There are no easy jobs in startups. Resources are limited, nobody is extraneous, and every formal role (if it exists) is essential and overloaded. This also means that every hire represents a crucial decision, because each new person will shape the future of the company. I've always told my teams that whether we're 10 people or 100 people today, the next 10 or 100 people we hire will make up half of the company and become our culture.
In no job is this idea more apparent than in a head of product in your technology organization. That person can affect the direction of nearly every group in the company. This is also why the role is perhaps the most difficult for companies to get right. Here are two ways to do it-and one common trap to avoid.
The Steve Jobs approach.
The simplest model is when your CEO is also the effective head of product. Everyone in the technology industry has heard the stories of Steve Jobs as the archetypal product CEO, providing both big-picture vision and detailed product feedback. He reportedly would directly engage with all levels of the organization and explain the product to the world, and his name would show up on patent applications. He was seemingly involved in every aspect of product decisionmaking. Of course, as CEO of a company the size of Apple, it would be impossible for him to do the job of a full-time head of product-nor did he, despite appearances to the contrary.
But in smaller tech companies, many CEOs can actually make that model a reality, prioritizing spending time on getting the product right above all else. This can work well for two reasons. First, it is a good use of a CEO's time, as a tech company's product is its raison d'être. Without the right product, there isn't much that sales, marketing, or engineering can do to make the company successful.
This story is from the Winter 2024/2025 edition of Inc..
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the Winter 2024/2025 edition of Inc..
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Karen Dillon
I moved my wedding to attend a company offsite. It was a terrible decision, but a vital lesson on balance.
The Ultimate Home-Based Business
Thirty years since her breakout on Friends, Courteney Cox is taking on a new role-entrepreneur.
An Uphill Battle
Zwift has been through layoffs and a leadership change in 2024, but co-founder and CEO Eric Min says he's learned that building a startup, like cycling, is an endurance test.
The GLOW UP
How Glossier broke free from DTC, survived the skeptics, and finally achieved profitability.
The Snack That Gives Back
With a new partnership, SkinnyDipped is supporting women founders worldwide.
A New Path to SuCCESS
AllTrails may have achieved the impossible-an app that truly helps you get away from it all.
The Back-lash Survivors
Don't challenge Elizabeth Gore and Carolyn Rodz to a game of highs and lows. The Hello Alice co-founders will win-by a long shot.
The Spa Surge
Prime IV Hydration & Wellness has successfully weathered stormy waters.
Riding the Waves
With Beehiiv, Tyler Denk built a buzzy newsletter platform and a brash online persona. Both are lucrative.
Home Economics
How Chairish brought the circular economy to furniture.