Thumbtack CPO on Product Execution

When should PMs prioritize execution over strategy? In this episode of Product Talk with Jonathan Ozeran, Thumbtack CPO P.J. Linarducci speaks on his career in product management and lessons learned. PJ shares insights from his experiences at Meta and other companies, emphasizing the importance of execution over perfect strategy. He outlines rituals and ceremonies that Thumbtack uses to keep teams aligned, such as business reviews, product reviews, and execution reviews. PJ also discusses the value of role models, mentors, and sponsors in one’s career.

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Show Notes

1. Execution is more important than perfect strategy and planning.
2. Getting things done is more valuable than having great ideas.
3. Learn through many iterations and experiments rather than waiting for the perfect solution.
4. Focus on end-to-end ownership of problems rather than blaming external factors.
5. The value of role models, mentors, and sponsors in one’s career.
6. Earn a sponsor relationship by proving your potential.
7. Rituals and ceremonies keep teams aligned such as business reviews, product reviews, and execution reviews.
8. Communicate vision, strategy, and roadmaps at multiple levels of the organization.
9. Use written artifacts to document strategies and goals.
10. Bring different teams together to co-author shared goals and strategies.
11. Use in-person time strategically for creative problem-solving.
12. Design remote-first but not remote-only models.
13. Prioritize asynchronous communication and focused work.
14. Leverage a travel budget to deliberately bring people together.
15. Grow into a broader leadership role beyond just product.
16. Develop communication and leadership skills.
17. Pursue personal growth and learning from many mentors.
18. Product leaders can tackle medical issues through technology.
19. Share learnings through blogs and LinkedIn.
20. Keeping an open dialogue to compile best practices.