#22: Janet Mao (Senior Product Manager) - A Product Manager's confessions, challenges, learnings & observations collaborating with a CRM team to drive business objectives.

Episode Summary Janet Mao, an experienced product professional (previously at Blinkist), discusses the collaboration between product and CRM teams. She shares her career trajectory and highlights the importance of CRM in product development. Janet explains the challenges faced when working together and provides advice for CRM professionals on collaborating with product teams. In this conversation, Janet and Karan discuss the collaboration between CRM and product teams. They share examples of how merging features and using CRM as a testing ground can lead to increased engagement and adoption. They also explore the idea of a shared CRM resource for product teams and the benefits it brings. The conversation touches on the trend of removing lines between product and CRM and Airbnb's approach to product marketing and product management. The key takeaway is the importance of focusing on goals rather than functions and the value of collaboration in achieving those goals. Takeaways: Collaboration between product and CRM teams is crucial for successful product development. Understanding the goals and strengths of each team is essential for effective collaboration. Education sessions and knowledge sharing help bridge the gap between product and CRM teams. Including CRM in the early stages of product development leads to better user engagement and retention. Clear communication and alignment on goals are key to successful collaboration. Merging features and using CRM as a testing ground can lead to increased engagement and adoption. A shared CRM resource for product teams can help bridge the gap between CRM and product and ensure alignment with the overall CRM strategy. The trend of removing lines between product and CRM is gaining traction, with companies like Airbnb combining product marketing and product management. Focusing on goals rather than functions is crucial for effective collaboration between CRM and product teams. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 01:32 Janet's Career Trajectory 06:19 Collaboration between Product and CRM 11:25 Building the Social Community at Blinkist 16:33 The Importance of CRM in Product Development 22:33 Including CRM in Non-Social Products 28:57 Hurdles in Working Together 33:16 Advice for CRM Professionals Working with Product Teams 40:57 Merging Spaces into the Library Feature 42:20 CRM as a Testing Ground for Product 44:09 Shared CRM Resource for Product Teams 47:56 The Trend of Removing Lines Between Product and CRM 48:36 Airbnb's Approach to Product Marketing and Product Management 53:10 Focusing on Goals Rather Than Functions 55:12 The Importance of Collaboration and Working Together