Microsoft & Startups
Manisha Subramony

Manisha
Subramony

Product DirectionUX StrategyPeople LeadershipAI SystemsOrg Design

I'm a senior design leader with experience at Microsoft and startups. I work across design, strategy, and people — setting product direction, growing designers, and making UX a real lever for business outcomes.

Product Strategy
Cross-org Alignment
Research & Systems Thinking
01

Selected Work

001Product Strategy
Crisis Response — Golden Path + Agentic Vision
Defined an end-to-end crisis response journey across a cross-functional pillar, then evolved it with an agentic lens — identifying where AI can safely reduce cognitive load without compromising governance.
End-to-End JourneyAgentic AICross-org LeadershipInvestment Planning
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002Product Execution · AI
In-line Copilot Experiences — AI Summary & Timeline
Led execution of in-line Copilot experiences translating the crisis response vision into shippable, repeatable design patterns — built to scale across the portal without fragmenting the experience.
Systems DesignAI / CopilotDesign PatternsScalability
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003Manager · Org Design
Shifting the Org from Product-first to Scenario-first
Redesigned the operating model so teams could align on coherent end-to-end experiences — replacing fragmented product backlogs that stalled at team boundaries with a scenario-driven way of working.
Operating ModelJTBDCross-team AlignmentAccountability
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02

Process & People

01
Process · People · Manager
Research as a Strategic Lever

Built research into planning cycles as a repeatable mechanism — not ad hoc. Used structured frameworks to improve decision quality at the leadership level.

  • Kano analysis for ROI and value framing (must-have vs performance vs delighter)
  • Case-study driven analysis to expose systemic failure modes
  • Research synthesis that changed roadmap direction or sequencing
02
AI · Process Efficiency
Feedback Automation with AI

Implemented AI-enabled feedback automation — focused not on using AI but on building a sustainable mechanism that improves how teams learn and respond.

  • Triage taxonomy and labeling model to improve signal quality
  • Clear workflow: who reviews, when, and what decisions it informs
  • Integrated into the operating model — not a standalone tool
03
People · Community · Culture
Microsoft Mentorship Rings

Revived and scaled a mentorship rings program with operational clarity — onboarding, matching, guidance, and repeatable cadence across geos.

  • Built program handbook, onboarding model, and logistics structure
  • Scaled participation while maintaining quality and consistency
  • Created a repeatable model new mentors can adopt independently
03

About

Manisha Subramony
UX research as a strategic lever
Cross-org alignment & operating model design
AI / agentic product strategy
People leadership & mentorship at scale
Systems thinking & failure mode analysis

I partner with product and engineering leaders to set product direction and drive measurable business outcomes, using UX research, design, and AI as strategic levers — especially in complex and ambiguous spaces.

My work sits at the intersection of customer reality and business priority. I've led operating model transformations, defined agentic product visions, and built the research mechanisms that translate ambiguous problems into investment-worthy strategies. I don't just design experiences — I shape the conditions under which good design can happen at scale.

I believe the best design leadership is invisible: felt in the clarity of a roadmap, the alignment of a cross-functional team, and the confidence of a decision made with the right evidence at hand.