LaunchPod | Product Management Podcast

Make the C-Suite Think Like a Startup (Without Getting Fired) | West Stringfellow, VP Product (ex-Target, Blackhawk)

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Today, we’re joined by West Stringfellow, currently VP of Product at Blackhawk Network and former VP of Innovation at Target.

In this episode, West shares:

  • How he went from stealth startups to leading innovation at a company with over $77 billion in annual sales
  • The methods he uses to manage up and influence leadership in order to achieve the outcomes necessary to create successful organizations time and time again
  • The bold move that accelerated his Target career, which included hand-delivering over 300 copies of his innovation proposal to every executive at their Minneapolis HQ, even catching the attention of Target’s CEO
  • An inside look at how Blackhawk is thinking about AI and digital transformation by cultivating “culture carriers” to champion AI
    • Links

    West’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weststringfellow/

    Blackhawk Network: https://blackhawknetwork.com/
    HowDo: https://howdo.com/about/

    Chapters

    00:00: Introduction

    01:17: West's career journey
    02:08: Project Goldfish and West's startup background
    05:43: Making product and strategy decisions at Target
    06:25: West building a Techstars Startup Accelerator
    08:39: How West's work at Target inspired his startup, HowDo
    09:44: How did West "manage up" at Target?
    17:05: An introduction to Blackhawk
    21:02: Digital transformation with gift cards
    23:44: How Blackhawk is using AI
    30:29: Big AI wins
    33:09: Conclusion

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    Special Guest: West Stringfellow.

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