Product Thinking
Episode 221: Balancing Strategy and Execution at Scale with Kristin Dorsett
Apr 30, 2025
Kristin Dorsett, COO at Viator, shares her vision of fostering a culture of experimentation and collaboration. She emphasizes the importance of learning from failures and leveraging customer feedback to enhance product strategies. Kristin discusses how AI is strategically used to improve customer experiences without falling into the trap of tech for tech's sake. Her insights on balancing rapid iteration with measurable success provide a roadmap for organizations aiming to innovate while maintaining alignment and efficiency.
39:55
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Quick takeaways
- Kristin emphasizes the significance of fostering a culture of experimentation where learning from failures drives rapid innovation and success.
- Viator's use of AI and customer feedback enhances decision-making, ensuring that tech solutions address real user needs without veering into unnecessary complexity.
Deep dives
The Role of a Product Manager in Technical Teams
Product managers need to be fluent enough to communicate effectively with technical teams, despite not being technical experts themselves. Instead of coding, they focus on understanding the challenges faced by engineers and finding ways to help them overcome obstacles in their work. This approach underscores the importance of listening to team members and identifying ways to unblock them, creating a collaborative environment that drives innovation. This shift in mindset is vital for maintaining effective communication between product and engineering teams.
