Mergers and acquisitions are often seen as boardroom strategy – but it's becoming ever more important for product leaders to be key stakeholders in the process. In this live interview recorded at #mtpcon London 2025, Randy sits down with Vincent Jong, CPO at Dealfront, to explore the real, unfiltered lessons of product leadership during M&A.
Vincent shares stories from inside two major integrations offering tactical insight into what product teams need to know, how to spot risk before it's too late, and why defining success early is critical.
Quote of the episode
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An acquisition can be a lot of things, but it can’t be everything. Decide what matters in year one — and accept what you won’t achieve.
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🔑 Key Takeaways
Most M&As don’t deliver value: Over 50% of acquisitions destroy value, yet companies still do them — the opportunity is too big to ignore.
Know your ‘Year One’ story: Don’t aim to “boil the ocean.” Choose one clear outcome — retention, revenue, or reach — and optimise around it.
Mergers of equals are messy: Without a clear leading party, alignment takes longer. If possible, have one party set the direction.
Tech integration ≠ success: Building is easy; integrating into sales, marketing, and customer expectations is where the real work begins.
Culture can make or break it: Ignore cultural fit at your peril. How teams make decisions and treat each other directly affects the outcome.
Due diligence ≠ discovery: It’s about risk mitigation. If you keep uncovering small inconsistencies, walk away — trust is non-negotiable.
Communicate like your retention depends on it: Be transparent, address hard questions publicly, and always share what you do and don’t know.
🧭 Chapters
0:00 – Keeping Talent is Not Just for M&A
Why retaining top people should always be a priority, not just during integrations.
0:50 – Meet Vincent Yong
Vincent’s background and why he’s lived through more integrations than most.
2:00 – Why Do M&As Happen If They Fail So Often?
The paradox of high-risk, high-reward growth.
3:15 – Types of M&A: From Acquihires to Mergers of Equals
The strategic intent behind different kinds of deals.
6:00 – The Power of Acquiring Markets, Customers, or Capabilities
Real-world examples from Dealfront and ZoomInfo.
9:00 – Buy vs. Build: What Makes an Acquisition Worthwhile?
Why tech isn’t the hard part — distribution and integration are.
12:00 – Defining Success Early
Pick one goal. And be explicit about what you're willing to not achieve.
14:00 – Timelines: Why the First Year is Make or Break
Leading vs. lagging indicators and telling your ‘better together’ story.
16:00 – Due Diligence vs. Discovery
Risk assessment, red flags, and the people/culture audit.
19:00 – Product Complexity Matrix: Vincent’s 2x2
Customer segments vs. product features — how to evaluate integration challenges.
24:00 – Surviving Post-Merger Realities
Team reshuffles, budget shocks, and getting clarity on resourcing.
27:00 – Protecting Institutional Knowledge
How to prepare for inevitable attrition and avoid silent system failures.
29:00 – Internal Comms: The Unsung Hero of Integration
From town halls to tough questions — how to keep trust alive.
32:00 – Solving the Hard Problems Early
Why tackling the tough stuff head-on (and intentionally) sets the tone.
35:00 – When to Walk Away
The number one red flag in M&A: if trust erodes early, it's a no.
