Bailey Walatka-Ruiz doesn’t just manage systems—she elevates them. As Product Operations Manager at Reputation, Bailey brings clarity to complexity, making cross-functional collaboration feel seamless. In her words, she’s the “product fairy”—magically improving workflows behind the scenes.

But there’s nothing accidental about the impact she’s driving. With a toolkit that spans Jira integrations, Productboard templates, and stakeholder alignment rituals, Bailey exemplifies how modern product ops leaders keep organizations focused, fast, and user-centered.

We sat down with Bailey to talk about her journey into product ops, how she prioritizes work across 15+ products, and what it really means to drive operational excellence.

Bailey’s advice for product ops professionals

1. Start with “Why?”

One of Bailey’s superpowers is her ability to cut through noise and get to the core of the problem. She doesn’t just execute on requests, she interrogates them.

“If somebody’s asking me to take care of something, I’m like—why? What is the root problem we’re searching for?”

Whether she’s reviewing product feedback, planning releases, or working cross-functionally, Bailey asks thoughtful questions to find the best solution. Her advice? Get curious…and stay that way.

“Even when PMs propose a metric to track, I’ll ask—why that one? Why now? What’s the outcome we actually want?” 

It’s a mindset that turns reactive tasks into opportunities for systems-level change.

2. Reset your roadmap—often

For Bailey, the hardest part of the job isn’t complexity—it’s prioritization. With endless requests and ideas flying in, she’s had to develop a framework for filtering noise and staying aligned with strategic goals.

“There’s always a list of 20 things I could be working on… I have to do a reset once a month and ask, ‘What’s most important right now?’”

She’s built her own mini Jira board to track initiatives, and once that “In Progress” column starts to fill up, she exports the list, meets with her manager, and refines her focus.

“Anything below the waterline gets deprioritized…for now.”

It’s a pragmatic approach that balances vision with execution which is something every product ops pro can learn from.

3. Product ops doesn’t have to be lonely

As more companies explore product ops, the conversation around the role is heating up—sometimes with strong opinions on both sides. For Bailey, that visibility is a good thing.

“People are either finding it more useful or saying they don’t need it. It’s opened up space for better conversations.” 

Through the Productboard Ambassador Program, Bailey has found peers, mentors, and collaborators, like Christopher Fox and Matt Johlie, who are helping evolve the craft in real time.

“We connected through Slack and now we’re swapping ideas. It’s been really cool.” 

Q+A with Bailey Walataka-Ruiz

Q: What led you to product operations?

Bailey: I fell into it through a data-heavy role at a small Sacramento tech company. At first, it wasn’t traditional product ops—it was more like voice-of-customer analysis and tool wrangling. But as the company grew, we formed a formal product ops group, and that’s where I really started to build ops skills. Now at Reputation, I help manage a large product portfolio, drive feedback workflows, and connect product to teams like marketing, support, and TPMs. 

Q: What’s your favorite part of product ops work?

Bailey: I love how creative it is in a non-obvious way. I’m not designing visuals, but I get to think through systems, experiment, and be iterative. It’s fast-paced and constantly evolving, which can be tough—but it also keeps things fun. I’m always thinking, testing, and solving. 

Q: What’s a piece of advice that shaped how you work?

Bailey: One of my old managers told me: “In ops, no one notices you until something breaks.” It completely reframed how I viewed my role. Now, if everything’s smooth and no one’s asking questions, I know things are working. That realization gave me a lot of confidence in my early days. 

Q: What’s been your biggest challenge?

Bailey: Honestly, it’s staying focused. I’ll start one project and then get a new idea or request that could improve something else—so I snowball. That’s why my monthly reset is so important. I realign to my quarterly objectives and deprioritize anything that doesn’t map back.

Q: What’s your favorite feature in Productboard?

Bailey: Definitely the Jira integration. We’ve customized it so our TPMs and PMs can work in their preferred tools but still see updates flow seamlessly. That alone has improved visibility and efficiency across our teams. I also love grid boards—they’re how we organize everything from audits to onboarding templates.

Q: What made you want to join the Ambassador Program?

Bailey: I wanted to connect with other folks using Productboard at scale. The early access to features is a plus—I love testing and giving feedback. But more than anything, I wanted to be part of the community. And it’s already paid off—I’ve had great convos with people like Matt Johlie who are solving similar challenges. 

Q: What are your thoughts on where product ops is headed?

Bailey: The conversation is growing louder, and that’s a good thing—even when people say, “You don’t need product ops.” It means we’re becoming visible. I’ve learned to engage with both sides, stay confident in the value we bring, and find my people. 

Improving outcomes across teams with a systems driven approach

Bailey’s approach to product ops is proof that you don’t need to shout to lead. With a calm, systems-driven mindset, she’s improving outcomes across teams—and inspiring others to do the same.

Want to connect with Bailey and more product innovators like her? Join the Productboard Ambassador Program.