Product managers, UX designers and front-end developers make up most product teams — but depending on the product or service, the responsibilities of those roles vary significantly. We caught up with the product teams of four different startups and asked them to tell us what happens behind the scenes.
Dataminr discovers events and critical breaking information in real time. Its solutions are used by clients across the world and various industries, including public sector, finance and security. Vice president of product management Bryce Feuerstein gave us a behind-the-scenes look at what his team does.
Who makes up the product team?
Our team is aligned to support the different verticals we serve, and includes product managers, associate product managers and myself.
What are the day-to-day responsibilities of the product team?
Our team owns everything product, from ideation to development and release. By leveraging data and collaborating with clients and stakeholders throughout the company, we define product direction and create go-to-market strategies.
What are three attributes everyone on the team needs to have?
Data-driven, innovative and collaborative
NS1 is a DNS and traffic management platform that helps companies like Dropbox, Yelp and LinkedIn intelligently route users to their infrastructure. The technology was built from the ground up to address the challenges of dynamic and automated application architectures. Product manager Emily Pali and chief product officer Jonathan Sullivan told us what it means to be on their team.
Who makes up the product team?
Our product team encompasses product management, UX/UI design and front-end development.
What are the day-to-day responsibilities of the product team?
Our team is responsible for owning the product vision and deliverables through the go-to-market process, and they work closely with our engineering and product organizations to provide crucial user perspectives. They’re constantly meeting with key prospects and existing customers to develop a deep understanding of their needs and propose appropriate enterprise solutions.
What are three attributes everyone on the team needs to have?
Communication skills, flexibility and a passion for learning
BCG Digital Ventures is a corporate investment and incubation firm that launches businesses at startup speed. Product director Jon Ringer explained how his team operates.
Who makes up the product team?
We have 40 product managers in North America – the group is quite a bit larger globally.
What are the day-to-day responsibilities of the product team?
It varies from venture to venture, but from a high-level standpoint we’re on the hook to build, launch and scale products that users love. To list a few specifics, we define overall product strategy, drive MVP definition and design and manage the team. Every day is different, and is highly dependent on the venture’s level of maturity.
What are three attributes everyone on the team needs to have?
Creative and experimental, great problem-solving skills and fun to work with
TransferWise helps people send money internationally. The service provides users with the actual exchange rate and charges a low, upfront fee. Product manager Josh Aziz told us what it’s like to work on the product team at his company.
Who makes up the product team?
The product team has over 75 team members, including product leads, managers, analysts and designers.
What are the day-to-day responsibilities of the product team?
The team leads the vision and strategy of our products, developing conviction on what matters to our customers over time. We lead by example and inspire others to reach our company’s mission, and work in cross-functional teams (engineering, operations, compliance, etc.) to think through end-to-end customer experiences.
What are three attributes everyone on the team needs to have?
Customer-focused, have a head for numbers, and someone who loves to get things done
