Shobhit Chugh

I disagree, one such example that comes to my mind after reading this is Byju's where they built distribution and never focused on product. While on the other hand PW had an amazing product and distribution got solved over a period of time. As a founder I am not deeply in love with the product but with the problem we are solving and to solve we need to focus on just one metric - Customer Delight. #product #startups

7

Product teams in strong sales organizations struggle to talk to users because sales are weary of giving access. There is always something like negotiating a new contract or the customer being unhappy. But you are not out of options. 🤨 The most typical approach is to set up a process for sales to share notes and requests and channel them into your roadmapping tool. I ask this: how do these notes compare to the rich product insight that you could get in a usability test, for instance? Yeah, I know. It’s a rhetorical question🙂 You may try to join some calls with sales and slip them a few questions before the call to make sure you get some product insights. Definitely a better option. But how about this: Why not take a bunch of sales call recordings and get them analyzed in 2 minutes for unmet needs, pain points, and product feedback? The additional depth and context are incomparable to other methods except for you directly talking to the user regularly - which you can’t. Curious how it compares to the sales notes you get today? Try Airtime for free - upload a bunch of sales call recordings and see the difference for yourself in 2 minutes. Sign up link in the first comment 👇

13

1 Comment

Program Mgmt = Problem Mgmt?? In matrix orgs, where multiple objectives/priorities of different teams collide; cross functional collaboration becomes key to effective execution. Program Management has been a new buzz word especially in startups where CFT (cross functional teams) have to work on a key program together. Devoid on uni-functional control, these programs need hard coaxing and cajoling across functions. And thats when program managers come handy; who run after teams trying to align/realign, handle new problems from across functions (finance, legal, supply chain...)and move forward. Interestingly, due to the arduous nature of the role, i got to know from a youngster - that it's also called "Problem management" 😇!! Whatever you call it, thats the way future works. Agree? #work #programmanagement

6

1 Comment

So, you want the product team to accelerate key initiatives and deliver outcomes earlier for customers and the business. Stop giving orders. Give intent. Intent builds trust and motivation, inspires creativity, and encourages critical-thinking and informed decision-making. It brings out the greatness lurking in all of us. Constantly giving orders does the opposite. People get demoralized into following commands. Caveat: Obviously, some orders do need to be faithfully followed and executed. If you make the why and the what crystal clear and help people with the technical skills that they need to be successful, you will see better speed of execution based on better decisions and better outcomes, earlier. Inspired by David Marquet. #productleaders #productmanagement

5

2 Comments

Building your career is like building a product. It starts by identifying your gaps & opportunities. A way to tackle this is the think about your career in these 5 buckets: Frameworks > help you accelerate your thinking Tools > help you accelerate your progress Execution > help you understand how to get things done in your org Strategy > helps you accelerate your career & product Soft Skills > help you win influence You have to understand your current gaps and prioritize working on what’s most important now and what will become important later. Make sure you align with your manager on the skills that you are working on (i.e. soft skills X), what you’ll do to improve it, and most importantly the measure of knowing when you are done. In your next quarterly review, ask your manager: 1. Does your manager agree with the skill you have identified? 2. Is this the most important thing to be working on? 3. Do you have a measurable way of knowing when you’ll be done? To recap: Treat your career like a product - use the same methods to set a roadmap for success and make sure that success is measurable in the end.

46

4 Comments

Tackling Misleadingly High NPS Despite Underlying Customer Issues. Ever experienced this scenario? Here are a few Possible Causes of Discrepancy in NPS and Real Customer Experience: 1) Induced Survey Bias The NPS survey is primarily sent to high-value customers or those recently experiencing positive interactions, neglecting those with unresolved issues. 2) Survey Channel Limitations NPS is collected only through digital channels or post-transaction emails, which may not reach customers who primarily use branches or phone support. 3) Covering Selected Transactional Touchpoints The NPS survey is triggered after specific, often positive touchpoints, such as new account sign-ups or app interactions, where satisfaction rates are higher. Think of a retail scenario where it is embedded in an invoice which is a post-purchase 'happiness' syndrome. 4) Over-reliance on Promoters and Neglect of Passives The analysis places heavy emphasis on promoter feedback while overlooking passives, who are moderately satisfied but may leave if their issues aren’t addressed. This should not impact scores, however, the CX perception created ignores issues. 5) Limited Context in Follow-Up Framing of questions and Follow-up questions in the survey are too general, missing detailed reasons behind detractor scores or areas where passives and promoters would like to see changes. Without these deeper insights, the CX team lacks actionable feedback, leading to a misinterpretation that customers are highly satisfied across the board. 6) The scale used. Using a Narrower scale like 1-5 etc. can lead to a higher NPS score based on how you classify your promoters.. only 5 or 4 and 5 7) Highly Increased response rates While higher response rates can enrich data and are great to have that customer engagement, they aren’t always necessary if they start to skew your NPS upward artificially. Look for signs of “response bias,” where extra responses are increasingly coming from customers with moderate or positive experiences because of different forms of nudges or placement of feedback. Hope this helps. Do let me know any other scenarios that are missed out in terms of understanding why you cannot relate your NPS score with the ground realities. #customerexperience #cx #nps #feedback #ai #cmo #ceo #cxo #retail #healthcare #bfsi #auto #customerloyalty #customersuccess #voiceofthecustomer

