What does the acceleration of the CPO role signify? In this episode hosted by Products That Count Resident CPO Renee Niemi, Mighty Capital Managing Partner SC Moatti speaks on how the CPO role has accelerated in recent years due to digital transformations and AI opportunities. Renee and SC predict that M&A activity will increase in 2023 as AI becomes a strategic priority. They also note the increasing presence of women in product leadership roles and its implications for more female CEOs in the future. Overall, this episode analyzes the evolution of the CPO role and how AI is shaping product development, operations, and corporate strategies.
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Show Notes:
- Chief Product Officer role is increasingly important, with 20% of last year’s CPO Awards winners appointed to CEO roles.
- Companies with a product-first culture or CPO in C-suite tend to outperform peers.
- Mighty Capital portfolio companies focusing on product see better returns.
- CPO is at the center of AI adoption decisions across functions like customer support.
- Short-term AI focus is on efficiency improvements.
- Long-term AI focus is reimagining products and customer experiences.
- CPO role has been elevated to board-level discussions due to AI’s importance.
- Survey finds 50% of CPOs now have P&L ownership, up from 33% previously.
- CPOs should advocate for P&L ownership to remain competitive.
- M&A activity is predicted to rise in 2023 as AI becomes more strategic.
- AI acquisitions are key for market leaders to stay competitive.
- AI teams may need to be acquired to keep innovation pace.
- Product-driven M&A leads to better financial performance than finance-driven deals.
- More women are achieving CPO roles and industry representation is increasing.
- Women in product roles pave the way for more future female CEOs.
- AI expertise will be important for navigating ethical and policy issues.
- Role of CPO is evolving rapidly due to digital shifts and AI opportunities.
- Data shows CPO role impact and importance is increasing over time.
- Predictions aim to track trends and sometimes influence reality.
- Women leaders are well-equipped to handle AI’s complex challenges.
About the speaker
SC Moatti is the Founding Managing Partner of Mighty Capital, a Silicon Valley venture firm, and chairs the Board of Products That Count, a 501(c)3 nonprofit that helps everyone build great products and inspires 500,000+ product managers. SC earned her reputation as a product visionary and technology investor during the mobile era, when she built products that billions of people use at Meta/Facebook and Nokia, won industry awards and nominations from the Wall Street Journal and the Emmy's, and wrote an award-winning bestseller on what makes a great product. She has been called “a genius at making products people love” and named a Top Voice in venture capital on LinkedIn. SC frequently speaks to product and investing trends, including a recent keynote at TheNextWeb, a fireside chat at Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit, featured articles in the Harvard Business Review and TechCrunch, and interviews on NPR (Tech Nation) and CNBC (Closing Bell.) She serves on the boards of public and private companies, lectured on product and investing at the executive programs of Stanford and Columbia Universities, earned a master’s in electrical engineering and a Stanford MBA, and is a Kauffman Fellow and member of YPO.