Jiaona Zhang

Guest: Jiaona Zhang - Senior Vice President of Product at Webflow. Jiaona, also known as JZ, is a seasoned product leader with experience at Airbnb, WeWork, Dropbox, and Pocket Gems. She teaches product management at Stanford and is known for her expertise in building and scaling product teams. Key Takeaways: Minimal Lovable Product (MLP): Focus on creating products that users love, not just viable ones. This involves understanding user needs deeply and ensuring the product delivers delight and quality. Roadmapping and Prioritization: Tell a story with your roadmap. Use themes and narratives to guide your team rather than relying solely on spreadsheets and prioritization frameworks. OKRs Approach: Set ambitious OKRs that push the team but ensure there’s a clear qualitative understanding of what success looks like. Avoid sandbagging and encourage risk-taking. First 90 Days Strategy: Quickly build context by speaking with a diverse range of team members across functions and levels. Establish trust and identify strategic changes early. Career Growth: Become known for something specific within your company to build a reputation and gain more responsibility. Topics Covered: Minimal Lovable Product vs. MVP, Roadmapping and Prioritization, OKRs, First 90 Days Strategy, Career Growth in Product Management, Lessons from Dropbox, Airbnb, WeWork, and Webflow.