Meet 4 Women Postmanauts Helping Us Win Together
Building an API-first world is history in the making. At Postman, many women on our team are contributing to this incredible feat as leaders and innovators, helping us achieve major milestones on our journey toward 100 million users.
To get a glimpse of just some of the women leaders at Postman, we’d like you to meet the four Postmanauts below. In the following Q&As, each woman shares about the individual career path that led her to Postman and the API space. Learn about their four personal journeys and the advice they offer to other women professionals today.
Shruthi Venkatesh
Postman Lead Visual Designer
How did you decide your career path?
Cartoons and anime that I grew up watching. I was amazed at how illustrations and designs could inspire ideas, evoke emotion, and tell memorable stories. Disney and Studio Ghibli motivated me to choose a career in visual design.
Who helped shape your career choice and why?
My grandfather was a full-time metallurgist, small-time comic artist, and part-time historian in the city of Chennai, India. Growing up around him, I was exposed to a lot of art, science, and culture that shaped my career choice. He was my first mentor, one of the kindest and most creative people I have known.
Who has been a major influence in your personal or professional career?
The women around me have been my inspiration. This list is long but let me tell you about Ruchi Shah. She painted a 25-foot mural single-handedly as I watched her climb tall ladders with a paintbrush around male construction workers for weeks. I was starstruck. I would find ways to be her apprentice, just so I could watch her in action.
What is your advice to women interested in visual design?
My suggestion to women wanting to get into visual design is to take any chance they can get to talk about their work and their ideas. Opportunities don’t necessarily present themselves, you have to make them.
Which Postman cultural values resonate with you? Why?
“Create with Curiosity” is one of my favorite values at Postman. Curiosity can lead us to new places and help us find the “Aha!” moments that bring change.
What helped you choose Postman?
The enthusiasm of the Postmanauts towards creating the API-first world is infectious. I also appreciate the transparency and openness we have within the company. It makes work that much more meaningful when you can see what’s going on in different teams and contribute to it.
Sara Chasse
Postman Senior Manager, Inside Sales
How did you choose your career path?
I had a passion for sales dating back to when I asked my mom if I could run a garage sale at our house at the age of 8. I biked to the bank to get change, organized ads in the local paper, and ran point on the sales. I also negotiated with my mom to keep the earnings!
Though selling has always been a natural passion, I wasn’t aware of it being a career option and wanted to be a teacher through high school. Being a sales leader has enabled me to combine both sales and teaching in a really interesting way that ties both of my passions.
Who helped shape your career choice and why?
My parents both shaped me in two different ways, enabling me to grab two different types of skills.
My dad owned a convenience store and taught me the ins and outs of the business. He was scrappy and had the best street smarts of anyone I have ever met. I always enjoyed learning about every step that was involved with being an entrepreneur.
My mom is an extremely hard worker and has always balanced her professional career with her life and family, making it look easy, which is admirable. She transitioned from a CPA to project management in the tech space and is often one of the few women in the room as a scrum master. She cares for the people she works with and leads with her heart.
Why do APIs matter?
APIs behind the scenes run the company. They’re powerful, yet not visible at first glance. It’s exciting to be in the space!
What’s your advice to women interested in a career in sales?
Be confident and proud of your decision. It can be intimidating being one of a handful of women, but you have every right to be there.
Have you had a mentor or advocate that made a big impact on your life?
One of my previous leaders recognized my interest in leadership and passion for developing people while I was in a team lead selling role. He advocated for me and helped create a temporary leadership role, covering for two managers who were on back-to-back maternity leave. It was a challenging first step into true leadership, but it got me on the fast track since I was working with many personalities and covering for two leaders with opposite styles. I appreciated the opportunity he created to foster my growth.
What attributes do you think are the most important to be successful personally and professionally?
Honesty and transparency are top traits I value personally and professionally. They’re both extremely important to grow relationships and especially important with change management. Change can be scary to some people, so I find being honest and transparent helps people feel comfortable with change and to understand the why behind decisions made.
What helped you choose Postman?
The leaders I spoke with during the interview process were very passionate about the company, growth, and opportunity. It was inspiring to learn more about what’s ahead for the company, and I enjoyed discussing ideas and strategies that were truly taken to heart during the process. The reason I stay is for the people. I enjoy working with cross-functional leaders. And the sales organization is extremely talented with a strong culture. It’s tough to find both within a sales organization and we’ve nailed it!
Rose Owens
Postman Senior Global Recruiter, Product and Engineering
How did you decide your career path?
I found my career while pursuing a second job. It was a special woman who took a chance and empowered me to find my passion in technical recruiting along with my desire to help others realize their dreams. I’ve been fortunate to work with strong women who set the example through their hard work, sacrifice, speaking their truths to be seen and valued, and I was able to find my gift.
Who helped shape your career choice?
My mother was a single parent with three children. She was realistic and practical about our situation. And because I didn’t want to be a burden, I started working at the age of 11. My mom was the first woman who set the foundation of my core values. She went from sewing pant loops on pants in a factory to becoming a journeywoman machinist. She gave me the strength of will and drive. She taught me that I can go to the level of my fears or rise towards my imagination and beyond!
What do you love about Postman?
Here at Postman, we’re small but mighty. I love that I get to contribute to the culture and success of Postman by building teams who will carry the mission and the vision of the company.
Shruti Duge
Postman Growth Marketing Manager
How did you choose your career path?
I love solving puzzles. They have honed my lateral thinking skills, foresight, and critical thinking. My career has naturally progressed into a path that utilizes these skills effectively. Growth marketing requires a data-driven mindset, creative idea exploration, and multi-modal thinking. This is a natural fit and is aligned with what I enjoy doing the most.
Who helped shape your career choice and why?
It wasn’t an individual but a group of people who shaped my career decisions. I explored multiple avenues early in my career and took risks—some paid off, some didn’t, but overall it has been a good journey.
What do you love about Postman?
With 20 million users, there’s a lot of data available for us to analyze. It helps support everything we do through quantitative research and evidence.
Can you share career advice to women interested in product marketing?
Try exploring different aspects of marketing and roles early in your career. You will understand what you enjoy the most and will get a broader overview of your function.
Which Postman cultural values resonate with you? Why?
“Create with curiosity.” It always helps me ask, “Why?” and motivates me to explore if there’s a different or better way of doing things, of experimenting, and learning from that process.
Want to help us with our mission toward an API-first world?
Postman is committed to equal employment opportunity as we work toward creating a better-connected world through APIs. Check out our Careers page to apply now, bring your whole self, and join us on our exciting mission.
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