In this ProductTank London talk, Gareth Owen offers motivational and supplementary advice to product teams navigating workplace challenges. Gareth led product teams at the BBC, CNN, and the Telegraph and has lots to say about the obstacles and frustrations that product can face in businesses.
From start-up to large-scale, product teams own the end-to-end experiences of a business. Product teams define and create the face of the company, and the product department has a big influence on the nature of its success. How, then, can these teams optimise the skills in their operations? They can learn about the wider business, ask for direction and goals, and take advantage of available resources.
Product teams can do more than almost anyone in the funnel of an organisation. If they understand the product, they can prove by doing, test their designs, and resist inflexible product processes. Sometimes, however, product teams miss out on external information or opportunities to grow. This is why Gareth believes that product people should make deliberate efforts to learn about the businesses they are framed within. By reaching out to CFOs, finance teams and data analysts, product people can generate an awareness of what works, what sells, and what wastes money for the business. Everyone in these teams will have their own strengths and weaknesses, but colleagues are resources to use and make progress with.