11

7 Comments

I set up 42 user interview calls with folks from B2B SaaS companies in the last 1.5 weeks My biggest learnings • During the first 3 calls, I explored two problem statements - understandably, I didn’t have conviction on either and wanted to maximize my learnings. I got only half the insights on both • I asked questions I wasn’t afraid to hear the answers to. I have my co-founder to thank for breaking this on our third call where he asked a question that threw me off my game, but the answer changed the course of all interviews after • I asked “Who else should I talk to?” at the end of each meeting, however, saying “I’d like to talk to X, can you help with an intro?” has proven to be most effective. I know the potential ICP better than my interviewee • I obsessed about the number of interviews I was scheduling rather than asking myself “Why should I talk to this person? What will I learn from talking to them? Will I learn something new?” • Not sending an intro blurb. It took several days for someone to make an intro until I switched it to “I’m going to send you a blurb explaining why I would like to speak to person X so you don’t have to do anything but forward this message after our call”, I got meetings scheduled in literally 5 minutes of sending the note after the call ended On the last point, make sure to include a link to your calendar. This is incredibly important. Almost 50% of those interviews happened without me ever contacting them And my favourite line to include in my blurb has been “If they’d like to skip the pleasantries, they’re welcome to simply pick a time from my calendar link here.” I’m still going through these user interviews and I’m certainly going to change some of these or learn newer things that work If it helps even one founder out there, my time writing this has been worth it 🫶🏽

75

11 Comments

💡Reflections on a Career in Product Management (Part 2) 1) Data Driven Decisions: Leveraging analytics is essential for guiding our strategic direction. Utilizing tools like Pendo.io and Amplitude provides critical insights into user interactions, enabling us to measure success and define key performance metrics with precision. It also helps us filter out the 'noise' from the 'true data.' Data is our compass! 2) Adaptability is Essential: The tech landscape evolves rapidly, and staying flexible is key. My experience in AI and digital transformation across diverse industries has highlighted the importance of embracing change to stay ahead of market trends, and lead in shaping the future of our industries. 3) Embracing Failure as a Learning Tool: Not every product launch goes as planned, yet each setback serves as a valuable learning opportunity. Adopting a growth mindset is crucial; it encourages us to analyze what went wrong, fostering a culture of open dialogue where team members feel safe to share their experiences without fear of judgment. This reflection can lead to actionable insights, whether it’s refining our user research methods, adjusting our marketing strategies, or improving our development processes. 4) Retrospectives for Continuous Improvement: Conducting regular assessments of our successes and challenges is crucial for cultivating a culture of learning and innovation within our teams. By systematically reflecting on what went well and what didn’t, we create an environment where insights are shared openly, fostering collaboration and creativity. This practice not only empowers us to iterate effectively but also encourages a proactive approach to problem-solving. Each retrospective becomes an opportunity to identify patterns, address recurring issues, and celebrate achievements, ultimately driving ongoing enhancements in our processes. By embracing this cycle of reflection and action, we position ourselves to adapt quickly and remain competitive in a rapidly changing landscape. Let’s champion data, adaptability, and a commitment to learning as we propel innovation forward! #productmanagement #productlearnings #growthmidset #growthpm #theproductivepodcast #iloveproduct #techleadership

22

Have you ever looked for theory that can answer - how to approach investors - what kind of product to build first - how you’ll defend the company against competitors This new article from CDA partner, Kevin Maney extends Steven Johnson's writing from the book Emergence to #CategoryDesign. All #Startups and #VentureCapital teams should dig in. (link to article in comments)

4

1 Comment

Being a product leader can require (among many other things): ✔️ Balancing customer needs with rigid product roadmaps ✔️ Navigating high-stakes decisions ✔️ Leading through constant change And to do so successfully often requires a rebellious approach. We were incredibly fortunate to have Rupali Jain on the Product Rebels podcast recently to share how she faced these challenges as a product leader at companies like Microsoft, Qualtrics, Box, Tableau, and now Optimizely. There are many lessons - both practical and inspiring - to learn from her story and we're thrilled to share it with our network. Please give it a listen! (Link in comments below). Thanks so much to Rupali for sharing your story and your time with us! #productleader

