The Product Experience

Joca Torres, a product consultant recognized in Marty Cagan’s book, shares his expertise in building product culture during digital transformations. He discusses four core principles: deliver early and often, focus on the problem, deliver results, and adopt an ecosystem mindset. Joca warns against the pitfalls of discovery theatre, emphasizing that true transformation is behavioral, not just technical. He highlights the necessity of executive support and the importance of understanding diverse customer needs for successful product development.

Charlotte King, Lead Product Manager at eBay, shares her expertise on navigating the challenges faced by product teams during rapid growth. She discusses the critical balance between speed and structure, emphasizing the importance of clear goals and communication. Key tools like Wardley Mapping enhance team understanding and decision-making. Charlotte introduces the DHM model to prioritize value and foster delightful user experiences. She also highlights the role of multidisciplinary collaboration and celebrating achievements to enhance team morale and combat imposter syndrome.

In this episode on The Product Experience, we welcome back Matt LeMay—author, consultant, and champion of no-nonsense product thinking. We dig deep into the ideas behind his new book Impact First Product Teams and explore how teams can focus on what really matters: delivering business impact.Featured Links: Follow Matt on LinkedIn and his website | Buy Matt's new book 'Impact-first Product Teams' | Sudden Compass | Randeep Sidhu's episode on The Product Experience: 'Lessons from building the UK's test and trace app'Chapters00:00 – The Myth of Rational Business01:03 – Matt’s Accidental Journey into Product02:20 – What Are “Impact-First” Teams, Really?04:50 – Why OKRs Are Often Just Theatre07:12 – Best Practices ≠ Business Value10:00 – Who’s on the Product Team, and Why It Matters12:30 – Dealing With Cross-Team Goal Conflicts15:00 – Culture Change via Strategic Goal Alignment17:00 – Proactive Conversations About Impact20:00 – Commercial Awareness for Product Teams24:00 – Platform Teams & Measuring Amplified Impact27:00 – What Do Good Impact-First Teams Look Like?31:00 – Customer-Centricity vs. Business Impact34:00 – Discovery, Metrics & Mission-Critical Goals36:00 – Culture, Strategy & Individual Leverage41:00 – BAU vs. Innovation: Set Clear Expectations44:00 – The Ego Trap in Product Work46:00 – Matt’s Final Zinger on Capital and FeelingsOur HostsLily 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.

Roni Ben Aharon, CPO and co-founder of Craft.io, shares his expertise in product management, having worked with industry giants like Booking.com and Wix. He discusses the delicate art of sunsetting features, using the retirement of Craft.io’s visual spec tool as a case study. Roni emphasizes the hidden costs of underused features and the importance of user empathy. He warns against hasty decisions and highlights collaboration between teams as crucial for successful transitions. Listeners gain insight into the challenges of managing legacy features and ensuring effective communication during change.

Jo Wickremasinghe, Chief Product & Technology Officer at BPP, shares insights from her unique journey from aeronautical engineering to leading product transformation. She discusses the pivotal role of product managers as change agents in enhancing team success and efficiency. Jo emphasizes the importance of embracing feedback and collaboration, tackling challenges in prototype testing, and navigating regulatory changes. She also highlights the need for dual expertise in product and technology leadership to drive alignment and innovation within organizations.

In this conversation, Dave Killeen, VP of Product at Pendo, shares his favorite AI tools for product managers. He dives into how these tools can boost productivity and improve communication, spotlighting innovations like Super Whisper for converting voice notes to text. Dave also reflects on the evolving role of product leaders amidst the AI boom, emphasizing the need for a balance between technology and human interaction. With tips on time management and storytelling in product development, he underscores the importance of continuous learning in a tech-driven landscape.

Dave Wascha, CPTO and advisor with a rich background at Microsoft, Moonpig, and Zoopla, addresses a crisis in product management he dubs 'The Reckoning.' He discusses the backlash product professionals face and how to reclaim credibility. With insights into the evolution of European product management, he emphasizes the need for empathy and economic awareness. Dave advocates for flexibility and problem-solving in approaching product challenges and explores the shifting roles of leaders, stressing the importance of adaptability in today's market.

In this engaging conversation, Vincent Jong, CPO at Dealfront, shares insights from his experience navigating product leadership during mergers and acquisitions. He emphasizes the importance of product leaders as key stakeholders in M&A processes. Vincent discusses how to spot red flags and the critical need for clear objectives and cultural alignment. He also offers tactical advice on managing integrations, highlighting the significance of adaptability and strategic communication to ensure success amidst complexity.

Trisha Price, CPO at Pendo, shares her insights on establishing a successful product organization, highlighting her experience in guiding teams through growth. She discusses the shift towards an outcome-driven culture and the importance of aligning product teams with customer insights. Trisha emphasizes measuring success with qualitative metrics like NPS and using AI to understand customer sentiment. She also advocates for integrating OKRs to foster innovation and collaboration, showcasing practices that encourage engagement and quick iterations in product development.

Zan Gilani, Principal Product Manager at Duolingo, shares intriguing insights into the AI avatar, Lily, enhancing language learning through conversation practice. He discusses the challenges of creating engaging conversational AI and emphasizes emotional well-being in the learning process. Zan also reveals Duolingo's innovative approach to gamification and user engagement, and how strategic A/B testing has shaped their product evolution. The conversation wraps up with valuable lessons on measuring success in learning products and scaling effectively.