Biggest Challenges Faced by a Head of Product at a Small Startup
Addy's biggest challenge as Head of Product at a small startup is the lack of a singular role, requiring constant adaptation; this experience, however, proved "the most rewarding," allowing Addy to gain diverse insights by "putting [themself] in the shoes" of other teams, ultimately improving product development by directly experiencing pain points and prioritizing features more effectively.
Project Management, Overcoming Challenges, Leadership, Problem-Solving, Teamwork
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Addy Spiller
Head of Product
Independent Consultant
UC Berkeley
MBA from NYU Stern School of Business
Economics
Finance (Banking, Fintech, Investing), Technology
Product / Service / Software Development and Management
Scholarship Recipient
Video Highlights
1. At smaller startups, you often wear multiple hats, requiring flexibility and adaptability. This can involve taking on roles outside of your core expertise, such as marketing, sales, or even design.
2. This experience of working across departments can provide valuable insights into the challenges faced by other teams, leading to better product prioritization. Understanding the pain points of different teams allows for the development of more effective products.
3. By actively seeking out opportunities to learn and grow beyond your primary role, you can gain a more comprehensive understanding of your company's operations and enhance your product management skills.
Transcript
What is your biggest challenge in your current role?
One of the most challenging aspects of working at a small startup is that you don't have just one role; it's constantly flexing. When I was head of product at Orca Finance, a commercial solar lender, we were a seven-person company. I was leading the product team, which consisted of three of us, but I was also doing the underwriting.
I was actually underwriting the small businesses and the loans that we took on. I'm not an underwriter, so that was a great learning experience and a lot of fun. I also did a lot of marketing and some sales. That part was not great, not fun, and very short-lived. I even did some design work.
While all of that was incredible, eye-opening, and a wonderful experience, I wasn't solely focused on digital product management. That was challenging because I really love building products and working with engineers and designers. So, I had to ensure every role I took on would help me be a better product manager for the company.
While I was underwriting loans, I was thinking about how I could build a product or platform to help our future operations team manage underwriting more efficiently. Since I was doing it myself, I could see the pain points and where technology could make an impact.
While that was the most challenging part of my job, it was also the most rewarding. I was learning a lot. I wasn't an operations person, but I figured out how to do underwriting. It really allowed me to understand my team's pain points in a different way. I put myself in the shoes of the operations and sales teams. This helped me prioritize the features I would need to build for them more efficiently.