Product Ops Chronicles Understanding the four hats of product operations with John Cutler
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Jun 12, 2025 
Join John Cutler, Head of Product at Dotwork and a seasoned product enabler, as he delves into the four hats of product operations: the operational leader, designer, builder, and wrangler. He discusses the critical balance between collaboration and transactional work, revealing that not all dependencies are detrimental. John emphasizes the importance of removing workload to enhance collaboration and offers insights into navigating team dynamics and boosting productivity. Find out which product operator you relate to!
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The Four Hats of Product Ops
- John Cutler defines four essential hats of product operations: operational excellence leader, designer, builder, and wrangler.
- Product ops leaders often wear all hats but need leadership sponsorship for sustainable impact.
Clarify Hats and Secure Sponsorship
- Clearly define which product ops hat you are wearing at any time for focus and clarity.
- Secure leadership support to back up the operational systems you design to succeed.
Sociology Course Shapes Culture
- A German company faculty took a sociology course on alignment instead of formal goals.
- Their goal-less culture worked internally but led to new hires leaving within 6-12 months.