Balancing the Grind with Nima Idel, Head of Product Growt at Loopit

Nima Idel is the Head of Product Growt at Loopit, a car subscription management and billing service for automakers, dealerships and startups.

1) To kick things off, could you tell us a little about your career background and current role?

I started my career in advertising after getting a Bachelor of Design degree, where I predominantly worked on printed media ads. I spent a few years there and then took the leap and went into art direction.

This is where I saw a really big opportunity that was being ignored and at the time (almost looked down in advertising) and that focused more on “digital”. I doubled down on learning what I could and focused my skills on digital design. After a few years of leading teams and co-founding a “digital / innovation agency” I moved into product leadership roles.

I’m now the Head of Product Growth at Loopit – a car subscription management and billing service for automakers, dealerships and startups.

2) What does a day in your life look like for you? Can you take us through a recent workday?

6:30: Wake up, feed, prepare and drop off little one at daycare

8:00: Make coffee

8:00 – 9:00: Focus on all urgent matters that require my undivided attention

9:00 – 11:00: Work on product: Strategy, roadmap, analytics, user feedback, internal and external comms

11:00 – 12:00: Learn something new – Podcast/Tedx etc

13:00 – 17:00: Work on and deliver outcomes / outputs needed for tomorrow/this week. From preparing slides and results for board packs to designing user flows etc.

17:00 – 20:00: Play, feed and wash the little ones

20:00 – 21:30 Me and wifey catchup time

21:30 – 24:00: Me time (reading, Netflix, Youtube etc)

3) What does work-life balance mean to you and how do you work to achieve that goal?

In my life the balance comes from me defining and communicating expectations and priorities. I am hired for outcomes not ‘bum on a seat for 37,5 hours a week’ so I work smart and hard to get the outcomes the business has hired me to do.

If my daughter wants to sit on my lap while I have a meeting or paint my nails while I’m analysing our quarterly results then it’s not an issue for me. It doesn’t tend to be an issue as long as I dont allow both to compete with one another.

4) In the past 12 months, have you started or stopped any routines or habits to change your life

I’ve stopped:

• Saying yes or committing without assessing how much effort and time is required

I’ve started:

• To focus on my physical and mental health
• Exercising 4 days a week.
• Meditating 3 days a week

5) Do you have any favourite books, podcasts or newsletters that you’d like to recommend?

My issue here is giving only a handful. I’m the type of guy who has an entire library of useful resources (well useful for me anyways).

Product related articles and newsletters

• Product Best Practices By: Reforge
• SVPG
• Product Growth By: Aakash Gupta
• Marketplace & Product Insights By Lenny Rachitsky
• On Product Strategy By Gibson Biddle

Product related podcasts

• The Product Management Leaders
• Lenny’s Podcast
• Indepth
• CPO Mastery

Product related books/audiobooks/documentaries:

• Inspired
• Empowered
• No Rules Rules
• The Design of Everyday Things
• Steve Jobs: The Lost Interview
• Trillion Dollar Coach

Other things I find amazing

• Stuff You Should Know
• Celebrating Failure
• The Paradox of Choice
• TED: The transformative power of classical music
• Biomimicry: A Japanese story
• 5 ways to listen better

6) If you could read an interview about work-life balance by anyone, who would that be?

I’m a science nerd, so Neil deGrasse Tyson? He is a super genius and a grounded father. It’s a big thing for me to try and excel in both areas, career and family.

7) Do you have any last thoughts on work, life or balance that you’d like to share with our readers?

The lesson that has guided my path thus far is to always be willing to try, fail and learn. The rest sorts itself out

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