In this episode of Product Unfiltered, we sit down with Chris Jones, Partner at (SVPG) Silicon Valley Product Group to discuss how product management has evolved since the early 90s and the key principles for mastering product management.
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Summary:
Product Unfiltered: A Discussion with Chris Jones, Partner at Silicon Valley Product Group.
The latest episode of Product Unfiltered features Chris Jones, a product management expert leader and partner at Silicon Valley Product Group. He shares his experience building product teams in Silicon Valley and highlights the key differences between then and now, stressing the importance of empowering teams to solve problems rather than simply giving them things to build.
Key Takeaways:
Chris delves into the challenges faced by product managers in companies and notes that while it is easy to say, it is difficult to implement, especially in larger companies, and often requires coaching the leadership to adopt this approach. He discusses the limitations of individual product managers in companies with old operating models and how to determine the success of a product.
The discussion then moves to Adobe as a company, highlighting both their successes and failures, but ultimately recognizing their ability to transform and lead their market for decades. Chris discusses Adobe's success as a tool for creative professionals and the company's recent attempt to enter the podcast industry with a new product that is user-friendly and requires no training.
The conversation then shifts to Apple's iPhone, which has undoubtedly been a very successful product in history, despite having many dissenters in the industry when it was first launched. Chris highlights the evolution of touch screen technology, its early skeptics, and the transition to solely touch screen devices.
The discussion also covers Zoom, recognizing its initial success before the pandemic and its contribution to remote work, but also acknowledging the company's lack of a clear plan for future growth. The speaker reflects on Yahoo's early internet domination, analyzing the company's inability to adapt to the explosive growth of the internet and its curated model's limitations.
Chris also shares his thoughts on generative AI, stating that it will have as much of an impact on society as the iPhone did, if not more. He believes that there will be casualties in certain industries but also creative new work opportunities and things that haven't even been imagined yet. The speaker discusses his thoughts on hyper growth and the sustainability of the generative AI space in the market, mentioning OpenAI's GPT as an example of the fastest growing product in history.
Finally, Chris shares his own methods for staying up to date on industry trends and emerging technologies, including following particular podcasts, newsletters, and analysts such as Ben Thompson, who offers insightful content on the intersection of technology and strategy. The episode provides valuable insights into product management, industry trends, and emerging technologies, making it a must-listen for anyone interested in these topics.
