From vision to reality: A journey with Tide’s Lead Product Manager
At Tide, our products are shaped by passionate individuals who understand the unique needs of small businesses. Today, we sat down with one of our Lead Product Managers, who leads multiple squads within credit services for the UK market. Meet Madhurya Rachupalli, whose journey spans multiple countries and products, bringing a wealth of experience to Tide’s product development landscape.
Tell us about your role at Tide and what drives you in product management.
Hi, I am Madhurya Rachupalli, and I lead multiple squads within credit services for the UK market. My role here is to shape the product’s long-term vision and guide the teams towards building and delivering quality products for our members. My passion for product management stems from enjoying both the bird’s-eye view of the business and diving deep into solving problems. This interest crystallised during my time as a Financial Analyst at a private equity-backed firm in the US, where I transitioned to the product side and discovered my joy for product management.
Your journey spans multiple countries. How does this international experience influence your work?
Having led products across seven-plus markets has given me a unique perspective on user behaviour and market operations. One of the most valuable take-aways is, no matter how many markets you launch in, each new market offers a new learning. We know each region comes with its cultural nuances and expectations that significantly influence the needs of the members, but how we pay attention to these and how we can leverage them is what truly matters. This understanding helps me develop strategies that don’t just fit the market but truly resonate with users. It’s about finding that sweet spot between local adaptation and maintaining a consistent core product.
What has been your most significant milestone at Tide?
Working on launching Tide in India and watching it grow from zero to over 3,50,000 members today has been very exciting for me. It was a true zero-to-one journey that showcased the importance of understanding local market dynamics while maintaining our core value proposition. This experience really emphasised how crucial it is to balance localisation with scalability.
How has your role evolved as Tide has grown?
There has been significant evolution in my role in several ways, which has been very enjoyable for me – transitioning from hands-on product development to a broader leadership position. I’m now more involved in setting the direction through detailed, long-haul road maps and working closely with teams to identify and remove blockers. A significant part of my role involves ensuring member needs are addressed through our long term product vision, while building stronger stakeholder relationships to ensure our initiatives align with broader business goals.
How do you effectively lead multiple squads at Tide?
Creating a shared vision and fostering a deep understanding of our members’ needs helps us stay aligned. Empowering individuals with the support and guidance they need while promoting a culture of autonomy and ownership encourages our teams to effectively make decisions. Regular check-ins also play a crucial role as they help us address roadblocks, reassess our position when necessary and keeps us on track.
What qualities do you think are crucial for success as a Product Manager at Tide?
Curiosity is essential – you need to have a genuine interest in understanding user behaviour and their needs. High ownership, accountability and collaboration skills go hand in hand, along with a systematic approach to problem-solving. One needs to be able to dig deeper to understand the underlying issues and break them down to create effective solutions.
Could you walk us through your process for developing go-to-market strategies?
It starts with a deep dive into market research, gathering user insights, identifying and understanding the target segment, their needs and the gaps in the market. In parallel, evaluating our internal strengths and then defining the product vision with clear metrics sets up the base. Achieving alignment early is essential and requires detailed cross-functional orchestration among stakeholders, to ensure we are unified in our approach.
Throughout this process, a strong collaboration between product and engineering teams working towards shared goals and targets is crucial. It’s also important to stay nimble and to be willing to pivot when new learnings arise, returning to the drawing board as necessary. At Tide, we have great Marketing and Compliance teams, which helps as they keep us updated on regulations and member acquisition plans. Post-launch, we rely heavily on member feedback and performance metrics to make necessary adjustments.
What’s a key lesson you’ve learned about launching products in diverse markets?
The biggest lesson is that it’s never the same twice. While having a high-level structured framework and planning helps, it’s the details that make the difference. Understanding local nuances while maintaining scalability is crucial. We need to tailor the experience for each market’s unique needs and regulations while keeping the core product consistent.
How would you describe the culture at Tide?
Tide has a truly collaborative culture. We’re empowered to think big while staying focused on our members’ needs. The emphasis on data-driven decision-making and cross-functional collaboration creates an environment where we can build products that truly make a difference for small businesses. Working with talented teams across different functions – from Marketing to Risk to Support – makes every product launch a collective achievement.
Through our conversation, it’s clear that success in product management at Tide comes from balancing global experience with local insights, maintaining a strong user focus, and fostering collaborative relationships across teams. As Tide continues to grow and expand into new markets, this approach to product development and leadership will be crucial in delivering value to our members worldwide.
