Empowering An Organization Through Product Operations with Scott White

May 25, 2022

Scott White from AirTable discusses the importance of transparency in product operations and how great ideas can come from anywhere in an organization. They talk about the evolution of product operations, empowering teams through data, balancing autonomy and alignment, and the significance of customer feedback in product management.

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Introduction

00:00 • 2min

Evolution and Flexibility in Product Management at AirTable

01:32 • 7min

Empowering Teams through Data in Product Operations

08:34 • 12min

Aligning Business Strategy with Customer Needs and Establishing a Structured Product Ops Process

20:34 • 4min

Balancing Autonomy and Alignment in Product Operations at Airtable

24:51 • 14min

Emphasizing Customer Feedback and Sales Calls in Product Management

39:14 • 3min

Melissa Perri welcomes Scott White to this week’s episode of the Product Thinking Podcast. Scott leads the product vertical at AirTable, so he shares how his own organization puts into place the tools and processes AirTable supports. Melissa and Scott discuss the many benefits of product operations and how it evolves as a company grows, “global alignment with local autonomy,” Melissa’s dream product ops set up, automated roadmap review, and product management in platform companies. Here are some key points you’ll hear Scott and Melissa talk about: Scott talks about his introduction to the product management field, his professional background, and what led him to AirTable. [2:02] Scott shares why he entered the product management sphere, how his product works, and the versatility of AirTable. [4:25] AirTable’s product development process and how product operations are conducted. Product development should be a company-wide concern and not solely the product team’s. “Great ideas can come from anywhere within an organization as long as people have the visibility and the context into why the organization is prioritizing what that they are,” Scott says. [14:44] The evolution of product operations and when it is most essential to organizations of varying sizes. Scott says that there are two major points where your product operations should metamorphose: “One is when you need to improve your product desperately ….. Number two is when you're drastically increasing the complexity of your business.” [17:39] Scott shares how his product operations team sets goals, monitors strategy, and tracks the goals and metrics, to ensure that they're tackling the task at hand so that they can achieve their goals. [21:07] Scott reveals what he believes to be the most crucial practice that a product leader can implement when conducting product operations. “I think ultimately [as a product leader] it’s critical to understand the voice of your customers when you're building products.” [37:00] Melissa asks Scott about his transition from CEO to product leader and what aspects of his former role he carries into his new one. [38:58] Resources Scott White | LinkedIn | Twitter