In most high schools, superlative awards were a hallway talking point, with students eagerly flipping to the back of the yearbook to see who won what.
We asked ChatGPT to pick a superlative for the ideal product manager, and, in the yearbook of product management, “master orchestrator” would be the award to win. When we asked why this superlative, this was the response: “Much like a conductor leading an orchestra, they balance the various instruments (engineering, design, marketing, etc.) to produce a product that resonates with users, meets business goals and stands out in the market.”
The generative AI tool also offered “customer champion, execution powerhouse and bridge builder” as alternatives, underscoring the point: A great product manager needs to balance it all — empathy, strategy, problem-solving and an unshakable ability to keep the tempo going.
Built In Boston spoke with Principal Product Manager Nick Cook about how he broke into the space, what’s important to know once you are there and how constantly asking questions can make a big difference.
Hi Marley is an intelligent conversational platform built for property and casualty insurance and powered by SMS.
Can you describe your journey into product management? What motivated you to pursue this career, and what key experiences helped you transition into the role?
I started my career as a mechanical engineer at a small company in Connecticut, where everyone did a little bit of everything — engineering, marketing, project management and customer relations. I got to experience a lot in this first role, which gave me a solid foundation to eventually transition to a product management role. I was always interested in tech and then started working towards my MBA to learn more about the strategy side of the business.
When my wife and I moved to Boston, it was the perfect time — and city — to make a career change to the software space. I started reading through job descriptions for roles I could apply for with my background and found product management. It seemed like a perfect fit.
I was fortunate that my leap of faith into product management paid off. I loved it. It allowed me to be close to the product while also being able to talk with internal and external stakeholders to figure out how we could delight customers in ways that drove positive business outcomes.
After three and a half years in my first product management role, I joined Hi Marley. Ultimately, I just love helping create things that people love, and that’s what I get to do at Hi Marley.
Tell us about a product you managed from conception to launch. What were the key challenges you faced, and how did you overcome them?
We recently launched Hi Marley’s Conversational First Notice of Loss. We know the FNOL experience directly impacts policyholder claim satisfaction. So, we reimagined what the most lovable FNOL experience could be. What if a policyholder could describe the loss in their own words, upload a few photos, and be done? No more rigid forms or long waits to speak to a rep. Conversational FNOL was born from that vision.
Conversational FNOL uses generative AI. Like with any new technology, we had to balance its readiness with our customers’ readiness to adopt it. We listened to feedback and created a hybrid approach; generative AI analyzes policyholder inputs while contextual but predefined responses are sent back to the policyholder.
In the crowded FNOL market, policyholders have several options to report their claims, so adoption is another challenge. We looked at existing policyholder behavior to understand when and how we should offer Conversational FNOL. We also continually analyze both qualitative and quantitative feedback to ensure we are offering a frictionless, lovable experience.
What advice would you give to someone looking to follow in your footsteps and become a product manager?
To break into product management, you can get your foot in the door and gain valuable experience by getting any role close to the product.
Once you land a job at a company that interests you, be endlessly curious about why things happen. In roles like support or customer success, ask things like, ‘Why are customers using the product this way?’ ‘Why does this issue keep popping up?’ ‘What’s the problem this feature request is trying to solve?’ By asking questions, listening to customers and always being curious, you can uncover instrumental insights for product teams.
“To break into product management, get your foot in the door by getting any role close to the product. Then, be endlessly curious about why things happen.”
Empathy is also essential for product managers. Put yourself in your users’ shoes. What are they feeling while using the product? What’s their journey before and after? How can you make their experience 10 times better?
Lastly, immerse yourself in learning. When I decided to pursue product management, I started consuming everything on the topic: podcasts, blogs, books and articles. There’s always something new to learn. This passion inspired me to start the “Prod Squad” podcast, where we explore topics like building MVPs or applying frameworks and share insights to help others grow.
