208. Go To Market First Product Management

Dec 5, 2023

Arjun Pillai, co-founder and CEO of Docket and former ZoomInfo product leader, shares GTM-first product management thinking. He talks about planning distribution and users before building. He covers aligning product, packaging and pricing, scaling demos with synthetic data and enablement, and setting measurable adoption goals. He also explains Docket’s customer discovery and prototyping approach.

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INSIGHT

Align Product Threads From Day One

Product success depends on aligning product strategy, packaging, pricing, onboarding, support, and go-to-market from day one.
Choosing a target segment (e.g., mid-market) immediately changes packaging, sales motion, onboarding needs, and ASP assumptions.

ANECDOTE

ZoomInfo Taught How Many People Must Know A Feature

At ZoomInfo Arjun learned any feature needs ~2,000 non-engineering people to know and message it for it to succeed.
Those 2,000 include SDRs, sales, support, success and account managers who must resonate with the value proposition.

ADVICE

Create A Scripted Demo With Synthetic Data

Do build a separate demo environment seeded with synthetic data that matches your sales script before launch.
Use the demo to make it easy for junior salespeople to tell a consistent story and avoid production breakages during calls.

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In this episode of The Innovation Engine, we're thrilled to welcome Arjun Pillai, the visionary co-founder and CEO of the emerging company, Docket. Arjun, a seasoned entrepreneur with a rich history of successful ventures, delves into the critical concept of Go-To-Market First Product Management (GTM First Product Management). This episode is a deep dive into why it's essential to consider market strategy, distribution, and user acquisition right from the inception of a product.

Arjun brings to light the importance of aligning product features with market needs and ensuring these are effectively communicated to customer-facing teams. He shares valuable insights from his experiences at ZoomInfo, emphasizing the evolution of product management and the pivotal role of product demos. Listeners will gain an understanding of how to empower teams for effective product demonstrations and the significance of setting clear goals for feature adoption.

Join us as we explore Arjun's unique approach to product management at his new venture, Docket, where customer discovery and collaboration are key. His perspective on media consumption and engaging with industry experts offers a glimpse into the mind of a true innovator.

Don't miss this opportunity to learn from Arjun's expertise and understand the nuances of bringing a product to market successfully. Tune in for a masterclass in product management strategy and execution.

Episode Highlights:

Exploring the concept of Go-To-Market First Product Management (GTM First Product Management) and its importance
Arjun's experience at ZoomInfo and how it highlights the alignment of product features with market needs
The evolving role of product management, shifting from holistic approaches to more specific tasks
Importance and strategies for effective product demos, including the use of synthetic data and maintaining separate demo environments
Setting and managing goals for feature adoption, with different expectations for different company sizes and markets

Resources:

Sign up to learn more about docketai.com
Connect with Arjun on LinkedIn

Produced by NOVA Media