How to Build Things Faster as a Product Team | Maria Cuasay, Director of Product Growth @ Ancestry | The Growth Podcast

In this podcast, product growth leader Maria Cuasay shares effective strategies for boosting the speed of product teams. She highlights three essential factors: culture, process, and bureaucracy, with a particular focus on fostering a fast-paced environment. Cuasay explains Ancestry's method of balancing numerous small experiments with larger projects, using a "boulders, rocks, pebbles" planning framework. She emphasizes the importance of streamlined processes, fewer approvals, and a data-driven mindset, complemented by qualitative user research, including post-experiment testing to analyze results. Listeners will find valuable insights on enhancing team speed and efficiency through cultural changes and optimized processes.

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How to Build Things Faster as a Product Team | Maria Cuasay, Director of Product Growth @ Ancestry

The Growth Podcast

Introduction and Maria Cuasay's Background

Ancestry's Growth Amidst Industry Challenges

Ancestry's Product Strategy and Growth Team Focus

Ancestry's Business Model and Growth Team's Velocity

Ancestry's Approach to Prioritizing Growth Initiatives

Ancestry's Feature Prioritization and Planning Cycle

Ancestry's Agile Development Process and Team Composition

Ancestry's Experimentation Process and Tool Stack

Ancestry's Experimentation Metrics and Collaboration

Overcoming Roadblocks to Speed and Velocity

Addressing Challenges and Clashes in Experimentation

Handling Ownership Clashes and Engineering Collaboration

Applying Growth Principles Across Different Company Types

Metrics, Accountability, and Continuous Improvement

Team Culture, Communication, and Back-Channel Strategies

Weekly Team Meetings and Data-Driven Decision Making

Balancing Quantitative and Qualitative Data in Product Decisions

Ancestry's Approach to User Testing and Experimentation

Growth Models, Prioritization, and Impact Sizing

Prioritization Strategies and the Role of Leadership

Collaboration with Other Teams and Growth PM Skillsets

Empowering PMs to Drive Copy Changes and Career Paths

Building Alignment with Marketing and Sales

Opportunity Solution Trees and Prioritizing Customer Problems

Growth Partnerships and Their Role in Growth Strategies

Referral Programs, Key Metrics, and LTV Considerations

Analyzing Referral Metrics and LTV/CAC

Scaling a Growth Team and Demonstrating Early Impact

Working for Private Equity vs. Independent Companies

Leadership Style, Job Search Strategies, and Interview Tips

Preventing Burnout and Utilizing AI in Product Management

Favorite PM Tools, Interview Questions, and Personal Reflections

How to Build Things Faster as a Product Team | Maria Cuasay, Director of Product Growth @ Ancestry

The Growth Podcast

00:00Introduction and Maria Cuasay's Background

Introduction and Maria Cuasay's Background

01:37Ancestry's Growth Amidst Industry Challenges

Ancestry's Growth Amidst Industry Challenges

03:04Ancestry's Product Strategy and Growth Team Focus

Ancestry's Product Strategy and Growth Team Focus

04:29Ancestry's Business Model and Growth Team's Velocity

Ancestry's Business Model and Growth Team's Velocity

07:39Ancestry's Approach to Prioritizing Growth Initiatives

Ancestry's Approach to Prioritizing Growth Initiatives

10:45Ancestry's Feature Prioritization and Planning Cycle

Ancestry's Feature Prioritization and Planning Cycle

12:43Ancestry's Agile Development Process and Team Composition

Ancestry's Agile Development Process and Team Composition

14:25Ancestry's Experimentation Process and Tool Stack

Ancestry's Experimentation Process and Tool Stack

17:47Ancestry's Experimentation Metrics and Collaboration

Ancestry's Experimentation Metrics and Collaboration

19:38Overcoming Roadblocks to Speed and Velocity

Overcoming Roadblocks to Speed and Velocity

22:34Addressing Challenges and Clashes in Experimentation

Addressing Challenges and Clashes in Experimentation

25:05Handling Ownership Clashes and Engineering Collaboration

Handling Ownership Clashes and Engineering Collaboration

29:11Applying Growth Principles Across Different Company Types

Applying Growth Principles Across Different Company Types

34:39Metrics, Accountability, and Continuous Improvement

Metrics, Accountability, and Continuous Improvement

37:56Team Culture, Communication, and Back-Channel Strategies

Team Culture, Communication, and Back-Channel Strategies

41:42Weekly Team Meetings and Data-Driven Decision Making

Weekly Team Meetings and Data-Driven Decision Making

46:33Balancing Quantitative and Qualitative Data in Product Decisions

Balancing Quantitative and Qualitative Data in Product Decisions

50:20Ancestry's Approach to User Testing and Experimentation

Ancestry's Approach to User Testing and Experimentation

55:58Growth Models, Prioritization, and Impact Sizing

Growth Models, Prioritization, and Impact Sizing

1:00:40Prioritization Strategies and the Role of Leadership

Prioritization Strategies and the Role of Leadership

1:03:30Collaboration with Other Teams and Growth PM Skillsets

Collaboration with Other Teams and Growth PM Skillsets

1:07:08Empowering PMs to Drive Copy Changes and Career Paths

Empowering PMs to Drive Copy Changes and Career Paths

1:08:52Building Alignment with Marketing and Sales

Building Alignment with Marketing and Sales

1:13:05Opportunity Solution Trees and Prioritizing Customer Problems

Opportunity Solution Trees and Prioritizing Customer Problems

1:17:55Growth Partnerships and Their Role in Growth Strategies

Growth Partnerships and Their Role in Growth Strategies

1:22:46Referral Programs, Key Metrics, and LTV Considerations

Referral Programs, Key Metrics, and LTV Considerations

1:28:45Analyzing Referral Metrics and LTV/CAC

Analyzing Referral Metrics and LTV/CAC

1:33:54Scaling a Growth Team and Demonstrating Early Impact

Scaling a Growth Team and Demonstrating Early Impact

1:37:03Working for Private Equity vs. Independent Companies

Working for Private Equity vs. Independent Companies

1:40:22Leadership Style, Job Search Strategies, and Interview Tips

Leadership Style, Job Search Strategies, and Interview Tips

1:49:50Preventing Burnout and Utilizing AI in Product Management

Preventing Burnout and Utilizing AI in Product Management

1:55:10Favorite PM Tools, Interview Questions, and Personal Reflections

Favorite PM Tools, Interview Questions, and Personal Reflections