McKinsey on Building Products

Every company wants to scale efficiently and create a seamless customer experience. But growth isn’t just about having a great product—it requires strategic partnerships that align incentives and deliver mutual value. Without them, even the best technology can struggle to gain traction. In this episode, host Rikki Singh speaks with Daniel Danker, Chief Product Officer at Instacart, about how the company has built a thriving multi-sided marketplace by forging strong relationships with retailers, brands, and shoppers—turning partnerships into a powerful engine for growth. This conversation originally took place as part of the McKinsey Product Academy speaker series. See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information.See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

In this episode of McKinsey on Building Products, host Rikki Singh and Sanjiva Weerawarana, CEO and CPO of WSO2, explore the journey of building a global product company from Sri Lanka. They discuss the challenges of entering international markets, the importance of not always doing exactly what customers ask for, and valuable insights on empowering teams, developing talent, and maintaining a competitive edge in the dynamic field of product management.See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

In this episode of McKinsey on Building Products, host Rikki Singh and Zeynep Ozdemir, CMO at Atlassian, discuss the critical role of marketing in product-led growth (PLG). They explore the alignment between marketing and product teams, the interplay between PLG and sales-led growth (SLG), and insights on leveraging data, fostering innovation, and navigating market expansion to drive success in product management. This conversation originally took place as part of the McKinsey Product Academy speaker series.See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

In this episode of McKinsey on Building Products, host Rikki Singh and Tamar Yehoshua, President of Product and Technology at Glean, delve into the evolving landscape of product leadership in the age of AI. They discuss the pivotal role of customer obsession, the challenges of integrating AI into product management, and strategies for leveraging AI to enhance productivity and innovation.See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Arnab Bose, Chief Product Officer at Okta, shares his deep expertise in cybersecurity and identity management. He delves into the transformative role of AI in these fields, discussing the challenges of adopting AI safely in security solutions. Arnab emphasizes the need for a robust identity management strategy amidst growing cyber threats. He also highlights misconceptions around identity management's importance and advocates for a collaborative approach to enhance security standards for all organizations.

In this episode of McKinsey on Building Products, host Rikki Singh and Yuhki Yamashita, CPO of Figma, explore building user-obsessed products and the future of design. They delve into key elements of creating a PLG flywheel, importance of community in fostering product adoption, and the transformative impact of generative AI on product development.See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

In 2024, key insights reveal the critical need for customer-centricity in product development. Identifying customer pain points and utilizing storytelling can enhance product engagement. The principles of product-led growth emphasize delivering immediate user value through collaboration across teams. The interplay between product management and business is crucial, especially in tech-driven industries. Lastly, the strategic use of AI in product management promises improved customer experiences and significant productivity gains.

In this episode of McKinsey on Building Products, host Rikki Singh and Paul Yacoubian, founder and CEO of Copy.ai, discuss how an AI-native company leverages product-led growth. They explore how to build a product-led growth funnel from scratch, variations in PLG approaches by target customer segments, and the evolution from product-led growth to product-led sales.See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Robert Chatwani, President of Growth at DocuSign and an expert in product-led sales, shares valuable insights on driving sustainable revenue and brand loyalty. He emphasizes the significance of prioritizing customer value and aligning teams for shared outcomes. Robert discusses creating an exceptional customer journey and the pivotal role of data in refining sales strategies. He underscores that successful product-led growth hinges on transparency, community building, and the integration of AI to elevate customer experiences.

Varun Parmar, General Manager at Adobe and former CPO at Miro and Box, shares insights on driving growth through product-led strategies. He highlights the significance of reducing time to customer value and achieving cross-functional alignment for effective product-led sales. The conversation dives into how generative AI transforms sales operations and the importance of collaborative efforts for success. Varun emphasizes that understanding user experience is crucial for engaging and retaining customers in today's competitive environment.