked to drive it in whole new directions.
How did you find the move from teaching to product management?
I was brought into third and fourth level education to shake up how certain courses had been delivered, particularly to leverage the industry experience that I'd already gained and apply it to a learning context.
My approach was to start a conversation and encourage discussion and discovery amongst the class groups - the participants certainly had the ideas and energy, all I had to do was facilitate the exchange and try to keep it on track for destination and time.
In that way, Product Management is very similar, so the segue was as seamless as not wearing a cardigan to meetings.
What prompted you to apply for a role at LetsGetChecked?
I have been very interested in LetsGetChecked since I first heard of the idea. While I was working on other project contracts elsewhere, I'd always check in to see how things were going here - when the opportunity came up to join the team, I jumped at it.
What has been one of the biggest milestones in your career as Senior Product Manager?
With the growth that has happened here at LetsGetChecked since I joined, it's hard to pick one; and the biggest ones are yet to come.
What emerging trends in the health-tech space excite you the most?
Us.
What does your day to day work life look like at LetsGetChecked?
Every day is different. There are certain recurring meetings that put some structure on the weeks, but each day leaves me surprised by something and looking forward to the next one. Being in Product, we have touchpoints with pretty much every functional area in the company, from Production and Dispatch to Marketing, Care Team, Business Intelligence and the Medical and Scientific side of things.
What is your favorite thing about working at LetsGetChecked?
While we are achieving a lot, it doesn't feel to me like "work", it's more like an adventure.
What advice would you offer to someone who is thinking of applying for a role in Product Management at LetsGetChecked?
Line up your ideas and energy, and just do it. There is plenty of opportunity here, so the time is (always) now to get the right people in to carve their own territory in a wide-open space.
What 3 personality traits does someone need to thrive on the Product Management team?
- Being a good listener
- Understanding & factoring in others' points of view
- Thinking ahead and delivering more than you were specifically asked for
- Great at lists
Written by Hannah Kingston
