In this edition of our Tech Ladies Talk interview series, we had the pleasure of speaking with Lillian Zuo, Director of Product at ClassPass. Lillian shared her journey, insights, and advice for women aspiring to build impactful careers in product management. From her beginnings in consulting to becoming a product leader at a major subscription app, Lillian has consistently pursued growth, tackled challenges, and navigated the complexities of her industry with confidence and resilience.
From Consulting to Product Management: Lillian's Career Journey
Lillian's path to product management wasn’t always linear. Reflecting on her journey, she recalls her early interest in technology and new products, but a career in product management wasn’t always her intended goal. Instead, Lillian studied statistics and computer science at Harvard, focusing initially on business and consulting. After starting her career at Bain & Company, Lillian took advantage of Bain’s externship program, which allowed her to move to San Francisco and join Airbnb in a product strategy and operations role. This pivotal experience exposed her to the world of product, sparking her passion for working directly with engineers and designers to build and ship new offerings.
“That really opened my eyes and confirmed that I wanted to be doing product,” Lillian explained. “I thought it was so cool how we were working with engineers and designers to build things, ship impact, and see how our actions translated into business outcomes.”
Her experience at Airbnb gave Lillian the push to fully transition into product management. She joined ClassPass five years ago, just months before the company achieved unicorn status—and only a few months before the pandemic dramatically changed the business landscape.
Navigating Challenges at ClassPass
Lillian’s role at ClassPass, where she oversees all consumer-facing products, has been anything but static. As Director of Product, she manages a team of product managers responsible for guiding the consumer through every stage of their journey—from acquisition to subscription and beyond.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, ClassPass’s business took a hit. Lillian and her team had to quickly pivot, introducing digital and livestream fitness offerings to keep the business afloat. These quick adaptations, coupled with the team’s resilience, helped the company not only survive but thrive, eventually being acquired by Mindbody in 2021. Lillian described the experience as “a phenomenal journey,” noting how much the team learned during this challenging period.
Long-Term Career Aspirations
When asked about her long-term career aspirations, Lillian admits it’s hard to predict exactly where she’ll be in 5 or 10 years. However, she is clear on the characteristics she seeks in future roles: creating impact, being challenged, and leading teams.
She outlined three potential career paths she envisions: staying in product and growing into senior leadership roles, such as VP or CPO; exploring a General Manager (GM) role, where she can combine her business and product expertise to run a business line; or venturing into the world of venture capital, where she could support and advise startups.
Lillian’s Advice for Women Aspiring to Lead in Tech
Lillian offered three key pieces of advice for women looking to build successful careers in product management:
- Be Open to Feedback: “Feedback is a gift,” Lillian emphasized. She encourages women to proactively seek feedback from colleagues and managers, using it to continuously improve and grow.
- Take Initiative: Don’t wait for opportunities to be handed to you. “Look proactively for opportunities where you can add value,” Lillian advised. Whether it’s taking on a new project or stepping up to solve a problem, demonstrating initiative is key to career progression.
- Work Smart, Not Just Hard: While hard work is important, Lillian stressed the value of efficiency. “Being effective doesn’t mean working more hours,” she said. Instead, she encourages professionals to find ways to streamline their work and focus on high-impact tasks.
Advocating for Women in Tech
Lillian is passionate about addressing gender inequality in the tech industry, particularly in technical roles. She noted the lack of female engineers and product managers in the pipeline and emphasized the importance of being intentional about diversity when hiring.
As she moves through her career, Lillian is also becoming more aware of the challenges women face when balancing career ambitions with personal considerations like family planning. “There need to be more support structures in place to enable women to balance their careers and personal lives,” she said.
Closing Thoughts
As we wrapped up our conversation, Lillian offered a final piece of advice for women navigating their own career journeys: “You’re not alone. Many of us deal with imposter syndrome or wonder how we’re being perceived. What you’re doing, building a supportive community, is so important.”
Thank you, Lillian, for sharing your incredible insights and experiences with Tech Ladies. We’re excited to see how you continue to drive impact in the tech world!
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