Meet Antoniya Boynovska, Product Manager at Progress

We’d like to introduce you to some of the people from around the world who make us what we are. In this post, meet Antoniya Boynovska, product manager for Progress Unite UX, the first-of-its-kind solution to bring design and development together.

With her stories, as vivid and fascinating as herself, Antoniya can take you on a journey around the world in just a second. A passionate traveler and a proficient wine lover, she landed here at Progress several months ago to spearhead the product management efforts around our new product, Unite UX. What’s the most exciting thing about being a product manager and how does seeing the contrasts of the world we live in is changing us? Read on to learn.

Antoniya, how would you describe what you do at Progress to a 5-year old?

I solve problems people have along with a bunch of great folks.

Part of my job is to examine the way our customers operate and look for a problem or need they are having. A lot of times they are not even aware of it themselves as they are so caught up in the way things have been. Our deep business knowledge, technical and user experience expertise help us spot the problems and look for solutions that would help them save time, free up some cash or help them grow.

I love what I am doing, because it is in the intersection of so many broad areas—business, strategy, finance, technology, delivery management, marketing, sales, customer service... and also a bit of magic. It appeals to my personality, because I am curious about life and have a wide range of interests.

What's the most exciting thing about being a product manager at Progress?

It is so exciting to work on new and innovative products like Progress Unite UX that would change the way businesses operate.

Our mission is to provide a radical change in the way development teams collaborate and create. What the team and I are doing is quite complex and novel. The technical nature of our task is such that it cannot go without challenges, but at the same time it is very rewarding and inspiring for us.

At Progress, I feel lucky to be surrounded by so many people who are determined to learn and get better, aren’t afraid to fail, and who constantly make me beat my best.

In addition to product management, you are very passionate about wine and travel. You've been to almost all the continents. Can you share an experience you'll always remember?

I know exactly the story to tell. Once, when I traveled on the speed train from Beijing to Shanghai the conductor asked if I could give him the ticket to validate. I wasn’t able to find it in my pockets or purse, though I looked hard and got all my belongings out on the tabletop to the prying looks of the rest of the passengers. Many of them probably didn’t understand a word of our conversation but just by the messy looks of this ordeal, they no doubt grasped what was going on.

The conductor was getting more and more frustrated and told me that if I don’t show my ticket now, I would be kicked out of the train at a speed faster than that of the train (in a quite poor English and with a sly smile on his face). The situation got tense and he tugged out of his grey vest something like a flashy looking radio station with a screen, got it close to his face and started speaking to someone whose face outline I saw popping on the screen. The conductor got into some explaining and asked few questions, to which he received a flat, cold response of a word or two. The tete-a-tete was over, the conductor put the station back in the same tight pocket of his vest, looked me in the eyes and told me that time was up.

His right leg slowly went backwards, froze there for a firm moment and then made a fast and unwavering move forward to kick my butt out of the train at an extraordinary speed... I only remember the ear-piercing sound and something like mist or white cloud. I couldn’t take my breathe at first, but then quickly got my senses back... That is how I became a supersonic woman. I am now able to go through time and space without any barriers to entry, I can cross chasms and have omni-channel experiences at a lightning fast and above sound speed. A ride to remember!

How has having seen so much of the world and having been in touch with so many different cultures influenced you?

I love so many things about travelling—exploring local food, scents, sounds and music, finding hidden spots, catching sunsets at different places, the encounters with locals. Travelling definitely gives more flavor to my life.

However, travelling also makes me think of the other side of the coin.

Isn’t it extreme how variant the life experiences of a human being can be? I am always amazed at the inequality our world creates. Dazzling contrasts, sometimes existing right next to each other are now common all around us. You can see it rooted in so many factors—history, policy and institutions, trade openness, traditions and culture, family and friends, quality of education, climate, geography, topography and so much more. On one hand, it makes me feel sad to see how dependent we can be to chances of faith—the place and family we were born in hugely influence our chances of a good life. Makes me wonder how big this gap can get, and at what point there would be no common ground for different groups to talk and understand each other’s arguments.

But to end at a positive note, the versatility of experiences a human can have even with a small variance of the conditions is also encouraging. One should just not settle for a life that does not make them happy. Try to change something—what you’re doing, your perception, attitude, the place you call home—and you might be up for a very different outcome.

And now, as we end our conversation, let's talk about wine. If you have to give us just one tip or recommendation about selecting and consuming wines, what would it be?

Explore wines in a pleasant company and in a nice glass. The substance will get better with time, inevitably.