Hi Product people,

AI is reshaping sales and product management. But what does it take to build an AI-powered product that people love?

This week on Product Thinking, I had the opportunity to speak with Eilon Reshef, co-founder and Chief Product Officer of Gong.

Eilon shared how Gong is transforming the sales industry with AI-driven solutions that empower salespeople to perform at their best.

"We realized that to succeed, Gong had to deliver immense value directly to the salespeople using our product, not just the organization at large. Our focus on the end-user ensured our survival and success."

We discussed the challenges of scaling a company like Gong during rapid growth and the unique organizational structures that help Gong maintain its edge. Eilon's insights into aligning product development with customer needs are invaluable for anyone looking to make an impact in their field.

Have you integrated AI into your product strategy? How has it influenced your approach? Let me know in the comments.

🎧 Listen to the full episode here: Apple | Spotify

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Until next time,

Melissa Perri

Founder Product Institute, Board Member, and Teacher

Key Moments on the Podcast to Check Out:

10:31 - Prioritizing Seller-Centric Value

Eilon discusses the importance of emphasizing value for the end user, the salespeople, rather than just delivering organizational value. This approach has been critical to Gong’s success, helping build a product that sales teams love and rely on.

13:50 - Implementing a Customer-Centric Structure

Learn about Gong's unique pod structure, where product managers work closely with numerous design partners to receive continuous feedback and refine the product. This approach ensures that customer needs are always at the forefront.

26:54 - Embracing AI in Product Management

Eilon provides advice for product managers on how to integrate AI into their work. He emphasizes the need to practice and understand AI capabilities to effectively incorporate them into product offerings.

Episode resources:

This episode was brought to you by Liveblocks

Sign up for a free Liveblocks account

Other Resources:

LISTEN TO THE FULL PODCAST

THE PRODUCT THINKING PODCAST IS SPONSORED BY

Product Management training at scale for teams and individuals, created by Melissa Perri.

LEARN MORE

Do you have a product dilemma you just can’t solve? Are you in need of some pointed career guidance? We’ve got a direct line to Melissa, so now’s your chance to ask her anything you’d like. You can record a voice message here, or you can submit a question via form below. Melissa just might answer it in a future Dear Melissa segment of the podcast.

ASK MELISSA

The CPO Accelerator is a members-only live virtual course for product leaders taught by Melissa Perri. The move from product leader to VP or CPO can be challenging. It takes a whole new set of skills to succeed at the next level, and you may be the first person at your company to hold this seat at the executive table.

Learn more