Jul 18 2024 44 mins 1
Have you ever wondered what building and scaling products from the frontlines is like? To be at the intersection between customers and teams shaping digital tools and products?
This week, we discuss those questions with Hamid Palo, a former Director of Product at Trello and Uber with extensive knowledge and experience in product development. Our hosts, IBB and Mia Biberović, caught up with Hamid in Brooklyn, where this seasoned product leader talked about his career and experiences and shared valuable insights into the world of startups, scale-ups, and large organizations.
Hamid talked about his time at Trello, where he joined the company as employee number five. He recounted pivotal moments that led to Trello's acquisition by Atlassian, shedding light on the emotional rollercoaster and strategic decisions that followed. He reflected on the importance of people-first leadership and the challenges of letting go of ownership in a rapidly evolving organization.
Since our guest spent almost nine years at Trello and Atlassian, he also discussed people development in large organizations and how decision-making works from top to bottom.
After a short sabbatical in 2022, Hamid joined Uber, where he worked on grocery delivery, a new product at the time, bringing it to market from zero to one. He highlighted the significance of team ownership, accountability, and the iterative process of scaling a new product while emphasizing the value of storytelling and innovation.
As the conversation unfolded, Hamid shared his transition to working on his own AI company (like everybody these days!), showcasing his entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to tackling inefficiencies in the construction industry. Join us as we explore the intricacies of scaling products in the ever-evolving landscape of technology and business!
Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
01:14 - In the beginning there was a developer
03:10 - Working on Trello for mobile
04:02 - Transition to product management
06:00 - Product management at Trello
09:06 - Localization vs. internationalization
10:59 - Trello's acquisition
13:35 - Atlassian did it the right way
14:30 - Culture is the key
15:28 - Atlassian's mistake
18:17 - Personal growth at Atlassian
21:05 - Taking time off
22:24 - Working on M&A
24:37 - High level decision making
26:38 - Putting out fires
30:09 - What makes a good leader?
32:35 - The importance of team ownership
34:13 - Boosting people's creativity
37:01 - Building new products at Uber
38:02 - How do you go Zero-to-One?
41:19 - Starting an AI company
43:33 - Pen and paper baby!
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