Lessons from Jackie Bavaro, former Product Leader at Asana and Google
Bite-sized lessons from a product leader.
Jackie Bavaro was the Head of Product Management at Asana and is the author of two best-selling PM books.
At On Deck, she shared her thoughts on product strategy and finding high-growth companies to work at.
Did my best to keep up with notes, here’s what I learned:
On Strategy
There’s a lot of talk about being more strategic for PMs. What does that mean?
Being strategic means deciding where you want the product to go and making a plan to get there.
Strategy sets the direction for any team that is launching a sequence of things. It helps make it clear to the team about the importance of what they’re working on, the order they’re working on it, and why.
Strategy includes:
- A product vision
- A strategic framework
- A strategic roadmap
Product Vision
Your view of the ideal future (2–3 years out) for customers. What would customers be able to do then that they can’t do today?
A vision should be inspiring. This will help boost your current team’s morale and help in recruiting future colleagues. Think big.
Strategic Framework
What are the big strategic bets you’re making that will help your product win in the marketplace? And why?
A strategic framework is an opinionated stance of what you believe in. It’s a clear set of principles that shows the why behind your plan.
Strategic Roadmap
A working backward plan from your product vision. If your 5-year vision is X, what do you need to do every year, every quarter to get there?
A roadmap isn’t a commitment. It’s a wake-up call. Are you building too slowly? Will you reach your vision?
On Finding High-Growth Companies
Working at a fast-growing company is a career accelerant. And finding one is relatively simple.
By definition, a high-growth company is hiring. A lot.
Observe companies that are posting many jobs and rapidly growing their teams. Ask recruiters at your current company: Which companies are candidates going to after turning down an offer from us?
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