94: Building High-Performing Teams and The Power of Culture

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In this episode of the How to Succeed in Product Management Podcast, marketing professor Jeff Shulman welcomes Leslie Grandy (Modwell) and Eric Loh (The Product Management Center at UW) as they discuss building a high-performing team and the power of culture. Building a product team and understanding the culture are crucial for a PM because they directly impact the success of a product. A well-structured team ensures diverse skills and perspectives, enabling efficient execution and innovation. Moreover, a deep understanding of the organizational culture helps the PM navigate communication, decision-making processes, and stakeholder expectations, leading to smoother collaboration and more effective product development

Disclaimer: All opinions of the speakers are their own.

What to Listen For:

• 00:00 Intro
• 06:04 Building a product team
• 09:08 Who’s involved in building a product team?
• 11:28 Scaling the hardware and software teams
• 14:26 Understanding the existing culture while building a team in another location
• 16:17 Onboarding process 
• 21:25 Getting the willing people to onboard first
• 25:30 Ideal ratio of PMs to other roles on a product team
• 31:06 Changing people and rivalry in product
• 38:27 Bridging the gap in the culture between two organizations
• 43:57 Challenges coming up with the rubric for hiring 
• 48:04 Building a team towards social purpose
• 51:17 Accepting what’s happening at the moment
• 54:55 Final Thoughts