Trailblazing Ladies in Product Administration: Angela Fleming, VP Product at FreeAgent – Product Administration Programs

For our subsequent installment of our Ladies in Product Administration Sequence, I interviewed Angela Fleming, VP Product at FreeAgent.  

Nicole:  Welcome, Angela, thanks a lot for sharing your insights and journey via the world of Product Administration.

Laura: Thanks, Nicole, for having me. It’s an actual pleasure to affix you.

I’d love to begin with how you bought into Product Administration.

I’ve been in Product Administration for over 14 years now. I started my profession considerably by probability. My path to changing into a Product Supervisor was not conventional or linear. I didn’t come from a tech background, which is extra typical. I got here from the enterprise facet. I labored within the automotive sector within the retail house doing advertising and marketing CRM. Then I moved to an automotive tech firm the place I took on a enterprise consultancy position. I used to be a buyer of the software program, then I turned a advisor serving to folks identical to me use the software program. I labored alongside completely different departments throughout the tech firm, giving suggestions from prospects. I left that firm to work for an automotive retailer startup firm, beginning up the enterprise from the advertising and marketing and CRM facet. It was mainly an apprenticeship on constructing a enterprise for me, roll your sleeves up, get into all elements, do all the things in constructing that up. It was an actual training for me from that enterprise perspective. Whereas I used to be there, a buddy reached out to say there was a Product Administration position that got here up and he felt that I used to be the perfect individual for it. I didn’t know what Product Administration was, however I agreed to fulfill with the administration workforce, and so they defined they needed somebody to take care of the advertising and marketing CRM software program from a Product Administration perspective. Since I had a whole lot of expertise as a consumer and a advisor, it appeared like a superb match.

I like how so many roads can result in Product Administration. What’s it that you simply actually love about Product Administration?

Once I began, I noticed that I had a ardour for understanding buyer issues. I feel that additionally got here from my consultancy roles that I had beforehand. I used to be translating the issues and insights into what may probably clear up the issues. It allowed me to make the most of my expertise as a result of the portfolio I used to be taking care of was advertising and marketing options, for instance automation instruments, and marketing campaign administration instruments , issues that I used as a marketeer on a day-to-day foundation. Having that area data and that in-depth understanding of the position that I used to be in search of to serve was very worthwhile. And that’s the half I actually get pleasure from, understanding what that drawback is, actually digging into it by taking place completely different routes, bringing out your assumptions, after which discovering belongings you didn’t even think about. That constructed up my expertise as a Product Supervisor, but additionally my data of the product growth course of and product technique, considering large image, long run. That’s what began to essentially excite me.

Out of your previous expertise wanting forward, what is absolutely inspiring you about Product Administration at this time?

Once I began, the engineering facet was king. A whole lot of tech firms didn’t actually have Product Administration illustration. Now, the will for folks to maneuver into Product Administration is absolutely sturdy. Expertise is rising a lot, new startups on daily basis, new concepts, the alternatives are unbelievable. There’s a confidence—I’ve obtained an concept, I see an issue, I feel I understand how to resolve it, and I’m going to place my cash the place my mouth is and pursue that. That’s very inspiring.

I like books and listening to podcasts. One e book I all the time suggest is, “Escaping the Construct Lure”, by Melissa Perri. I discover her work very inspiring and insightful. She shares the significance of shifting focus from outputs to outcomes. That’s had a profound affect on my strategy to Product Administration, specializing in the worth we’re bringing to the issue we’re making an attempt to resolve. She wrote one other e book with Denise Tilles known as “Product Operations”, which is a brand new operate I launched into our organisation at FreeAgent at the beginning of the yr. Her e book was actually insightful for our journey to maneuver into that operate as effectively.

Nice suggestions. Are you able to give us some examples of how you’ve gotten moved from outputs to outcomes?

At Free Agent, we use the Jobs-to-be-done framework, specializing in what job the consumer is making an attempt to realize and the way finest to serve that job. Your prospects may have a wide range of completely different jobs, for instance core jobs which can be must-haves, and extra secondary jobs. We’re very centered, and we use jobs-to-be-done in all elements of the way in which we work. We continually confer with it as we construct a method across the core jobs that we’re in search of to assist. It’s positively a framework I like to recommend utilizing. It lets you actually concentrate on that, the duty of your consumer, your buyer, and the worth that you really want them to have from utilizing your resolution to try this explicit job. It means that you can concentrate on that worth.

In implementing this framework, inform me about working with different stakeholders within the firm. Many of us in Product Administration may not have authority, however they should affect different stakeholders. Are you able to share an instance of the way you and your workforce are doing that?

With the jobs-to-be-done framework, you even have the ODI, or End result Pushed Innovation, that focuses on how effectively a selected job is served, the satisfaction stage versus the extent of significance. That’s one thing we launched with our consumer analysis workforce previously 18 months. We’ve been taking a look at that ODI evaluation throughout completely different buyer channels. In addition they use jobs-to-be-done of their methods of working, however bringing in that satisfaction versus significance stage to get a scoring helps us prioritise. Our consumer analysis workforce is a part of our design facet throughout our product, design and engineering org, in order that’s an instance of us working carefully collectively to search out that info to be able to make the fitting choices going ahead.

Let’s discuss hiring. I like that your former colleague reached out to you understanding you’ll be excellent. As VP, how do you rent Product Managers in your workforce? What are these attributes that rise to the highest that you simply actually prefer to see if you’re evaluating candidates?

For me, it’s vital to search out people who find themselves going to be the fitting cultural match for our organisation. Questions enable us to get a bit extra perception, like what about FreeAgent appeals to you, and might you share an instance of a profitable product you’ve launched? How someone describes that provides us a whole lot of perception into the way in which they work. I’m searching for individuals who reveal sturdy empathy. If they can’t empathize with the shoppers they’re seeking to serve and so they can’t recognize the completely different ache factors they’ve, that’s a flag to me. Possibly that individual just isn’t proper for us at FreeAgent. However additionally they want actually good listening expertise and might tackle info and digest it. We’re very knowledge knowledgeable so having that analytical talent set is advantageous for the position as a result of we use knowledge for determination making. Being snug with utilizing knowledge is vital.

Now I need to pivot to ladies particularly. We use this section to encourage ladies to think about Product Administration as a profession. Do you’ve gotten recommendation particularly for ladies?

Don’t assume you want a tech background. I’ve demonstrated that’s not obligatory. You be taught the extent of technical understanding you want for Product Administration as you’re employed with engineers. In case you’re seeking to break into Product Administration, be proactive, and hunt down alternatives to develop related expertise. Reveal empathy, convey that perception into conversations throughout the enterprise. Reveal openness to construct belief inside groups. Are there any product-related tasks which you can be a part of? Work alongside folks in that position and observe.

There’s a number of unbelievable books. I discussed Melissa Perri. There’s additionally Marty Cagan and a fantastic e book by David Pereira, “Untrapping Product Groups”. And I all the time suggest discovering a mentor. It’s good to have somebody present steerage and assist and share alternatives via their networking. A mentor is a superb benefit to have as you break into Product Administration. That and networking which is important. Join with different Product Managers via business occasions, on-line boards {and professional} teams. Networking is nice for listening to about alternatives the place you might get a suggestion. If someone recommends you for a task, that would assist you to break into Product Administration. Don’t be afraid to advocate for your self. Numerous views are extremely worthwhile in Product Administration.

I like all of the insights and the e book suggestions. Thanks a lot for being with us and for sharing your ardour with us at this time, Angela.

Thanks for having me, Nicole, I actually loved it.