Why is it important to build user-centric products? In this episode of the Product Leaders to Watch series with Cognizant Product Director Chenny Solaiyappan, First National Bank of Omaha Fmr Head of Product Ishan Amin speaks on his experience and views as a product leader. He shares insights from over 18 years of experience in product management across different industries. Ishan discusses what makes him a successful product leader and what he looks for in great products, along with the importance of building user-centric products. The discussion provides insights into his approach to product and what criteria he will use as a member of the AB panel to evaluate products for the Product Awards.
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Show Notes
- Ishan has over 18 years of experience in product management, design, UX/UI, engineering across gaming, healthcare, and fintech industries.
- He has helped launch over 150 digital products throughout his career.
- Ishan believes in building products with a long-term, sustainable vision.
- He puts strong emphasis on user empathy and seeing things from the user’s perspective.
- Ishan is excited by the potential of AI to solve problems and improve lives.
- When evaluating products, look at user-centric design, innovation, and trust.
- Great products solve real user pain points and gaps in the market.
- User-centric product design is important for making products intuitive and easy to use.
- True innovation is needed, not just minor variations on existing ideas.
- Building trust is important by prioritizing user empathy and data privacy.
- Both consumer and enterprise products need great UX with no need for manuals.
- Key skills for a product manager include empathy, technical skills, business acumen.
- Leadership, communication skills, and the ability to say “no” are also important.
- Passion for the product and mission is important to effectively lead others.
- Numbers and business metrics are important for product managers to understand.
- Personality cannot be taught – empathy is a key differentiating factor.
- Both entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship come with unique challenges.
- Internal products also need great UX now that the product manager role exists.
- Ishan looks forward to reviewing many submissions for the AB awards.
- The discussion provided insights into Ishan’s approach and evaluation criteria.
About the speaker
2023 Top 20 CPO Nominee by Products that Count - Seasoned, Senior Product Leader with 18 years’ experience in Product Management, Product Development, Roadmaps, Strategy, Innovation and UX/UI in Mobile, SaaS, Cloud, and Platforms. Experienced in HealthTech, FinTech, B2B/B2C and Gaming
About the host
Chenny Solaiyappan is the Director of Product Management for Cognizant Trizetto's Government and Quality Solutions, and a founding member of the ClaimSphere suite of products, encompassing quality, HEDIS ®, CMS Stars, and clinical solutions. An accomplished Intrapreneur and Lean Startup Practitioner, he plays a pivotal role in shaping the overall product strategy and serves as the HL7 DaVinci Business Co-chair. With a notable track record, Chenny has provided consultancy to over 30 health plans across the nation, consistently raising Quality and Star ratings in Medicaid, Medicare, Federal Employees Health Plan, and Commercial health plan sectors, collectively supporting 30 million lives. His outstanding leadership and innovative contributions have earned him prestigious awards, including the 2023 Top 20 Global Product Manager Award by Products That Count, as well as the 2021 and 2019 Product of the Year awards by Cognizant Trizetto.