How can product managers innovate through deep customer understanding? In this podcast hosted by VNS Health Product Director Mark Bailes, Cyber Salus CEO Sher Baig will be speaking on how a deep understanding of customers can lead to innovative ways of gaining competitive advantage. Sher shares insights from his extensive experience in the med-tech and healthcare industry, highlighting how thinking from the customer’s perspective and immersing in the field can unlock new opportunities for product innovation.
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Show Notes
- The shift from program management to product management requires a change in mindset and skill set.
- Successful product managers need to think from the end-user’s perspective, not just the technology.
- Having good mentors can provide valuable insights early in one’s career.
- Validating assumptions and understanding customer needs is crucial to avoid over-engineering solutions.
- Nothing interesting happens in the office – getting out in the field provides invaluable customer insights.
- Product managers need to have an entrepreneurial spirit to overcome rejection and find creative ways to engage customers.
- Leveraging networks, attending conferences, and indirect engagements can help gain customer access.
- Resilience and persistence are key when facing constant rejection in customer outreach.
- Innovating on pricing and business models can provide a competitive edge.
- Aligning pricing with the customer’s budget life cycle and simplifying the offering can drive adoption.
- Making the solution easily consumable and lowering barriers to entry are important for customer-centric innovation.
- Change management within the product team can be as challenging as external change management.
- Building internal stakeholder profiles and identifying benefiting teams can help influence change.
- Showing the value of the innovation and aligning it with internal stakeholders’ interests is crucial.
- Continuous learning and staying updated with industry trends are essential for product managers.
- Advancements in technology and data science are creating exciting opportunities in product management.
- The same principles of product management apply across industries, from healthcare to aviation.
- Immersing oneself in the field and customer interactions is key to effective product development.
- Questioning the status quo and looking for differentiation opportunities based on customer needs is vital.
- Reaching out to industry experts and leveraging their insights can accelerate one’s product management journey.
About the speaker
Sher Baig is a distinguished leader in the healthcare industry, serving as the Founder & CEO of Cyber Salus, a rapidly expanding global Medical Device & IoT Healthcare Cyber Security Managed Services company. Boasting a remarkable career spanning over 17 years, Sher has cultivated unparalleled expertise in Med Tech, demonstrating a keen focus on Medical Device Cybersecurity, service excellence, market development, product management, security operations center implementation, program delivery, and customer success. Sher's professional journey commenced in the GE Healthcare Leadership program, where he honed his skills and gained invaluable experience by working in both the United States and internationally. Subsequently, Sher took on increasing responsibilities in an international leadership position in France, where he spearheaded the commercial cloud strategy and managed the commercial portfolio for Healthcare IT in the EMEA region. An accomplished figure in the healthcare cybersecurity landscape, Sher later assumed leadership of the global Cyber organization, specializing in Medical Device Risk Management, Policy Development, and Governance for the healthcare industry. As a testament to his expertise, Sher emerged as the leader of the Cyber Commercial Product organization, steering the product development and commercialization strategy for GE Healthcare's Cyber Commercial Offerings. Sher Baig is not only a seasoned executive but also a sought-after speaker at major conferences across the globe. His insights and thought leadership in Medical Device Cybersecurity have earned him invitations to present at conferences in the United States, Europe, Australia, and Singapore. Additionally, Sher plays a crucial role in ongoing policy development for Medical Device Cybersecurity controls, contributing to the advancement and security of the healthcare industry including as an advisor to the Ministry of Health of Singapore.
About the host
I am passionate about using technology to solve problems and I take great pleasure in helping others to achieve their goals. I live these values every day working in Product.