The Pivot Series, Part 2: Reevaluating The Future with Alex Haefner

Melissa Perri welcomes Alex Haefner to the second episode of this four-part miniseries about companies that successfully made major pivots during the pandemic. Alex is the Head of Product at Envoy and strives to create products for a safe and healthy workplace. Alex tells Melissa how Envoy, originally a company that made products for physical workspaces, had to shift its entire product strategy during the pandemic by staying closely connected to their customers’ changing needs. They talk about why a multi-product company is the goal, how to avoid the “innovator’s dilemma,” how to talk about your roadmap with your customers, and when to keep testing versus when to forge ahead with the data you have. 

Here are some key points you’ll hear Melissa and Alex talk about:

Alex talks about his start in product, his professional background, and his current role at Envoy. [1:40].

At the very beginning of the pandemic, Envoy had to adjust its product strategy because their primary customers were physical workplaces. [3:58]

As the Head of Product, Alex and his team put together a cross-functional team from product, marketing, and engineering to combat the global changes. The CSM was in constant contact with their customers to understand their current needs. [4:50]

To survive in the global marketplace, product teams and companies must be willing to reevaluate their roadmaps if they do not align with the current needs of their customers, and develop a product that is in demand. [9:04] 

Constant customer research and communication allow your product team to be prepared for what your clients currently need and need in the future. [12:10]

Strive to become a multi-product company and try to make your products work together harmoniously. This benefits both the company and the customer. [14:42]

To avoid an innovator’s dilemma, you have to understand what your customers want out of your core product and what your product lacks. Then balance those two to ensure that you keep innovating and iterating on your product so it doesn’t become stagnant. [16:56]

As a product team, ask your customers every possible question so you can get down to what the customers and end-users need and what would benefit them. [19:03]

To build a successful product, the product team should consult with their customers when building their roadmap for the year and ensure that they are on board with the direction your company is taking. [20:53]

Overcome analysis paralysis as a leader by ranking the probability of what you and your team believe the future would look like. [23:41]


Resources
Alex Haefner on LinkedIn | Twitter 
Envoy