20Product: Why You Should Not Go Into Product Management, Why the CEO is Always the CPO, How to Build the Best Product Teams & Why You Should Hire People Who Aren't In Product Already with Databricks SVP Product, David Meyer

David Meyer is the SVP Products at Databricks where he drives product strategy and execution. He previously ran Engineering and Product Management at OneLogin, where he grew the company to thousands of customers and market leadership. Before OneLogin, he cofounded UniversityNow, an accredited open university system, running Product and Engineering. Prior to that, David managed a $1 billion portfolio of business intelligence products at SAP and co-led cloud strategy. His first software journey was at Plumtree which went public before being acquired by BEA in 2005.

In Today’s Episode with David Meyer We Discuss:

1. Entry into Product:

• How did David make his way into the world of product? Why did he not want to go into it?

• Why does David advise everyone “do not go into product management”?

• What does David know now that he wishes he had known when he entered product?

2. How to be a Great Product Leader:

• Why does David think most leaders suck at leading?

• Why is the most important thing to make your team feel seen? What can leaders do to ensure this?

• Why does David help his team members to find other roles outside of the company?

3. Building the Best Product Team:

• How does David hire for product today? What questions does he ask? What signals does he look for?

• What are David’s biggest hiring mistakes? How did they change his approach?

• What are the biggest mistakes founders make when hiring for product?

• Why should you hire people who are not in product today?

4. David Meyer: The Art or Science of Product:

• Is product more art or science? If David were to put a number on it, what would it be?

• Is simple always better when it comes to product?

• Will AI remove the importance and focus on UI?

• Why are the most impressive companies business model innovations not product innovations?