How to Build a Great Product Team - Shishir Mehrotra (Coda) + Sriram Krishnan (Andreessen Horowitz)

TL;DR

Industry experts discuss their experiences and insights into building successful product teams, including the importance of setting clear goals, finding the right team dynamics, and leveraging different skill sets to meet specific challenges.

Transcript

awesome we're on um um welcome welcome to euron um you know i would say you know this is the first one of these um you know big virtual conference uh sessions i've done you know typically the way this would have worked in you know the pre-pandemic world would be maybe a large audience there'll be people filing in you know after grabbing some food u... Read More

Key Insights

• 😫 Different product managers bring different strengths and skill sets to the table, and it's important to match these with the specific challenges of the team.
• 🥺 Framing decisions with the right questions can lead to more effective and innovative solutions.
• 🥅 Setting clear goals, such as the billion-hour goal for YouTube, can provide motivation and clarity for teams.
• 🔨 The PSHE framework (Problem, Solution, How, Execution) is a valuable tool for evaluating the growth and development of product managers and other roles.
• 😫 OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) can be an effective framework for setting goals and driving focus and alignment within product teams.
• 😤 The culture and leadership of a company greatly impact its success and the dynamics within product teams.
• 🤔 Recognizing and leveraging different approaches to product thinking, as demonstrated by industry leaders, can lead to successful product strategies.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is the concept of the "eigen question" and how is it used in decision-making?

The "eigen question" is a term coined by one of the speakers, which refers to finding the most discriminating question that, if answered, can resolve multiple other questions. It helps in framing decisions and ensures that the team is asking the right questions to arrive at the best outcome.

Q: How do different personalities and skill sets contribute to building successful product teams?

Different product managers bring different strengths and perspectives to the table. Some may excel at going from zero to one and driving innovation, while others may be better at managing stakeholders or executing detailed plans. It's important to match the right personality and skill set with the specific challenges the team is facing.

Q: Can you explain the "PSHE" framework for evaluating product managers and how it applies to other roles?

The PSHE framework stands for Problem, Solution, How, and Execution. It helps evaluate the growth and development of product managers by assessing how they handle problems, devise solutions, determine execution plans, and drive execution. This framework can also be applied to other roles, such as designers, engineers, and salespeople, to assess their effectiveness in approaching their respective responsibilities.

Q: How did the billion-hour goal for YouTube come about, and what impact did it have on the company?

The billion-hour goal for YouTube was set during a time when the company had overcome initial challenges and was looking for a new rallying cry. The goal aimed to achieve a billion hours of viewership per day, positioning YouTube as a major player in online video consumption. It motivated the team and provided clarity in decision-making, driving the company to exponential growth.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The speakers introduce themselves and discuss their backgrounds in the tech industry, highlighting their experiences at well-known companies like Google, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter.

• They emphasize the importance of understanding how different personalities and skill sets can contribute to building successful product teams.

• The concept of the "eigen question" is introduced, which helps in decision-making by finding the most discriminating question that answers multiple others.

• The speakers share anecdotes and stories about well-known industry leaders like Mark Zuckerberg, Evan Spiegel, and Jack Dorsey, highlighting their unique qualities and approaches to product thinking.

• They discuss the importance of setting goals and using frameworks like OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) to drive focus and alignment within product teams.