No Hacks: The Mindset Behind Digital Optimization and Growth

[SHORT] Bridging the Gap: How Product and CRO Are Merging with Hesh Fekry

Mar 7, 2025

Hesh Fekry, an expert from CXL, dives into the fascinating intersection of product management and conversion rate optimization (CRO). He discusses how these fields, once viewed as separate, are merging through shared goals focused on user insights and experimentation. Hesh emphasizes the transformation of CRO into a broader concept that includes retention and monetization strategies. He also highlights how AI tools are bridging skill gaps, enabling professionals to tackle cross-functional challenges and integrating CRO principles from the very beginning of product development.

09:12

Episode guests

Hesh Fekry

AI Summary

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Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

The merging of CRO and Product highlights a shift towards shared objectives in user experience, experimentation, and early-stage validation.

Rebranding CRO as experimentation reflects its expanded role in product development, encompassing retention, monetization, and broader problem-solving strategies.

Deep dives

The Convergence of Product and CRO Roles

The traditional distinction between Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) and product management roles is blurring as both fields begin to share similar processes and objectives. Historically, CRO has focused on metrics primarily associated with marketing, such as conversion rates, whereas product management encompasses a wider scope including monetization, activation, and retention strategies. This overlap highlights a growing trend where professionals in CRO are increasingly engaging in product-related areas, such as experimentation and user experience design. As responsibilities evolve, it's becoming more common for CRO practitioners to be involved in initial project discussions, ensuring that assumptions are validated early in the development process to optimize outcomes.

Intro

3min

The Evolution of CRO: From Traditional Roles to Experimentation

2min

The Importance of Early CRO and Product Integration

2min

The Convergence of Product Development and CRO

2min

In this episode, I talked to Hesh Fekry from CXL about the evolving relationship between Product and Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO). How are these once-separate disciplines are increasingly overlapping in scope, mindset, and execution? The conversation touches on the historical separation of CRO from Product, the shift towards experimentation as a more fitting term, and how AI and new tools are enabling professionals to bridge skill gaps faster than ever before.

Key Takeaways:

CRO & Product Have Always Been Similar: While traditionally seen as separate roles, both disciplines focus on user insights, problem-solving, and optimizing user flows.
The Issue with the CRO Label: CRO as a term has long been tied to a narrow metric-focused approach (conversion rates), but its scope has expanded far beyond that.
Experimentation as the New CRO: The rebranding of CRO towards experimentation reflects the broader impact CRO professionals have, including retention, monetization, and pricing strategies.
AI is Accelerating the Shift: New AI-driven tools make it easier to fill skill gaps, allowing professionals to be more T-shaped and take on cross-functional responsibilities.
CRO Should Be Involved from Day One: Rather than stepping in after a product is built, CRO principles should be applied from the earliest stages to validate assumptions and de-risk decisions.
Product and CRO are Learning from Each Other: It's not just CRO learning from Product—it’s a continuous loop where both disciplines borrow and refine each other’s methodologies.

Notable Quotes:

📌 "Experimentation is just about expanding the role beyond a single metric." – Hesh
📌 "With AI, the skill gap is getting smaller, and the overlap is growing larger." – Hesh

📌 "CRO almost feels like it should be in the room from day one." – Sani

Product and CRO are no longer separate silos. They are converging into a more holistic approach to user experience, optimization, and experimentation. As AI and new tools continue to evolve, the ability to cross these boundaries will become a key advantage for professionals in both fields.

Tune in for a deep dive into how these changes are shaping the future of digital growth!

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No Hacks: The Mindset Behind Digital Optimization and Growth

[SHORT] Bridging the Gap: How Product and CRO Are Merging with Hesh Fekry

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

The Convergence of Product and CRO Roles

The Shift Towards Experimentation in CRO

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts