Tory Trombley

! I'm Tory, and I'm a Product Lead for Music at Instagram based in NYC. I own the music & audio features across Instagram - including audio creative tools, adding music to Reels, Feed, Stories & Profile, and represent Product in our music licensing business for IG. Prior to Instagram, I spent four years working in London on Meta's virtual and augmented reality products for businesses and before working in tech, was in strategy consulting.

1. Thinking back, what led you to join BOW?

When I came to Duke, I knew that I wanted to explore a career in business but I didn’t know what areas of business I was interested in or how to learn more about the various career paths and industries that were available to me. I had also heard that BOW was one of the most prestigious and engaged groups on campus to join and a great way to meet other ambitious and driven women!

2. What is your coolest accomplishment and/or favorite memory from Duke?

My sophomore summer I was chosen to participate in DukeEngage in Dublin which was a fantastic experience. Not only was I able to spend time with and serve the refugee and immigrant communities in Dublin, Ireland, but I was also able to gain valuable experience working in a nonprofit for the summer. Now as an adult, I recognize how special and rare these opportunities are, and I would encourage any Duke student to take advantage of the incredible opportunities that Duke provides you with.

3. What led you to pursue product management and how did you make that transition?

After a short stint in management consulting where I specialized in marketing insights and growth strategies, I became very interested in the ways that businesses can grow and deepen their relationships to their customers via personalized messaging and go to market strategies. I took a role as a Product Marketing Manager in London working on Workplace, a SaaS product owned by Facebook. After a year as a product marketer, I joined a product team that didn’t have a product manager and was able to take on some product responsibilities in my day-to-day. I really enjoyed getting closer to the engineering team and helping to shape the outcome of the product - including both the product strategy as well as the execution of the roadmap. Shortly after this I made a formal transition to product manager. 

4. What has your experience been like working at Instagram?

Working at Instagram has been amazing! It’s been an amazing experience to work on a product that has both scale (billions of users), but also appetite for creativity and new features. In my opinion, that’s very rare to find, since most products and tech companies tend to have one or the other. I specifically focus on Creation and helping creators make amazing content, and I love building for this space as I believe it’s the next generation of entrepreneurship. 

5. How has mentorship factored into your path? 

I have had many mentors in my career, including managers, career counselors, and executives that I have worked closely with. I would definitely not be where I am today without having had such amazing mentors, and I truly believe that it’s such an important part of everyone’s career path and journey. Because of this, I’m super passionate about giving back and mentoring those who are just starting out on their career paths!

6. What advice do you have for current BOW members trying to navigate their job search?

I know a job search can seem overwhelming, but BOW members are so unique and talented. Don’t over index on finding the perfect role or job right out of college. Your career is truly a jungle gym and not a ladder (an overused but accurate metaphor). My best advice is to prioritize a job right out of college that gives you important skills and the experience that you may need to get the dream job later down the road. That might look like going into consulting, banking, or joining a rotational product management program as your first job. 

7. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

In five years, I want to be leading a team of product managers who are building something in the creator economy space. This could be at Instagram, another scale up or start up, or even starting my own company!