We are excited to have Chris O'Donnell, Chief Product Officer at HubSpot, on the show today. Tune in to hear all about his journey through product management and how things with technology have changed over time and the impact that has had on businesses.
The hardest part about Chris's position is figuring out how he fits in the greater whole in the most productive way. He mentions that it's all about the team and communication. The team is everything - the quality of the products, the user experience, the depth of how well the product fits, etc. All of that is coming from the creative team, so figuring out how to get the team aspect right is crucial. You can't carry everything on your own back. And the thing is, no one has it figured out. There's no one answer or one size fits all.
You can only get so far with everything on your back, but when someone is carrying everything, they have a very wide exposure. By having roles broken out, how can you maintain a holistic viewpoint? There has to be a lot of shared conversations. It's about making sure that lots of people are in the room to be able to discuss and debate behind the scenes with one another.
Saying what you mean and what you're feeling at the time is important. It's important to be authentic. It's not about playing fast. You can create something that's great, but if it doesn't address the customer's frustrations, it isn't going to help. Why are we debating a tech investment when we haven't even done it manually first? Just because you can create something doesn't mean you should create it. Go back and ask what is the strategy? What's the story that is working? And what's the best way to tell that story?