Constructing a New World: How Conor Plunkett Built his Way to Product Management @ Crossmint
“Enjoying the journey” is a phrase we hear often, yet it can be challenging to practice amidst stress, obstacles, and demanding circumstances. Still, it’s crucial to embrace. Finding fulfillment in the challenges, growth in the setbacks, and joy in progress is a major part of it. Success is not just about the destination, but about the experiences and lessons learned along the way. Conor Plunkett, a tech entrepreneur who embodies this, started off at his godparents construction company. He pursued a degree in civil engineering, and added an HBA from Ivey. He then pivoted into the tech world, stepping into the world of crypto,, landing an internship at Coinbase, launching his own company, and eventually selling it to Crossmint, where he now works as a Product Manager.
What he Does 💲
Conor is the product manager at a web3 company called Crossmint. Crossmint is a company that simplifies the process for businesses to accept payments in cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin or Ethereum, along with traditional forms of payment. As Conor described it, it is like Stripe, but for crypto. The platform helps businesses accept and manage payments across different blockchains, making crypto transactions simple and accessible.
His specific position as a product manager entails many different things.
“It’s like you’re the mini-CEO of the product.”
In larger companies such as Google, Conor explained why so many product managers are needed. When a lot of people use your product, every facet of the user experience needs to be accounted for. And as the number of users grows, the importance for each small detail is increased. That is why, in companies like Google, there is a product manager in charge of everything, from the Gmail Sign In page to the Search bar.
However, since Conor works in a smaller company, he is tasked with many different things rather than just one small detail. He works to build new things on their platform based on customer feedback.
His Journey 🪜
In high school, Conor had the drive to build things and had a natural aptitude for hands-on work. He worked a couple of his summers at a construction company. He had decided early on that it would make sense for him to move into civil engineering for his undergraduate studies.
However, he was still exploring his career options, torn between his interests in business/economics and civil engineering. With strong math skills, a love for physics, and a passion for building, Conor decided to gain some business experience by launching his own consulting firm. He offered his services for free and helped individuals market and scale their products to reach a broader customer range. One of his notable projects was his collaboration with Toronto author Garie Mcintosh, who Conor met by chance on the TTC. Despite being only 17 years old, he initiated a conversation and convinced McIntosh to let him help with relaunching his book, What’s In a Name. He provided advertising campaigns on the TTC and gave input on effective book launch strategies.
When it came time to apply for university, Conor applied to both Canadian and US universities. He was accepted into Waterloo, Western, UofT, and Queen’s. He ultimately decided to choose Western University to pursue a dual degree in civil engineering and HBA, as he was encouraged to by his mentor — Ivey and engineering graduate Mark Broadfoot.
Conor focused his first three years at Western on getting the most out of Ivey and the civil engineering program. During this time, he saw Web3 and cryptocurrency as an exciting world. He managed to land an internship at McKinsey & Company, but it got canceled due to COVID. However, as one door closed, another opened, and Conor got an internship at Coinbase, the leading company in the cryptocurrency sphere, as a Software Engineer. Around the same time, he received his acceptance letter from the Cansbridge Fellowship — a highly competitive program with an acceptance rate of less than 3%, offering 15–20 of Canada’s top students a $10,000 grant and the chance to intern at top companies in Asia.
“The Cansbridge Fellowship was a life changing experience for me! I can’t recommend it enough!”
He gathered a lot of insights and knowledge of the crypto and tech field from the internship fellowship experience, and working at a venture studio which he used to start his own company, Cycle AI. After running the startup gambit, building the MVP, first customers, and fundraising, Conor successfully sold Cycle AI to Crossmint, where he now works as a Product Manager. In this role, he’s not just making small changes or focusing on one product alone. Instead, he’s building new things, brainstorming innovative ideas, and implementing new ways to improve Crossmint’s payments and transaction platform.
Business and Technology Insights 🖥️
1. With the tech space changing more and more every day, it’s important to understand what jobs will be in demand a year from now and how quickly things can pivot. It’s important to be adaptable.
“Product management has kind of become the place to be, but funny enough in 2024, we’re seeing product management lose a bit of its luster… I’m curious to see what the next hottest role will be.”
2. Learning and leaning into your natural interests will make your life and future job easier and so much more enjoyable. Do what feels right for you and has always excited you.
“If you’re determined to do it, you’ll find a way no matter what … you can search the internet or learn by asking people”
3. Networking and taking initiative can lead you to meet people and have amazing conversations, so don’t convince yourself that it isn’t important out of fear. If you can build up the guts to talk to someone new, it could lead you down an amazing road.
“I was a really socially anxious person in high school, and so I wanted to do something about it. And so, I just started talking to these random strangers. Like you know the guy on TikTok that’s like, what do you do for a living? I swear to God, I was doing that in 2017 before it was cool. And, you know, one third at a time, they’ll tell you to take a hike. But sometimes, they’ll tell you something interesting about them.”
4. Try to get your foot in the door, by offering services for free. This can help you meet tons of cool people and better understand the inner workings of a company.
“I started this thing where I’d offer consulting services to whoever would buy them, usually for free. It started off with some really small projects, like a small construction company who wanted a logo redesign. I’d be like, ‘I’ll do it free.’”
5. Doing a dual degree gives you a broader perspective, which is often unique and desirable for companies looking to hire you.
“I have no regrets choosing Western. I really recommend doing dual degrees for someone who wants to combine multiple areas of interest.”
