As a product management recruitment firm, we value any opportunity to recruit Boston area talent and hear the inspirational problems startup founders are solving.
Whether it’s healthtech or biotech-related or championing products to help small business owners be successful, Boston product talent is doing big things.
When engaging in strategic product leadership hires, whether in Boston (or anywhere), understanding the answer to this key question will form the foundation for any successful product management leadership search:
Do you want a VP Product? Why now?
Understanding the reason why a Founder/CEO has decided they need to hire a VP Product in Boston is step one to understanding the search. A search that will require time, resources, and a strategic plan in order to get to the right hire.
We have found that the answer to this why now question usually comes down to two reasons:
- They want a real product management organization with product management best practices. This hire often happens when:
- The product release needs to be reimagined
- Organizational transformation to apply greater integration of release strategy (product marketing & GTM) with the actual job of shipping product
- Pivoting the business from being sales or engineering led to being product-led
- An outside party such as a new investor begins to influence the organization
- They need a specific outcome. Some common reasons might look like:
- The product isn’t working, and customers are churning
- Launching an integration (API) strategy
- International expansion requires new languages, currencies, standards, etc.
- Accessibility standards compliance or other industry-specific compliance and safety standards
- Legacy tech stack requiring a complete rebuild
- Releasing a mobile app version
- Recent investment means fast execution on the next part of the roadmap
- A PLG product leader is brought in to achieve specific growth metrics and outcomes
Looking for a PLG Product Leader? Here is how to better prepare for those PLG Product Leader Interviews
Why the Why Now is so Important
As you can see, understanding the reasons behind the hire is crucial when communicating to your internal hiring team or external hiring partner. A product management recruiter needs to understand the “blue sky thinking” behind an organization as well as the current problem(s) they are trying to solve with this product hire.
This why now hiring reason should direct all search efforts to target people with the exact experience required. When we work with our clients, this answer influences how we craft the message we take to the market. These messages and stories designed to stir up interest in the opportunity, help to streamline the process, and shorten the time it takes to get the hire.