In this special episode of the Product Thinking Podcast, Melissa Perri invites three graduates from her CPO Accelerator program to share their stories, insights, and advice about moving into the C-suite. Amy Carmichael of Crowdcube, John Martin of Housecall Pro, and Simone Dive of Clir Renewables all recently took on the Chief Product Officer role in their companies. They tell Melissa what it was like to make the jump, how the job differs from other product leadership roles, how to start practicing for the job now as an IC, and the skills they recommend strengthening if you hope to land a CPO job in the future. 

Here are some key points they will be discussing:

Amy, John, and Simone talk about their journey from entering the product field to becoming CPO. [2:16]

Melissa asks the guests to reflect on the most surprising aspect of the CPO role. Simone highlights the human element of the product; for Amy it’s taking the time to plan product strategy, and John talks about going to market. [5:21]

When transitioning into a CPO, you may need to finetune some skills to succeed in your new role. [8:29]

Being a CPO is not only about managing teams and setting strategy – it's about understanding how your product and company fit into the larger market. [10:00]

Although financial skills are important as a CPO, John believes that learning to invest in people was the biggest skill he needed to hone. He explains that product managers and product leaders are sought after, so it was important for him to develop his people skills and relationships with his team so they’re likely to stay with the company. [12:32]

Melissa asks her guests how they managed to build relationships and foster collaboration with their new team. [14:20]

Melissa asks her guests how IC roles can prepare a person to become CPO, and what they can do to put them on that path. [18:52]

Simone advises aspiring CPOs to get comfortable not taking credit and to build relationships with the people who make executive decisions. [20:53]

Amy, Simone, and John talk about how to evolve into a great CPO [25:11]

Resources  

Amy Carmichael on LinkedIn   

John Martin on LinkedIn 

Simone Dive on LinkedIn