Iris

Choosing the Good Quest

When I spoke with Iris Guo, a product manager who has worked across Google X, Scale AI, and Zynga, what struck me immediately wasn’t just her résumé, but the clarity of why she does what she does.

There is a quiet intentionality in the way Iris talks about her life. She is not chasing titles or prestige for their own sake. She is chasing meaning, growth, and a sense that what she is building and how she lives actually matter.

Iris moved to Canada at 17, right in the middle of her high school years, against her parents’ wishes. She did not have a neat plan or a clear career title in mind, but she knew one thing for certain. She wanted a future that felt open and expansive. She wanted to live somewhere that allowed exploration rather than prescribing a single path.

“I just didn’t see myself in a future where I could see the end of it,” she told me. “I wanted to explore the world and find my purpose.”

That instinct to explore, to question, and to choose growth over certainty has quietly guided every chapter of her journey since.

From Finance to Building What Matters

At the University of Waterloo, Iris studied Accounting and Financial Management. Like many high-achieving students, she explored what was available and respected. Finance. Sales and trading. Private equity. Venture capital. On paper, it all made sense.

But something felt off.

“I realized I didn’t want to just make rich people richer,” she said candidly. “I wanted to build things people actually care about, things that bring joy or create impact.”

That realization became a turning point.

During COVID, Iris co-founded a nonprofit platform to support local Asian restaurants that were struggling as foot traffic disappeared. At the same time, food insecurity was rising sharply. Instead of waiting for permission or a formal role, she built.

She pitched ideas. She joined hackathons. She raised $32,000. Ultimately, the platform helped deliver over 5,000 meals to people in need.

“That was the first time I saw something I built have a real, positive impact on people,” she shared. “That’s when product management clicked for me.”

That project did more than help a community. It opened a door and showed her what kind of work she wanted to do.

Trusting Growth Over Certainty

After interning at companies like Microsoft and Google X, Iris faced a defining choice after graduation. She could take the safe return offer at Microsoft or move to San Francisco to join a fast-growing AI startup.

For a first-generation immigrant navigating visas and permanent residency, the safe option carried a lot of weight. But Iris chose growth.

“I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to stay in the U.S., and that it would delay my PR process in Canada,” she said. “And honestly, that fear came true.”

She eventually had to move back to Canada. Her immigration timeline was delayed. On paper, it looked like a setback.

But personally, she had no regrets.

“I grew so much, professionally and as a person. I made lifelong friends. I’d make the same choice again.”

Listening to her, it became clear that Iris does not measure success by how smooth the path looks. She measures it by how much she grows along the way.

How Iris Thinks as a Product Manager

When I asked Iris how she balances user needs, technical complexity, and business strategy, her answer was grounded and refreshingly simple.

“It starts with solving the right problem,” she said.

Before roadmaps or features, she focuses on problem discovery. Who are we building for? What pain actually matters? What problem, if solved, makes everything else easier or irrelevant?

“Prioritization is the most important part of being a PM,” she explained. “You can deploy resources anywhere, but if it’s not the right problem, it doesn’t matter.”

Now working on machine learning teams at Zynga, Iris sees AI not as the solution itself, but as a tool.

“AI helps generate insights and improve productivity,” she said. “But humans still need to interpret, synthesize, and make decisions.”

For her, innovation is not about complexity. It is about clarity.

The Startup Mindset She Carries Everywhere

Working at early-stage startups taught Iris to move fast, test quickly, and stay scrappy.

“In startups, your decisions shape the roadmap immediately. You’re shipping constantly,” she said. “In big companies, things slow down.”

Even now, in a larger organization, she brings that mindset with her. She focuses on MVPs, rapid experimentation, and proving value before building everything.

It is not about cutting corners. It is about respecting time, energy, and learning.

What Impact Really Means to Her

When I asked Iris how she defines impact, she paused before answering.

She sees impact in two ways.

There is a relationship impact, as she supports teammates, mentors others, and contributes to healthy, positive environments.

And there is product impact, whether something she builds brings joy, improves lives, increases engagement, or helps people work better.

“I just want to know that what I’m working on creates a positive influence,” she said. “On users, on teammates, somewhere.”

That intention shows up not only in her work, but in how she gives back.

Advice She Gives and Lives By

As a career coach, Iris sees the same obstacle again and again. People want to transition into product management, but feel blocked because they do not have formal product experience.

Her advice is simple.

“Create your own.”

“You don’t need permission to build,” she said. “Side projects count. Passion projects count. Solve a problem you care about. That is product experience.”

If she could speak to her younger self, her message would be equally clear.

“Expect challenges,” she said without hesitation. “View difficulty as the norm. Anything smooth is a bonus.”

She shared a moment that captures this mindset perfectly. While travelling in Mexico, three months before starting her first full-time role, her offer at Twitter was rescinded during company layoffs. She did not even have a laptop. She interviewed with 20 companies on her phone.

“It was terrifying,” she admitted. “But it worked out better than I imagined.”

Creating Ripples Beyond Career

Looking ahead, Iris is focused not only on work but on living fully.

This year, she is prioritizing her health and fitness, building strength and inspiring those around her to do the same. She is also teaching Mandarin, sharing her culture and language with students both online and in person.

And she continues to tell her story through content, mentorship, and conversations like this one, not for validation, but to remind others that uncertainty does not mean you are doing it wrong.

Sometimes, it means you are choosing the good quest.