I once worked with two execs who were complete opposites. The marketer valued connection, starting with shared values, easing into disagreements, and ending with a positive spin. The engineer loved to argue, saw debate as a path to truth, and had no patience for soft landings. Naturally, they couldn’t stand each other.
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My job was to speak their language. With the marketer, I built bridges. With the engineer, I got straight to the point. When they had to work together, I translated. If you want to succeed as a CPO, learn to code-switch. You are not there to change people; you are there to connect them so that their efforts dovetail. See more at CPO.studio.
Fun in Lisbon
The conference Productized is October 15-18 in Lisbon. I'm hosting Aligned: the Game workshop and giving a talk: How to Set Direction While Embracing Uncertainty. Here is a discount code. Coming?
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