What does it take to successfully lead and scale product teams? In this episode of the Product Leaders to Watch series hosted by Cognizant Product Director Chenny Solaiyappan, Wavo.me Fmr. Product VP Jean-Sébastien Chouinard speaks on how understanding customer needs, developing sustainable revenue streams, and collaborating across teams are key to building successful products. He shares lessons from leading digital transformations and emphasizes the importance of real-world impact, viable pricing, and cross-functional alignment. The discussion also covers what qualities the Product Awards AAB looks for in nominations, along with promising tech trends in IoT and AI.
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Show Notes
- Change management is crucial for digital transformation success.
- Aligning the organization around the founder’s vision is important.
- Product managers must understand customer behavior and develop marketing strategies.
- Knowing your customer segments helps craft tailored messaging.
- Budget and channel selection are important considerations for marketing.
- Quebec has strengths to showcase in tech like bilingualism and universities.
- IoT and AI together could enable the next industrial revolution.
- Legacy businesses are ripe for transformation through new technologies.
- Healthcare is one industry that could greatly benefit from IoT.
- Products should solve meaningful problems for real users at scale.
- Revenue models and pricing must be sustainable and make business sense.
- Customer needs and problems should be the central focus.
- Collaboration between teams is needed to understand markets fully.
- Products and business models should be viable, desirable, and feasible.
- Product Awards values nominations that can reshape industries.
- Understanding foundational business concepts is key for leading and scaling product teams.
- Marketing a product is as important as its development.
- Iterating on marketing approaches is also important.
- Regional strengths can be highlighted on a global stage.
- Breaking silos between teams improves product-market fit.
About the speaker
Jean-Sébastien Chouinard's career as an executive in the technology and innovation sector is marked by a series of remarkable achievements. He has restructured and led product and marketing organizations, redesigned product portfolios, and thus contributed to substantial revenue growth for companies such as Moment Factory, LANDR, Wavo, and Adviso. His growth-focused product approach has not only increased user acquisition and engagement but also transformed innovation projects into lasting product revenues. He is driven by a deep commitment to innovation and excellence within a sustainable development context. Jean-Sébastien has successfully transferred his innovative spirit to philanthropy, where he co-founded the "28 Days Sober Challenge" in Quebec, raising over 5 million dollars in 10 years for alcoholism prevention benefiting the Jean Lapointe Foundation. He also mentors future professionals and founders in technology and AI, while sharing his expertise as an engaging speaker and author on topics such as user research and digital marketing. In summary, Jean-Sébastien Chouinard is not only a visionary professional but also a dedicated philanthropist and mentor who believes in the power of technology to generate positive change, both in business and in the community. His commitment to excellence and his innovative approach make him a respected leader in the technology industry.
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.