Episode 216: Getting OKRs Right: Planning with Impact at OLX with Hugo Froes

Join Melissa Perri in an insightful episode of the Product Thinking Podcast featuring Hugo Froes, Head of Operations at OLX. In this episode, Hugo shares his remarkable journey from UX and service design to leading product operations, a transition that highlights the importance of bridging design with business needs.This conversation dives into how Hugo has effectively shaped product operations at OLX, focusing on process optimization, reducing friction, and empowering teams to deliver true value. Hugo’s approach showcases how strategic product operations can drive innovation and efficiency within organizations.Ready to explore how product operations can transform your organization? Listen to the full episode and gain practical insights from Hugo's experiences!

You’ll hear us talk about:

00:25:08 - Making OKRs Work Across the Organization

Hugo discusses the challenges and solutions for standardizing OKR frameworks to ensure consistent and measurable outcomes while allowing flexibility for team-specific practices.

00:30:41 - The Product Ops Mix

Hugo explains the multi-faceted approach of OLX's product operations team, focusing on improving efficiency, streamlining processes, and supporting organizational growth through strategic tooling.

00:39:03 - Measuring Value in Product Management

Hugo and Melissa explore the importance of continuously validating product value against business outcomes, emphasizing learning over feature delivery.

Episode resources:

• Hugo on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hugofroes/
• Thoughts Unravelled: https://thoughtsunravelled.substack.com/
• Try Liveblocks: https://liveblocks.io/

Timestamps:

00:00 Coming Up

01:01 Intro

05:37 From UX to Product Ops: Hugo’s Journey

09:17 Shift to Product Thinking

16:33 Starting Product Ops at OLX

21:23 Rethinking OKRs for Real Teams

25:08 Making OKRs Work Across the Org

30:41 The Product Ops Mix

35:48 The Real Limits of AI

43:07 What’s Next for Product Ops