19

3 Comments

Dear CCOs, In the dynamic landscape of business, encountering bad-fit customers is inevitable. However, how we address and navigate these situations can significantly impact our success. 1. Transparent Communication: Be honest with your customers. If your product isn't the right fit, admit it. It's like dating – better to part ways amicably early on than endure a messy breakup later. 2. Early Detection: Train your sales team to identify potential bad fits during the onboarding process. Clear communication at this stage can save headaches down the road. 3. Customer Segmentation: Understand your ideal customer profile and focus on attracting clients who align with your product's strengths. Bad-Fit Customers can have some serious consequences on your revenue and the health of your Customer Success (CS) team. So avoid those bad fit customers, and you'll find your company grooving to success without missing a beat. ……………………………………. First time seeing my posts? I post regularly about: ✅ Customer Success Leadership ✅ Ways to Improve CS Operations ✅ Proactive Customer Success Mindset 🔔Hit the bell to not miss a post 👩🏽‍🏫Want to improve your CS operations?- visit https://successguardian.in #customersuccess #saas #cco 

1

Data is irrefutable, but the insights are debatable. Getting from Seed to Series A is not hard; it's excruciatingly painful. All of the following need to be in place: 1. Found strong evidence of PMF within your core customer segment 2. Figured out GTM strategy and distribution channels. 3. Effectively allocated capital for growth whilst reserving capital to raise a new round 4. Build a smooth enough operation that allows you to step aside from your organization to go raise capital. 5. Execute a flawless fundraising process that you are doing for the (statistically) first time in your life 6. Assemble a strong team without the proper resources in a highly competitive talent market. But Marcial, look! Graduation rates went from 37% to 12%. - 37% is high because a "small" pool of Seed Rounds got Series As during the bull market frenzy. These companies will struggle with their Series Bs. - 12% is low because of the huge volume of Seed rounds completed in Q4'21 and Q1'22, which will not amount to anything. If I had a message to entrepreneurs: Building a massive tech company remains similarly as difficult as previous vintages. Money will continue to flow to companies with signals that they are building the 'next big thing'. Do not misread the data thinking, "now it's harder, so I'll avoid raising", because if you are building an outlier company, you shouldn't be concerned with averages. Disclaimer: I haven't built shit yet, so not speaking from experience.

84

3 Comments

Many SaaS solutions resonate most with directors/VPs/department heads. For the past 5+ years the approach for selling to these folks was to get them very excited about your solution and price in such a way that they could get a deal done with minimal sign off. In enterprise this could run as high as 500k. Now, there is scrutiny on 25k deals. Smart sellers realize this and are running a totally different play. A little different flavor of the traditional top down model. These folks are still doing well. Folks running the old playbook? In struggleville. P.S. - when times are hard it’s actually easier to do big deals…if you know how to sell transformations.

2

The GTM Podcast is now a top 1% podcast out of 3,363,892 podcasts globally. Here are the top 10 episodes (by # of downloads): 1. The Pioneer of Account Based Sales Development with Lars Nilsson, former SVP of Global SD at Snowflake 2. Resilience is Your Willpower with Anna Baird, former CRO of Outreach 3. How Stripe Supercharged their SMB Team with Meka Asonye, Partner at First Round Capital 4. Weekly Active Users up by 33% by Making the Hard Decisions Faster with Melanie Fellay 🐙, CEO of Spekit 5. The Real/Raw Version of Selling a Start-Up with Eli Rubel, CEO of Matter Made/NoBoringDesign 6. Contagious B2B Messaging Mastery with Dave Gerhardt, CEO of Exitfive 7. 261% More Likely to Trust a Company when their Founders are Posting on Linkedin with Samantha McKenna, CEO/Founder of #samsales 8. Consultative Selling and The Positive Snowball Effect of Building Strong Relationships with Zach Lawryk, Head of Solution Engineering at OpenAI 9. Klaviyo's Blueprint for Sales Success for $25M-$450M+ Growth with Sean Marshall, former SVP of Global Sales at Klaviyo. 10. The Revenue Viking Shares his Competitive Edge & Winning Culture Tactics with Mark Cranney, CRO at LVT A huge thank-you to all of our guests and listeners. And if you haven't check out the pod, the above episodes are a great place to start. We'll continue to share real stories from real operators who are still in the trenches making things happen. Here's to the next million downloads...just getting started. 🎙

