My name is Perry Hurtt — this is what I achieve at Aha!

What is the best way to accelerate your career? Work at a high-growth company that challenges you and puts learning first. An unwavering motivation to continue improving and achieving is also key. The highest performers constantly pursue new ideas and seek to understand the experiences and motivations of the people around them. We can learn a lot from them.

Curiosity fuels growth — which is why we want to bring you personal achievement stories from talented people. Our hope is that some of their ideas are useful (and maybe even inspirational) as you work to become your best.

Senior Product Concierge Manager and Aha! Academy instructor Perry Hurtt has been part of the Aha! team for more than six years. He loves helping people learn to use Aha! software, whether that means guiding our largest customers through complex rollouts or leading certification classes and live tutorials for anyone who wants to grow their product management skills.

Perry lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with his family. He enjoys barbecuing on the weekends and taking care of his many pets, including chickens and rescue dogs that often become long-term fixtures in his home (he currently has nine).

Read on to learn more about how Perry finds meaning and joy in his work — in his own words.

What energizes you about your role?

"I have always enjoyed teaching. I love seeing the light bulb switch on over people's heads when they grasp a difficult concept and make it their own. Magic happens. I truly believe that effective use of Aha! software turns product builders into superstars, and teams into talent powerhouses. Most folks who I work with tend to agree.

The feeling is the same for both parts of my role — as a senior Product Concierge manager and Aha! Academy instructor. The only difference is working with one customer at a time versus a group of students."

What does a productive workday look like for you?

"I enjoy showing customers what's possible, especially when they have made up their minds that something can't be done."

"I'm a tinkerer at heart. I like to take things apart and then put them back together. In my role, I'm able to break customer requirements into distinct 'pieces' and reassemble them in the form of a beautiful roadmap or report — often in a way that the customer didn't expect or realize was possible. Again, that light bulb switching on is the goal for me."

What does success mean to you — and how have you found that in your role?

"In past roles, success was always defined by having an impactful and profitable product. At Aha!, it means enabling our customers to benefit from impactful and profitable products. As a result, my own success (and happiness) spans across hundreds of successful teams and products rather than just one."

"I love product management as a discipline — I love helping hundreds of product managers become superstars even more."

What has been the most rewarding thing about joining the Aha! team?

"I worked in product management for about 20 years before joining the Aha! team, and I always looked for chances to work with products that are truly world-class. Aha! has given me the opportunity to do just that — alongside the smartest, most capable, and downright nicest people ever. Doing all of this from the comfort of my home office with my dogs piled up at my feet is icing on the cake."

How do you keep learning and building knowledge in your role?

"I learn primarily by talking with customers or from team members sharing insights about their own discussions with customers. Just when I think I have a solid grasp on a topic, a customer brings up a new angle or requirement that forces me to rethink it and tackle it from different angles. That is why this role is never boring. Customers keep me on my toes."

What is the most surprising, but useful career advice someone has given you?

"Learn to appreciate interruptions."

"I got this advice when I first came to Aha! several years ago. Prior to joining, I had spent my career getting irritated by interruptions, thinking don't you know how busy I am? I missed tons of opportunities to speak with customers at times when they needed to speak to me most. This interrupt-driven mindset is something I now take with me in all areas of my life — not just work."

The What I Achieve series spotlights the exceptional people on the Aha! team. For insights into how we got here, read our Why I Joined posts.

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