Shannon Scott, SVP and Global Head of Product at Airwallex, delves into the intricacies of product leadership and career navigation. He emphasizes that product understanding drives better outcomes and that career choices in startups are often reversible. Shannon highlights the importance of hiring for adaptability and experience while valuing diverse perspectives. He discusses the critical role of customer relationships and the need to grasp complex customer needs for successful enterprise products. Mistakes in startups, he argues, can be pivotal learning opportunities.
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question_answer ANECDOTE
Early Career Path
Shannon Scott's career started in a consultancy-like startup building software for insurance companies.
This combined consulting, customer interaction, and software development, which he found to be a perfect intersection for product management.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Reversible Decisions and Product-Market Fit
Career decisions, especially in startups, are reversible, so don't be afraid to take a leap.
Prioritize companies that have already achieved product-market fit, as it indicates potential success and scalability.
insights INSIGHT
People and Motivation
Evaluate a company's potential by looking at the team's confidence and their hunger to build a great product.
A strong team with high motivation can make all the difference in taking the product to the next level.
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In this week's podcast episode, we speak with Shannon Scott, SVP, Global Head of Product at Airwallex, who shares insights on product leadership, career paths, hiring strategies, and the challenges of building enterprise products.
Understanding the product leads to better outcomes.
Career decisions in startups are reversible.
Belief in the product is crucial for success.
Hiring requires a balance of experience and adaptability.
Reference customers are vital for enterprise success.
Product management skills can be applied in various roles.
Evaluating a company's growth stage is essential before joining.
Diversity in hiring brings different perspectives to the team.
Critical thinking is key in product management roles.
Building enterprise products requires understanding complex customer needs. Your customers expect it to be complex.
Building a strong relationship with customers is crucial.
Understanding the intricacies of your product is essential.
Mistakes in startups can lead to valuable learning experiences.
Creating a culture of accountability helps prevent repeated mistakes.
It's important to adapt quickly to market changes.
The best products come from deep understanding of customer needs.
Utilizing infrastructure effectively can enhance customer experience.
Communication with customers can lead to better product fit.
A direct organizational culture fosters better outcomes.
Our Hosts Lily Smith enjoys working as a consultant product manager with early-stage and growing startups and as a mentor to other product managers. She’s currently Chief Product Officer at BBC Maestro, and has spent 13 years in the tech industry working with startups in the SaaS and mobile space. She’s worked on a diverse range of products – leading the product teams through discovery, prototyping, testing and delivery. Lily also founded ProductTank Bristol and runs ProductCamp in Bristol and Bath.
Randy Silver is a Leadership & Product Coach and Consultant. He gets teams unstuck, helping you to supercharge your results. Randy's held interim CPO and Leadership roles at scale-ups and SMEs, advised start-ups, and been Head of Product at HSBC and Sainsbury’s. He participated in Silicon Valley Product Group’s Coaching the Coaches forum, and speaks frequently at conferences and events. You can join one of communities he runs for CPOs (CPO Circles), Product Managers (Product In the {A}ether) and Product Coaches. He’s the author of What Do We Do Now? A Product Manager’s Guide to Strategy in the Time of COVID-19. A recovering music journalist and editor, Randy also launched Amazon’s music stores in the US & UK.
The Product Experience