The Twenty Minute VC (20VC): Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch 20Product: The Five Step Process to Hiring the Best Product People, The Four Core Skills the Best PMs Need to Have, The Two Product Documents that Drive World Class Product Teams & Why the Best PMs are Writers with Scott Williamson, Former CPO @ Gitlab
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Feb 21, 2024 
Scott Williamson, former Chief Product Officer at GitLab, shares golden insights from his extensive career in product management. He emphasizes that a background in sales can be a solid foundation for product leaders and discusses the four core skills every PM should master: validation, building, business acumen, and communication. Scott reveals his rigorous hiring process and stresses that the best product teams are often made up of excellent writers. He also touches on balancing innovation with execution, making clear communication key to successful team dynamics.
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Product Management: Art vs. Science
- Product management blends art and science, roughly 50/50 for most roles.
- The ratio varies; growth PMs lean towards science, while startup PMs lean towards art.
PM Hiring Process Structure
- Structure PM interviews with five stages: recruiter screen, hiring manager interview, engineering manager interview, peer interview, and finalist/bar raiser interview.
- Each stage assesses different competencies, from basic qualifications to domain expertise and case study performance.
Core PM Competencies
- Evaluate PMs on four core competencies: validation, building, business acumen, and communication.
- Strong candidates excel in customer research, engineering collaboration, business metrics, and clear communication across stakeholders.
