Wrapping up our Age of Product Podcast Series, Microsoft fmr Product Lead and Products That Count CPO James Gray sits down with Transfix Product Marketing Lead Patrick Blute to discuss the superpowers available to product managers during the build stage of the product life cycle.
Patrick Blute is the former Head of Product Marketing at nate, an AI startup using deep learning, natural language processing, and cognitive automation to make people’s lives better. His prior roles include Senior Vice President of Consumer Products at Tribal Planet, a start-up focused on empowering young people to participate in the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and Digital Consultant at EY, where he worked with corporations across the globe on digital transformation strategy. He started his career in SF as an early product marketer for Dialpad. Driven by a passion for high-quality stories and compelling narratives, Patrick is also a mentor for Broadway Tech Accelerator, is a Products That Count Podcast Host, and has presented on the TED Talk Stage.
We’ve arrived at the conclusion of our Age of Product podcast series, where we dug into the competencies available to product managers at the various stages of the product life cycle. A huge thank you to our Host, Products That Count CPO James Gray, as he finishes off the series with a fantastic discussion on the Build stage with former nate Product Marketing Lead, Patrick Blute.
On the build stage during the Age of Product
Each stage of the product life cycle is as important as the next, with success depending on product leaders being adept at every single one. Naturally, each stage comes with its own rewards, but nothing compares to the Frankenstein moment. You know, that feeling when a product finally comes to life. Patrick talks about the magic of taking an idea and building it into a fully functional product.
“The build stage is one of the most critical parts of the product life cycle. It’s going from the ideation stage to the actual structure of what we are creating. Really, this is where the magic happens. It’s where you translate the designs into the actual product that customers will use.”
“It’s complex, how many different things line up within the build stage. Ideally, we’re looking for tools that really help teams through integrations, API’s, and ultimately, scalability. “
“The product role within the C-suite is really that nexus between how roles have discussed things before. I’m just really excited that the build stage is definitely the top of the pyramid in terms of this exciting change as we move into the Age of Product.”
On the positive effects of 2020
While it’s easy to focus on the challenging parts of this year, a truly welcome effect has been the rapid acceleration of digital innovation. In just months digital integration has lept ahead years, and companies are striving daily to keep up. Patrick highlights the exciting parts of 2020 and how customer conversation is driving digital progress.
“As we look at products this year, what really gets me excited about the build stage is we’re looking at action-focused solutions. Essentially, products that have clear, actionable tools that put the needs of the builder, front and center.”
“What really has stood out about the way products have approached change in this time, is they really are responsive and listening to their communities. I mean, we’re in a stage where the cloud and digital tools really are moving at a very fast pace. You see products getting better and better in real-time, as if we’ve lept five years into the future.”
“The build stage is about going from what we’d like to see to what’s actually occurring. What customers are actually using. This is the funnel that’s pulsing all of that information across the entire organization.”
About the speaker
I am the Director of Brand & Sustainability for Transfix, a leading transportation solutions provider, combining tech and a best-in-class carrier network to reshape the future of freight. I am also a host for Product Talk helping bring product leaders together to answer the question: "What makes a great product?"
About the host
Seasoned executive with three decades of experience envisioning, building, and operating software products and mission-critical platforms at startups to large organizations such as Microsoft. Throughout his career, James has held a diverse set of roles and developed expertise across leadership, product management, data science, IT operations, consulting, software engineering, and sales. As Chief Product Officer at Products That Count, he leads an online platform to help organizations learn the craft of product management and win as a market leader. As a coach, he leads mastermind circles to facilitate peer-to-peer learning across product management executives. As a podcast host, he interviews CEOs of companies held within Mighty Capital’s portfolio. Creator of the Career Strategy Framework and an online platform that teaches and coaches professionals how to reach their full career potential. Learn more at https://www.jamesgray.io.