A good product manager “meets customer needs and solves customer problems and fuels the business”. Jennifer Mazzon, Chief Product Officer at Thrive Global, joins Robbie to discuss her experience as a product expert. They cover finding the right team, how to build digital subscription products, and the importance of customer-centricity and knowing who your superusers are.

Jennifer’s Bio:

Jennifer Mazzon is a product management expert who specializes in subscription-based products. Throughout her career she has led product teams for organizations including Google Docs, Coursera for Business, Apigee, Colibri Group, Education.com, and Rocket Lawyer. Jen recently joined Thrive Global as Chief Product Officer, where she works with Arianna Huffington to unlock human potential. Jen received a Bachelor’s Degree from Yale University and an MBA from Stanford University Graduate School of Business.

Highlights from this episode:

3:38 – Jennifer talks about the different product cultures of companies she’s seen

5:30 – Thrive Global’s mission

7:45 – Jennifer shares her experience of managing a product team under the unusual circumstances of COVID-19 and the changes that Thrive Global has made in light of the pandemic

10:49 – Why Thrive Global has made content more accessible during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the power of partnerships with companies such as Snapchat

11:58 – Robbie asks Jennifer about the most important metrics she uses to gauge success

15:25 – Jennifer explains the role of a product manager, and how Thrive Global attracts in-demand product managers

21:42 – The differences between what makes a product manager good in a subscription business and what makes a product manager good in a transaction business

23:50 – Jennifer explains her process of understanding and hearing customer needs

26:36 – How to convince traditionally non-subscription companies about the importance of customer membership

27:01 – Jennifer gives advice to entrepreneurs and executives who are stepping in to the position of being product team leaders

28:53 – Jennifer gives advice to senior team members who are working with product people

31:31 – Robbie puts Jennifer through a series of rapid-fire questions

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