Private companies can be mission-driven. And in today's market, they have to be.

Rob Seaman, Chief Product Officer at Slack, joins Jess Carter to discuss how leading with purpose helps build better teams and better products.

Rob shares lessons from Slack's integration with Salesforce, including the importance of staying close to customers, balancing speed with quality, and accepting that product leadership is never really "done." He also reflects on his path from small startups to global enterprises and what it takes to build teams that work with clarity and intent.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How product leaders can stay grounded in customer feedback

• Ways to build teams that deliver both speed and quality

• Why a clear mission helps teams create better products

Things to listen for: (00:00) Introduction to the episode with Rob Seaman

(02:42) Behind Salesforce and Slack's integration

(05:19) Why products are never truly done

(08:17) Finding mission in private sector product leadership

(10:02) Building Agent Force and learning from customer adoption

(14:38) Advice for stepping into product leadership roles

(18:15) Separating noise from real customer signals

(23:25) Why product teams need customer insight

(28:44) Lessons Rob still values from early startup experiences

Alex Komoroske's "How Organizations Are Like Slime Molds": https://komoroske.com/slime-mold/

Rob's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seamanrob/