Meet our Product Manager, Petra Hanakova, whose career journey took her through a series of small, unexpected steps, from a love of maps, through UX, to product management. Today, she is the driving force behind our new CleverMaps.AI product portfolio, and we think her story is one worth sharing.
How did you get into GIS, maps, and geospatial data? Why did you choose this field?
I've always liked maps. When I was deciding which university to attend after high school, I looked through lots of different degree programs. Somehow, geoinformatics stuck in my mind. I enjoyed geography, and during my final year of high school, we created maps in one of our seminars. I absolutely loved it. In the end, I even made the seminar project for almost the entire class. 😄
I thought to myself that if I enjoyed it so much already in high school, I should just give it a try. So I applied to study geoinformatics, and looking back, it was one of the best decisions I've ever made.
During university, I completely fell in love with the field. People often think that maps are just maps. But the more I learned, the more I realized how much there is behind them.
When did you become interested in UX, and what did you enjoy most about it?
I became interested in UX (user experience) during the last two years of university. I really enjoyed cartography, and over time I realized that it's not just about making a map look nice or choosing the right colors. I became fascinated by the fact that every map is read by someone different, and not everyone interprets it the way we'd like them to.
That's when I realized that it wasn't really about the map itself, but about the person using it and the purpose it was created for.
That's exactly what drew me to UX the most: how to design a product that feels so natural that people don't have to think about what to do and that genuinely helps them. We also had a fantastic professor who had a big influence on me, so even back then I knew I wanted to work in UX one day. And my biggest dream? To design UX for mapping applications.
At the time, it felt far too niche. I thought there probably weren't many positions like that, and honestly, I didn't really expect it to happen. That's why it's so special to me that today this is exactly what I do. If someone had told me that a few years ago, I probably wouldn't have believed them.
How did your journey take you from UX to product management?
It was probably a bit of a winding road. I knew I wanted to work in UX. That was my goal. But over time, I became interested in more and more aspects of the product itself. I was no longer interested only in how to design something, but also why it was being built, how decisions were made, what the bigger picture looked like, and everything that happened behind the scenes.
Then, somewhat unexpectedly, an opportunity came up at CleverMaps to move into product management. I hesitated for a long time, but eventually I thought it would be a shame not to give it a try. The transition happened quickly. It wasn't something I'd been planning for years. The opportunity simply appeared, and I took it. Looking back, I'm really glad I did.
How do your GIS experience and background help you in product management today?
A great deal. I think it's exactly the combination of UX and geoinformatics that helps me so much in product management. What I love most about product management is how complex it is. It brings together users, technology, business, and the company's expertise.
Thanks to UX, I'm much better at putting myself in the customer's shoes. I think about what they really need, what makes sense to them, and what makes their work more difficult.
And thanks to my geoinformatics background, I understand what we're actually building. I didn't have to learn the whole world of geospatial data from scratch because it's a field I've known since university.
You completed a UX course with Czechitas (a non-profit organization that helps women and children develop IT skills). What did it give you?
I joined Czechitas while I was on parental leave. After spending almost six years at home, I honestly didn't believe I'd ever return to IT. It felt like the industry had moved on without me and that I'd never catch up. I actually enrolled mainly to find out whether I still had what it takes.
In the end, it wasn't really about the knowledge. The biggest benefit was being surrounded by women who were going through exactly the same thing I was. They wanted to work in UX, they were thinking about it, and they were trying to find their way into the field. I could compare myself with them, and suddenly I realized I wasn't doing badly at all. That gave me a huge confidence boost.
What attracted you to CleverMaps when you were deciding whether to join?
Honestly? Pretty much everything. I already knew one of my colleagues here, and he spoke so highly of CleverMaps. I knew I wanted to work in UX, but I also knew it wasn't easy to get into the field without previous work experience. And on top of that, this was a UX Designer role focused on mapping products. That had always been my dream.
What surprised you the most about working at CleverMaps?
Without a doubt, the people. I was genuinely surprised by what a great group of people works here. You might think that when most people work remotely, everyone is scattered around the country, or even abroad, it wouldn't feel very connected. But in reality, it's exactly the opposite.
I feel that people here genuinely help each other. Whenever I don't know something, I never feel like I'm bothering anyone. There's always someone willing to explain things or offer advice. And I think that's what really makes this company what it is. The technology is great, the products are great, but in the end, it's always about the people.
What do you wish people knew or better understood about CleverMaps products?
I wish people knew that what we do is about much more than just maps.
Most people imagine a map with numbers and different colors highlighting something. But what we actually do is bring together large amounts of data from different sources and, most importantly, analyze it to uncover what really matters.
Right now, for example, I'm working on a use case around selecting a plot of land for building a house. You don't just want to know where the plot is located. You also want to know whether a new road is planned nearby, how far away the nearest kindergarten or playground is, what the zoning plan says, and what developments are planned in the surrounding area.
Normally, you'd have to look this up in five or six different systems. Our product brings everything together in one place, connects the data, and evaluates it. You simply look at the results. Or ask the AI Assistant, and the answer is right there.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Our Products?
When I joined CleverMaps, the company was going through a major transformation. New products were being developed, technologies were changing, and I arrived at a time when many things were being built from the ground up. That's exactly what I enjoy being part of.
I love watching the entire process unfold. Seeing an idea gradually turn into a real product that people actually use. It's fascinating to realize how much work goes into it. When you use an application, you rarely think about how many people contribute to it or how many decisions have to be made before it reaches the customer.
How Do You Like to Relax?
I'm not very good at relaxing, and when I do, it's usually by staying active. My favorite way to unwind is running, ideally in the woods, or even better, in the hills.
I also love spending time outdoors with my family. I'm not really the kind of person who can spend an entire day lying on the couch watching TV or reading a book. Being active and spending time in nature is what gives me the most energy.
Has Becoming a Parent Changed Your Perspective on Work?
I think becoming a parent has made me much more efficient. When I have time set aside for work, I try to make the most of it. Thanks to flexible working hours, a part-time schedule, and the option to work remotely, I've been able to do that at CleverMaps.
It has also taught me to prioritize much more effectively. You simply have to decide what really matters and what can wait. I think that mindset also helps me in my product management work.
How Did You Imagine Product Management, and What Is It Actually Like?
What surprised me most is just how incredibly complex the job is. Rather naively, I imagined I'd have four uninterrupted hours to think, design features, or write specifications. The reality is completely different.
In a single day, I communicate with developers, designers, Professional Services, Sales, Marketing, customers, and investors.
Each group thinks differently, speaks a different language, and focuses on a different part of the product. As a Product Manager, my job is to connect all those perspectives. If you're curious how well I'm doing, the best way to find out is to try our demo. :)
How Do You See the Future of Location Intelligence?
I'm not someone who likes to predict the future, and I think that's especially difficult today. AI is moving everything forward at an incredible pace, and what is true today may be completely different a year from now.
What I do believe is that geospatial data will continue to play an increasingly important role. The amount of data around us keeps growing, and I think it will become more and more important to connect it, understand it, and use it to support better decision-making.
If AI can help us do that, I believe it will make the world of geospatial data accessible to far more people than it is today.