160: Seize the Customer Conversation And Other Advice With Mike Smart

Embracing Change and Customer Engagement in Product Management

In this episode Mike Smart, an old friend and longtime product management leader, instructor, and consultant, says we can’t wait for the world to change (quoting an old John Mayer song). Product management needs to seize the day, and actively engage with customers even if it means breaking some glass and stepping on some toes, bending some rules.

Mike shares his history as a product leader, starting from a sales role to becoming a product management consultant.

Mike has an amazing historical perspective on product, and discuss the common challenges faced by product organizations, such as the influence of sales on product development and the importance of customer discovery.

The conversation also touches on the shift towards product marketing management and the vital role of go-to-market strategies in today’s competitive landscape.

Key takeaways include the imperative for product managers to initiate customer conversations and the pivot towards focusing on how products are marketed and understood by potential customers, and for product leaders in particular to have (or develop) business acumen focused on sales velocity rather than just release velocity.

Links and contact information

* Mike on LinkedIn

* Mike’s company, Egress Solutions

* Mike’s podcast is GTM Disrupted. You can listen on its home page, or find it wherever you get your podcasts (here’s the Apple link and the Spotify link).

Support this podcast

* The easiest and best way to support the podcast is to leave me a comment or question, drop a note or connection request to me on LinkedIn, or just send me an email at [email protected].

* You can also rate and review the podcast on Apple iTunes – that really helps others find it.

* And you can just share the podcast directly with your product manager friends – they’ll probably really appreciate it!

Timings

00:00 Introduction: Waiting for the World to Change

00:34 Guest Introduction: Mike Smart of Egress Solutions

01:03 The Journey of a Product Manager

02:06 The Importance of Customer Conversations

03:22 The Evolution of Product Management

05:19 The Role of Product Marketing

10:22 The Challenges of Product Management

11:31 The Impact of Sales on Product Management

12:46 The Shift in Product Management Focus

14:56 The Importance of Business Acumen in Product Management

23:07 The Role of Go-To-Market in Product Management

33:06 Conclusion: The Future of Product Management

Embracing Change and Customer Engagement in Product Management

In this episode Mike Smart, an old friend and longtime product management leader, instructor, and consultant, says we can’t wait for the world to change (quoting an old John Mayer song). Product management needs to seize the day, and actively engage with customers even if it means breaking some glass and stepping on some toes, bending some rules.