The Twenty Minute VC (20VC): Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch 20Product: Why You Should Not Go Into Product Management, Why the CEO is Always the CPO, How to Build the Best Product Teams & Why You Should Hire People Who Aren't In Product Already with Databricks SVP Product, David Meyer
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Nov 1, 2023 David Meyer, SVP of Product at Databricks, shares his unconventional view on product management, advising against entering the field. He emphasizes the CEO's pivotal role as the Chief Product Officer and the need for empathy in leadership. Meyer discusses the importance of hiring outside conventional product backgrounds, highlights common hiring mistakes, and explains how to build effective product teams by fostering trust. His insights also touch on balancing data-driven decision-making with emotional dynamics, ensuring teams feel valued.
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Unexpected Product Role
- David Meyer, initially a civil/nuclear engineer, joined Plumtree Software and ran QA/Engineering.
- He consistently critiqued the product lead, which eventually led to him taking over the role.
Critique and Build
- Focus on building products that demonstrably matter to the customer, addressing real needs.
- Don't be afraid to critique existing products, even without direct experience, to identify potential improvements.
Customer Questioning
- Customer questioning is inherently difficult due to biases like confirmation bias.
- Open-ended questions are ideal but can be inefficient; use open-niche questions to guide the conversation.