Trailblazing Ladies in Product Administration: Angela Fleming, VP Product at FreeAgent | Productside

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 hitch you.

I’d love to start out 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 marketing consultant serving to folks similar to me use the software program. I labored alongside totally different departments inside the tech firm, giving suggestions from clients. 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 principally an apprenticeship on constructing a enterprise for me, roll your sleeves up, get into all facets, do all the pieces in constructing that up. It was an actual schooling for me from that enterprise perspective. Whereas I used to be there, a good friend reached out to say there was a Product Administration position that got here up and he felt that I used to be the perfect particular person for it. I didn’t know what Product Administration was, however I agreed to satisfy with the administration staff, they usually defined they wished somebody to take care of the advertising and marketing CRM software program from a Product Administration perspective. Since I had loads of expertise as a person and a marketing consultant, 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?

After I began, I spotted 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 presumably resolve 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 precious. And that’s the half I actually get pleasure from, understanding what that drawback is, actually digging into it by happening totally different routes, bringing out your assumptions, after which discovering stuff you didn’t even take into account. That constructed up my expertise as a Product Supervisor, but in addition my data of the product growth course of and product technique, pondering massive image, long run. That’s what began to actually excite me.

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

After I began, the engineering facet was king. A variety of tech corporations 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 day-after-day, new concepts, the alternatives are improbable. There’s a confidence—I’ve bought an thought, 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 attempting to resolve. She wrote one other e-book with Denise Tilles known as “Product Operations”, which is a brand new perform I launched into our organisation at FreeAgent at the beginning of the 12 months. Her e-book was actually insightful for our journey to maneuver into that perform as nicely.

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

At Free Agent, we use the Jobs-to-be-done framework, specializing in what job the person is attempting to realize and the way finest to serve that job. Your clients can have quite a lot of totally different jobs, for instance core jobs which can be must-haves, and extra secondary jobs. We’re very targeted, and we use jobs-to-be-done in all facets of the way in which we work. We continuously check with it as we construct a method across the core jobs that we’re in search of to help. It’s undoubtedly a framework I like to recommend utilizing. It lets you actually deal with that, the duty of your person, your buyer, and the worth that you really want them to have from utilizing your answer to do this explicit job. It means that you can deal with 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 staff are doing that?

With the jobs-to-be-done framework, you even have the ODI, or End result Pushed Innovation, that focuses on how nicely a selected job is served, the satisfaction stage versus the extent of significance. That’s one thing we launched with our person analysis staff prior to now 18 months. We’ve been that ODI evaluation throughout totally 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 person analysis staff 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 so as to make the suitable choices going ahead.

Let’s discuss hiring. I like that your former colleague reached out to you understanding you’d be excellent. As VP, how do you rent Product Managers to your staff? 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 necessary to search out people who find themselves going to be the suitable cultural match for our organisation. Questions permit us to get a bit extra perception, like what about FreeAgent appeals to you, and may you share an instance of a profitable product you’ve launched? How anyone describes that provides us loads of perception into the way in which they work. I’m in search of individuals who exhibit sturdy empathy. If they can not empathize with the purchasers they’re seeking to serve they usually can’t admire the totally different ache factors they’ve, that’s a flag to me. Possibly that particular person just isn’t proper for us at FreeAgent. However in addition they want actually good listening expertise and may 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 comfy with utilizing knowledge is necessary.

Now I need to pivot to ladies particularly. We use this phase to encourage ladies to contemplate Product Administration as a profession. Do you’ve got recommendation particularly for ladies?

Don’t suppose you want a tech background. I’ve demonstrated that’s not needed. 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. Exhibit empathy, convey that perception into conversations throughout the enterprise. Exhibit openness to construct belief inside groups. Are there any product-related initiatives that you may be a part of? Work alongside folks in that position and observe.

There’s numerous improbable books. I discussed Melissa Perri. There’s additionally Marty Cagan and an ideal 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 help 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 trade occasions, on-line boards {and professional} teams. Networking is nice for listening to about alternatives the place you possibly can get a suggestion. If anyone recommends you for a job, that would enable you to break into Product Administration. Don’t be afraid to advocate for your self. Numerous views are extremely precious 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 immediately, Angela.

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