187

40 Comments

Established wisdom would say there is a difference between designing a platform for Consumer EdTech (individual learners) vs. Enterprise EdTech (groups of learners). But, let's challenge that. In Consumer EdTech: The focus is typically user experience, engagement, and personalization. The goal is to drive user adoption, retention, and positive reviews. The challenge is balancing simplicity with depth, and catering to diverse learning preferences. In Enterprise EdTech: The focus is typically scalability, security, integration with existing systems, and data analytics. The goal is to improve organizational efficiency, enhance skills, and measure ROI. The challenge is meeting complex compliance requirements, addressing varying user needs, and ensuring smooth implementation across different segments of users. In my opinion, these traditional design differences have led to a multitude of enterprise learning platforms that are rigid, complex, and not meeting the expectations of learners, who in every other aspect of their lives, have simple, attractive, personalized platforms to use. Don't settle for outdated enterprise design standards. The expectations of learners have shifted.

19

3 Comments

Once you get to ~20M in revenue (slightly earlier for SMB, later for ent companies), the game is less about hustle and product features 🔑 Superior execution esp on GTM matters a LOT more in this phase 💪 Unfortunately a lot of founders miss this transition and find themselves doing what’s worked in the first phase and getting frustrated at the lack of results 😢 So what matters in the scale up phase? 1️⃣ stage specific people in the team — the team you build is the company you build. I am all for promoting from within but it’s important to couple that with external resources (advisors, mentors, full time hires) to make sure your team is seeing around corners vs reinventing the wheel. 👊 2️⃣ graduating from adhoc comms to an intentional approach — a lot of work discussions / key decisions in the early days happen in slack, 1:1 or in the office kitchen. Important to transition to better norms on comms across teams to lay the right foundation 🔥 3️⃣ prioritization is the name of the game — as you get more resources it’s easy to want to do everything. The best leaders force difficult choices and say no way more often than in the past 4️⃣ cross functional alignment matters more than strategy — this is the phase your teams become siloed and start to make up their own narrative and sometimes even their own data 😂 5️⃣ run amazing meetings — the necessary reality of this phase is having more meetings to keep things moving in the right direction. Running productive and FUN meetings is an undervalued skill most don’t invest 🙌 Embrace change 🔑 Find your tribe 🤗 Experiment to run your own race 🏃‍♀️ #scaleupphase #startups #cro #builder #leadershipinsights #startup

77

4 Comments

How do you build a mission-led team after you find product-market fit? I had a great conversation with Dr. Christian Sprinkmeyer, Chief Product Officer for tonies®. “First it is about demonstrating product-market fit. But afterwards, it's really important to understand the ambition and the mission. And then it's crucial to build the organisation in a way that perfectly caters to this mission,” he says. Here’s here’s the key points from the case study: 1. You can find product-market fit with third party technology. But to keep innovating, you may need to own the technology. 2. Hire for the ambition, not the status quo. Bring in people to help you build the right culture. 3. The team structure needs to follow the strategy. For Tonies, this was enabling the growth in new markets, then improving the core product, then introducing new product innovations. 4. You need to find a balance between strategy and skills required when organising teams. For Tonies, their platforms nicely aligned with the customer journey. 5. Give teams missions, not feature sets. This enables you focus on user problems and create more customer impact more quickly. 6. Don’t try and introduce a new approach all at once. Use pilot teams to demonstrate the benefits of a new approach and find stepping stones like giving platform teams missions. 7. Use pilot teams as a way of helping the team learn new capabilities and skills. Share the approach to help the wider team learn. If you’re undergoing or thinking about a transformation to ‘a product operating model’, this is a great example to explore. So many great insights. Thanks Christian! You can check out the full article on Substack here: https://lnkd.in/gVjwN9AT #transformation #productoperatingmodel #missionledteams

18

3 Comments

Product roadmaps are the GPS of product development, guiding your team to success. But building a clear and impactful one can feel like navigating uncharted territory. Product School's Product Roadmapping Micro-Certification (PRC)™by Product School equips you with the compass and skills to become a roadmap pro. This concise course packs a punch, teaching you to: "Craft Roadmaps that Inspire" : Translate your product vision into a roadmap that excites stakeholders and rallies the team. "Prioritize like a Champion" : Make data-driven decisions about features and ensure you're building what matters most. "Speak the Language of all Audiences" : Tailor your roadmap for executives, engineers, and everyone in between. It's the third step in a valuable series of five courses offered by Product School, equipping you with a comprehensive product management skillset. #productroadmap #productmanagement #careerdevelopment

8