6. Understanding the system of something can help you play it better. This especially applies to university admissions. Trying to get advice from people that work in admissions committees of the schools you want to go to can help you know exactly how to go about your application.
“You have to understand the system and play it. This applies to many areas, not just admissions.”
When reaching out to them, express genuine interest and send a well-written, thought out message.
“Make them feel good about themselves and working there. Explain why the school is a good fit for you.”
7. Don’t hesitate to ask for extra opportunities (like extra credit), or even another chance at a job. There’s nothing to lose!
“I had a mark under 80. It’s totally my fault but I asked my teacher ‘hey, this is my one thing that’s below where I’d like it to be, can you help me fix it?’ And she said ‘no,’ rightfully so, but that exercise of asking is good because when I tried asking my other profs or teachers in the future, they were like ‘ok, fine. If you do this extra thing, we can probably go from 80 to like a 90.’”
8. Be prepared to have to change your schedule and lifestyle around different parts of your life, but still maintain a good balance so you don’t burn out!
“Balance comes naturally when you’re in tune with the season of your life. For instance, during exam season, I’d study intensely but then switch off completely during breaks to recharge.”
Lessons and Takeaways 🎯
1. When you’re making big and important life decisions, you have to find a fine balance of career benefits and your personal well-being & mental health benefits — they are equally important. Don’t think you should go to a school that will be great for your career but won’t work for you as a person.
When discussing how he chose his school, Conor said:
“The incremental career benefit versus the personal suffering… that trade-off just wasn’t worth it for me. Career is definitely one thing, but… we have 85 years on this Earth. And trading four years at Waterloo for those 85… wasn’t worth it for me.”
2. Good grades make you look like a better candidate and give people a solid reason to hire you. They are important!
“Grades do matter. Grades open up doors… if you have two people side by side and this guy has a 98 and this guy has a 78, you’ll probably bet on this person more often.”
3. Moving away from home for university, though it seems scary, can be great for building independence and learning how to balance out different parts of your life.
“Moving away for university… is one of the good times you’re kind of like throwing money on the fire… to just figure it out.”
4. Leverage your disadvantages and try to flip the script. This can give you a unique selling point and a new perspective.
“One thing I can tell you for sure is, if you’re in a situation where you have some form of disadvantage, find a game where the disadvantage is actually an advantage. What does that mean? If you’re young, great! You’re young, you know nothing, but everyone wants to help you out. If you’re a civil engineer who wants to make a tech product, no one in tech will want to listen to you at first, but now you have a unique perspective on it. Just keep flipping the thing that seems like a negative into a positive and throw yourself into it.”
5. Having a mentor can help you a lot. Even just talking to experienced people can give you great understanding and guidance.
“I had a mentor… He was like, ‘Look, you like engineering, but you’ve got all these business skills. This dual-degree program is the perfect fit for you.’”
6. Embracing failure helps you learn and grow. Don’t be afraid of it.
“It’s important to sometimes get a healthy dose of volume in your face in life. That’s why I applied to the States — to fail and learn from it.”
7. Having a strong support system is crucial. Always make sure to prioritize your relationships with people you care about — your family and friends.
“You really need to recognize and value your support network. It plays a huge part in your success. Build friendships with people who inspire you and make you better, not just those who are similar to you or in your field.”
8. Never stop trying to get better and improve yourself.
“The hardest thing is working on yourself. It’s an ongoing process of self-improvement and growth.”
9. Take time to reflect on how you’re feeling — it will help you feel at peace and balance everything on your plate.
“Going on walks without my phone helps me check in with how I’m feeling and what I need. Introspection and self-questioning are key to finding balance.”
TL;DR 📜
Conor Plunkett is the product manager at Crossmint, a web3 company that works to simplify crypto payments — it’s like Stripe, but for crypto!
His career began working hands on in a construction company.
He built a foundation in the tech field with an internship at Coinbase, Wealthsimple, and later, he ended up founding a company called Cycle AI.
He then sold Cycle AI to Crossmint, where he now works as a product manager to build new features and manage the platform. He discussed his role as a PM and how it differs from PMs in larger companies.
Conor stressed the importance of networking and taking initiative to grow.
He also advocates for balancing career, personal well-being, and mental health.
Additionally, he encourages learning from failure and seeking mentorship for guidance.
Rapid Fire 🔥
Who’s your biggest role model? Michelle Obama
What’s your dream job if not where you are now? Teacher, Mentor or Monk
What’s your go-to song/music? Stronger by Kanye for workout /Country Girl Shake it for Me/Trauma-Worakls Remix for work
Hobbies? DJing, walking
What’s the best prank you’ve ever pulled? “Showed my fake earrings with the TikTok crosses to my mom and dad.”
6. What superpower do you wish you had and what would you do with it?
“Time- travel. First, buy Apple stocks early. Second, go back to the 1800s and see if people are happy and compare their happiness with the 21st century.”
7. What’s the first thing you’d buy if you won the lottery? “Do nothing for 6 months. And, then buy all my close and loved ones a big meal at a fancy restaurant.”
8. What’s the proudest moment in your life?
“Jan of 2024. My friend asked me how happy I am on average and it felt so amazing to say I was feeling 9/10 happiness. I was super proud of my response because ever since 3rd/4th year university I had experienced so many hardships and challenges in my life which I had to overcome one at a time. So, it feels amazing to have overcome those and enjoying my present life.”
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