I was a product intern at a major ByteDance-affiliated tech company. On my first day, I was told that my mentor was the legendary “Product Tyrant” of the company: Zhou Xubai.
They said he’d fired seven interns in one year, made three product managers cry, and even dared to reject the CTO’s proposal to his face.
At my first requirements review, he tore apart the PRD I’d spent three sleepless nights writing. “The logic is a mess. The user scenarios are unrealistic and vague. Do it again.”
As I hid in the stairwell, secretly wiping away my tears, I received an internal message from him. “Tomorrow at nine. Bring the new proposal to my desk. Don’t disappoint me.”
The second time around, he started bringing me to meetings for core projects and had me sit behind him to listen in. After every meeting, he’d speak in a voice only the two of us could hear. “Where was the flaw in the point the VP just made? Did you catch it?”
On my third try, the product committee finally approved my proposal unanimously. Sitting across the conference table, he said nothing for once. He just looked at me, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.
At my conversion review, my competitor, a master’s graduate from overseas with an impressive background, called me out in front of everyone. “She only graduated from a second-tier university. What makes her qualified?”
Before I could answer, Zhou Xubai pushed open the door.
He came to stand behind me, bracing both hands on the back of my chair, and swept his gaze across the room.
“Her user growth strategy increased daily active users by 8%. Is that reason enough?”
