Episode 175: Evolution of Product Management and the Importance of Diverse Backgrounds with Ryan Johnson of CallRail

In this episode of the Product Thinking podcast, host Melissa Perri is joined by Ryan Johnson to enjoy a thorough exploration of product strategy, communication, and innovation within a company. The pair discuss the importance of transparency, collaboration, and the role of diverse backgrounds in product management. For Ryan, boardroom presentations are all about storytelling in these modern times, and to tell a comprehensive story of the progress your company is making, collaboration is absolutely vital. Ryan is all about involving his teams in creating the storyline and presentation to get the best result.

Ryan shares his experiences as the Chief Product Officer at CallRail and highlights the significance of connecting with other C-level executives and aligning goals. They also touch on the evolution of the product management role and the challenges of balancing innovation with growth goals and the implementation of AI technology.

You’ll hear them talk about:

10:07 - Moving from being a VP to Chief Product Officer had a realigning effect on what Ryan thought made a good C-suite leader. Previously he had thought that the role of a Chief Product Officer was to be a dominant presence and a visionary sort of figure, wielding power and making things happen through immense talent and force of will. But this slightly overblown vision of the role changed, as he himself made the transition and realized that the principal desirable quality of someone in that position is to be a trusted business partner. Ryan now sees that a successful Chief Product Officer is someone with whom all the other members of C-suite feel absolutely comfortable approaching with their problems and goals. The more honest and trustworthy that relationship is, the more frank and productive the conversations had at that leadership level can be.

22:16 - Ryan previously discussed how he feels that the role of product managers has developed since he started his career, and that where before a couple of years ago there was no such thing as a product manager degree, nowadays there are lots of classes, boot-camps and other avenues to learn and get into the field in a more straightforward intentional manner. Nonetheless his takeaway advice for budding Chief Product Owners is to first look internally. Getting your head around the financial element will be vital to progress down the road, so speak to the financial and accounting departments at your work in advance of the change to your duties.
26:44 - One of the biggest and most interesting changes that Ryan has noticed in his time with CallRail is the way different departments present their reports in board meetings. He has been a part of the company for around six years and where in the past he has noticed the various departments presenting their updates in a fashion that was quite divorced from the rest of the company, now he points to an emphasis on storytelling and presenting a united cross-department front.

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Previous guests include:

Tanya Johnson Chief Product Officer at Auror, Tom Eisenmann, Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, Stephanie Leue, Chief Product Officer at Doodle, Jason Fried, Co-founder and CEO of 37signals, Hubert Palan, Founder and CEO of Productboard, Blake Samic, Former Global Head of Product Operations at Stripe and Uber, Colin Anawaty, Chief Product Officer of First Dollar, Quincy Hunte, Global Transformation Product Leader at Amazon Web Services, Ellen Chisa, Partner at boldstart ventures, and Leon Barnard, Education Team Lead at Balsamiq

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