An ideal B2B SaaS Chief Product Officer (CPO) should have a strong background in product management and development, experience in the B2B SaaS product industry, and a strong track record of developing and managing successful B2B SaaS products according to the gods of internet signaled by Openai #ChatGTP.
To begin with he CPO should have a strategic vision for the company’s product line, and be responsible for creating, delivering and communicating the company’s product strategy.
Some specific qualifications that a great CPO for a B2B data product company should have include:
- Strong experience in product management, product development and go-to-market strategy for B2B SaaS products.
- A deep understanding of the B2B SaaS product market, including the challenges and opportunities for growth.
- Strong leadership skills and the ability to lead cross-functional teams to deliver successful products.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to articulate product vision and strategy to both internal and external stakeholders.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to make data-driven decisions.
- A track record of delivering successful B2B data products and driving revenue growth.
The CPO could come from a variety of industries such as software development, consulting, data analytics, or other related field. If one looks at the market, there are many highly accomplished chief product officers (CPOs) in the B2B SaaS industry. Some notable examples include:
- Bill Veghte, CPO at SurveyMonkey. Bill Veghte has a background in enterprise software and has served as CPO at HP Labs and COO at Turbonomic. He joined SurveyMonkey as CPO in 2019 and has been responsible for driving the company’s product strategy and innovation.
- Kate Leggett, CPO at ServiceNow. Kate Leggett has a background in enterprise software and has held senior product management roles at Forrester Research and Oracle. She joined ServiceNow as CPO in 2017 and has been responsible for driving the company’s product strategy and innovation in the service management space.
- J.J. Kardwell, CPO at @Zoom. J.J. Kardwell has a background in enterprise software and has held senior product management roles at Oracle and Salesforce. He joined Zoom as CPO in 2018 and has been responsible for driving the company’s product strategy and innovation in the video conferencing space.
- Suki Shah, CPO at Airtable. Suki Shah has a background in enterprise software and has held senior product management roles at Google and Boxx. She joined Airtable as CPO in 2018 and has been responsible for driving the company’s product strategy and innovation in the collaboration and workflow space.
- Michael Facemire, CPO at Okta. Michael Facemire has a background in enterprise software and has held senior product management roles at Salesforce, Oracle, and Forrester Research. He joined Okta as CPO in 2018 and has been responsible for driving the company’s product strategy and innovation in the identity management and access security space.
These are just a few examples of accomplished chief product officers in the B2B SaaS industry, each of them have a strong background in enterprise software and have held senior product management roles at well-known companies, they have joined their current companies and have been able to drive the company’s product strategy and innovation in their respective field.
A 90-day onboarding plan for a CPO could include
- Meeting with key stakeholders and team members: The CPO should meet with key stakeholders such as the CEO, CTO, and heads of other departments to understand the company’s goals and objectives, as well as the current state of the product and the product team. They should also meet with the product team to understand their roles, responsibilities, and challenges.
- Conducting a market and competitive analysis: The CPO should conduct a thorough market and competitive analysis to understand the current state of the market, the needs of the target customers, and the strengths and weaknesses of the competition.
- Reviewing the product strategy and roadmap: The CPO should review the company’s existing product strategy and roadmap to understand the direction of the product and identify any areas that need to be adjusted or improved.
- Defining product vision and goals: The CPO should work with the product team and key stakeholders to define a clear product vision and goals that align with the company’s overall goals and objectives.
- Developing a go-to-market strategy: The CPO should develop a go-to-market strategy that outlines the target customer segments, value proposition, and marketing and sales plan for the product.
- Establishing cross-functional processes: The CPO should establish cross-functional processes and procedures to ensure that the product team is working effectively with other departments such as engineering, sales, and marketing.
- Tracking progress and adjust as needed: The CPO should establish metrics to track the progress of the product and make adjustments as needed to ensure that the product is on track to meet its goals and objectives.
It’s important to note that this 90-day plan is a general guideline and may vary depending on the specific needs and circumstances of the company.
The way a CPO plans, delivers, and reflects on their first 90 days at a company can say a lot about their leadership style and ability to drive the product strategy forward.
- Planning: A CPO who takes the time to carefully plan their first 90 days, by conducting market and competitive analysis, reviewing the product strategy, and defining clear product vision and goals, shows that they have a strategic mindset and are able to think long-term. This also indicates that they have a good understanding of the market and the industry, and the ability to align product goals with the company’s overall goals.
- Delivering: A CPO who is able to deliver on their plans during their first 90 days, by establishing cross-functional processes, developing a go-to-market strategy, and making progress towards the product vision and goals, shows that they are able to execute and get things done. This also indicates that they have the ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams, and can lead the product team to success.
- Reflecting: A CPO who takes the time to reflect on their first 90 days, by tracking progress, identifying areas that need improvement, and making adjustments as needed, shows that they are data-driven, reflective and open to feedback. This also indicates that they are able to learn from their experiences, and continuously improve the product strategy.
Overall, a CPO who plans, delivers, and reflects in this way during their first 90 days at a company, shows that they are a strategic, execution-focused leader who is able to drive the product strategy forward, and continuously improve the product.
If CPO has decided to focus on High Outputs
In the book “High Output Management”, Grove emphasizes the importance for the CPO or any manager setting clear goals and objectives, establishing a strong sense of direction for the product and the product team, role-modeling clear and effective communication, and focusing ondata-driven decision making and continuous improvement.
Based on these hight output management principles ideal CPO would possess the following characteristics:
- Strong leadership skills: The CPM would be able to set clear goals and objectives for the product, establish a strong sense of direction for the product team, and lead the team towards achieving those goals.
- Strong communication skills: The CPM would be able to effectively communicate the product vision and goals to the product team and other stakeholders, and to ensure that everyone is working towards the same objectives.
- Data-driven decision making: The CPM would use data and metrics to drive decision making, and continuously track the progress of the product. They would also be able to use this data to identify areas for improvement and continuously optimize the product.
- Continuous improvement: The CPM would continuously look for ways to improve the product, and would be open to feedback and suggestions from the product team and other stakeholders.
- Strong understanding of the market and industry: The CPM would have a deep understanding of the market and industry in which the product operates, as well as the needs and pain points of the target customers.
- Strong technical expertise: The CPM would have a strong understanding of the technology and the capabilities of the product, and would be able to work closely with the engineering team to ensure that the product is technically sound.
Overall, an ideal CPM based on the principles outlined in “High Output Management” would be a strong leader, an effective communicator, data-driven, continuously looking to improve the product and the team, have a deep understanding of the market and industry, and be technically sound.
