Canto VP of Product on Transitioning from Project-Based to Product-Centric Operations

How can product managers lead the transition from project-based to a product-centric operations? In this podcast hosted by Justin Leibow, Canto VP of Product Beth Gostanian will be speaking on how she led the transition from a project-based to a product-centric approach at Canto. Beth shares insights on empowering product teams, defining the right metrics, and overcoming the challenges of large-scale organizational change.

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Show Notes

1. Beth’s background in classics and archeology led her to market research and eventually product management.
2. Canto uses a mix of NPS and UX metrics to measure customer satisfaction, with UX providing more specific feedback.
3. UX metrics helped Canto identify and address performance issues that were impacting customer satisfaction.
4. Balancing user feedback surveys is important to avoid overwhelming customers.
5. Metrics should be tailored to the specific product and stage of the lifecycle.
6. Beth empowers product teams by giving them ownership over specific product areas and KPIs.
7. Bottom-up planning allows teams to define their own roadmaps and problem spaces.
8. The product trio (PM, UX, engineering) is key to fostering collaboration and innovation.
9. Transitioning from project-based to product-centric operations requires buy-in from leadership.
10. Training and skill-building are important to enable teams to take on more ownership.
11. Showing early wins is crucial to build momentum and confidence during the transition.
12. Incremental change and change management are essential for large-scale organizational shifts.
13. Beth sees the transition as an ongoing journey, not a one-time event.
14. Beth’s involvement with the 98 VC firm aims to empower women-led startups.
15. Asking questions and being curious are key skills for product managers.
16. Don’t be afraid to make decisions and learn from failures.
17. Continuous learning and adaptation are critical for success in product management.
18. Product operations can help define measurement roadmaps and support the transition.
19. Empowering teams leads to better morale, innovation, and problem-solving.
20. A long-term, holistic perspective is needed for successful organizational transformation.