S5:E2 - Finding Your Anchors in Change | Syed Ahsan

Finding Your Anchors in Change | Syed Ahsan on Product Ops and staying human What helps you stay steady when everything around you keeps changing? In this episode of the Product Ops Podcast, hosts Gerisha and Kevin Sakamoto talk with Syed Ahsan about the people, routines and habits that keep him grounded in a demanding role. Syed traces his path from strategy consulting, through HelloFresh and payments, to Product Ops in crypto. He explains how growing up across several countries and playing sports shaped the way he works. He also discusses his Product Ops archetype results, Change Agent with Systems Architect a close second, and what they mean for how he shows up in a new initiative. The conversation then turns to the emotional side of the job: Why the intensity of the hours drains more than the length of them. How he moved from "100/0" to "80/20" and learned to delegate through empowerment. How sleep, exercise, curiosity and listening to his body help him recharge. How he uses preparation, history and LLMs to get ready for meetings. His one piece of advice for newcomers: "Don't take it personally." This season's theme is "a hundred percent human": the people behind the role, not just the frameworks and templates. Chapters 0:00 Intro 0:37 Welcome and introductions 1:15 Syed's path into Product Ops 5:08 What his background brought to the role 9:07 Product Ops archetypes: Change Agent and Systems Architect 13:23 How Syed shows up in a new initiative 17:13 Gerisha's "resilient driver" and reading the room 19:47 What the role demands emotionally 24:26 Hitting a wall: 80/20 and delegating through empowerment 30:14 Sleep, recharging and curiosity 34:36 Saying no, listening to your body and work-life balance 39:30 Using prep, history and LLMs at work 42:22 Advice for newcomers: "Don't take it personally" 46:27 Wrap-up and the "100% Human" theme 48:18 Where to find Syed and sign-off ABOUT SYED Syed Ahsan works at MoonPay as Director of Product Operations. Connect with him on LinkedIn:   / syedsibgatulahsan   TAKE THE ASSESSMENT Discover your natural working style with the Product Operations Archetype Assessment: https://productopspod.com ABOUT THIS SEASON Season 5, "100% Human," explores identity, self-knowledge, and sustainable practice for product operations practitioners. Who are you in this role, what do you bring to it, and how do you protect it? Watch the full season: [S5 PLAYLIST LINK] ABOUT THE HOSTS Gerisha Nadaraju and Dr. Kevin Sakamoto hosts Product Ops Podcast, conversations with practitioners shaping the product operations discipline.