How can PMs put product management ideals into practice when real-life circumstances require a pragmatic, balanced approach? Product Managers strive to follow ideals like implementing outcome-based roadmaps over feature-based ones, eliminating the HiPPO effect, not allowing Sales to dictate what to build, and making data-driven decisions at every step. But reality is messy. In this webinar, FactSet Director of Product Rico Fabello shares the pragmatist’s guide to product management ideals.
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Show Notes:
- Find balance between ideals and pragmatism in product management.
- Implement parallel outcome-based and feature-based roadmaps.
- Tie day-to-day work to higher-level strategies and objectives.
- Frame delays in the context of larger target outcomes.
- Validate ideas from executives/sales just enough for conversation.
- Identify and communicate risks of proposed changes.
- Reframe feedback from executives (“hippos”) as collaborative rather than adversarial.
- Challenge executives respectfully when needed.
- Build relationships with salespeople early on.
- Keep an eye on sales pipeline and reach out about major opportunities.
- Set up meetings with salespeople managing high-value deals.
- Ask salespeople for examples to back up requests.
- Put the onus on salespeople to justify requests.
- Make small, targeted changes to reduce unnecessary meetings/documentation.
- Propose changes as experiments with measurable results.
- Focus on business/customer outcomes over individual features.
- Supplement data-driven decisions with reasonable conviction at times.
- Recognize the importance of commercial success over just launching products.
- Leverage the Jobs to be Done framework to understand customer needs.
- Use strategy canvases to define strategies and align work.
About the speaker
Rico Fabello is a Director of Product Management at FactSet, a financial data and technology company that serves the investment community. He works in the Data Solutions organization, where he's responsible for a $55m data product business. In his previous role, he led a team of 16 Product Managers and Product Specialists working on Company Data feeds and APIs, a product line that was cited as a top contributor to FactSet's growth in every Q4 earnings call across his tenure. Prior to that, he held various roles in Product, Sales, and Client Service.
About the host
As the Chief Product Officer at NEOGOV, Denise leads the strategy for public sector HR and Public Safety software, driving innovation, customer satisfaction, and excellence. Her experience at Checkr as Chief Product Officer saw her delivering customer-focused products and promoting a fairer future. Denise’s notable career spans over two decades, with significant roles including GM for Analytics at Workday, where she launched new products and grew the business to over $200 million in ARR. Her background includes leadership positions at Platfora, Salesforce, HSBC, and AT&T, showcasing her expertise in enterprise product development and a commitment to technological advancement and customer success.