What is the future of work and product leadership going to look like? In this episode of the CPO Rising Series hosted by Products That Count Resident CPO Renee Niemi, Zoom CPO Smita Hashim speaks on her journey in product management, the importance of mentors and personal growth, the role of empathy and collaboration in leadership, and how Zoom is leveraging AI to enhance the product experience for customers. Smita shares insights on prioritizing product features, planning for the long-term, and the evolving role of product managers in the age of AI.
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Show Notes:
- Smita Hashim has a background in video communications and a passion for enabling flexible work for employees and customers.
- Smita’s career has spanned diverse products, from Google AdWords to partnerships, giving her a unique perspective.
- Mentors were transformational in Smita’s career, helping her find her voice and leadership style.
- Smita’s superpower is her genuine love for people and a focus on empathy, collaboration, and helping her team members succeed.
- Smita emphasizes the importance of establishing personal connections, cross-functional teams, and a culture of shared understanding.
- Zoom’s customer-centric approach and empathy towards customers have been key to the company’s success.
- Smita balances short-term needs with long-term investments when prioritizing product features and capabilities.
- Smita believes in the power of long-term planning, setting a Northstar for the team, and incorporating fun and creativity into the process.
- Smita has established rituals like weekly meetings, quarterly planning cycles, and office hours to keep her teams aligned and productive.
- Smita sees AI as a tool that can enhance product management by saving time and boosting creativity. However, she believes human skills like collaboration and intuition will remain essential.
- Smita emphasizes the importance of responsibly incorporating AI into product roadmaps to deliver value to customers.
- Additionally, Smita’s leadership is characterized by a focus on people, empathy, and a drive to continuously improve and innovate.
- Smita’s diverse experiences across different companies and products have shaped her holistic approach to product management.
- Likewise, Smita values mentorship and believes in paying it forward by supporting and guiding others in the product community.
- Zoom’s mission to enable flexible work for everyone, from employees to customers, is a driving force behind Smita’s work.
- Consequently, Smita’s customer-centric mindset leads her to seek out passionate, engaged customers who can provide valuable feedback and insights.
- Moreover, Smita’s team-oriented approach emphasizes collaboration, shared understanding, and a focus on collective success.
- As a result, Smita’s planning process balances short-term needs with a long-term strategic vision. This ensures Zoom’s products remain innovative and relevant.
- Smita sees AI as a powerful tool that can augment product managers’ capabilities, but not replace the essential human skills of creativity and intuition.
- Smita’s leadership is characterized by a commitment to continuous learning, empathy, and a drive to push the boundaries of what’s possible in product management.
About the speaker
As Zoom’s Chief Product Officer, Smita is responsible for leading Zoom’s product management. She is an industry veteran with 20+ years of product management experience across Google and Microsoft. Her product experience spans leading delivery of television over IP networks at Microsoft, leading and scaling Google Meet, and more recently managing real-time communications platform and products at Microsoft Teams. Beyond video, Smita has led Google Voice (Phone), Google Calendar and Tasks, Google Adwords product suite for local advertisers, and Google Chromebooks device portfolio and ecosystems. Smita grew up in India where she received her B.Tech in Electrical Engineering at IIT Kanpur. She received her masters from Princeton University in EECS and a Ph.D. from UC Santa Barbara focused on image and video compression. Smita is a recipient of IIT Kanpur distinguished alumni award and founder of IIT Kanpur women alumni network WIN.