Hi Product People,
One of the key drivers of team success is clarity. Setting a clear mission, product goals, and milestones gives teams the direction they need to innovate confidently and execute effectively.
In this week’s Product Thinking episode, I spoke with Robin Daniels, Chief Business and Product Officer at Zensai, about transforming workplace cultures by creating a supportive community atmosphere.
Robin draws on experience from his time at Salesforce, LinkedIn, and other tech companies, where he’s learned that product teams need more than talent—they need a shared vision and purpose.
As he put it, "You don't tell smart people exactly how to do their job... they need a direction to go towards."
For Robin, empowering teams means fostering a culture of autonomy within a structure of clear goals. He believes in inspiring teams to take ownership of the “how” once they understand the “what” and “why.”
We discussed how rethinking performance management through weekly check-ins, rather than annual reviews, encourages real-time reflection and strengthens team connection. Robin sees this as a way to boost engagement, especially in remote teams, by building a consistent feedback loop.
Robin’s insights also extend to product-led growth, where he highlights the importance of reducing friction in onboarding to make each customer interaction simple, boosting both loyalty and satisfaction.
Whether you're leading a team, working on a product, or interested in creating a more connected workplace, Robin’s ideas offer steps toward clarity and building a culture of community.
Have you experienced similar insights in building and leading product teams? I’d love to hear your thoughts—respond to this email or share them with me on LinkedIn!
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See you next week,
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Melissa Perri
Founder Product Institute, Board Member, and Teacher
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