The Revenue-Focused Marketer

Links & Resources

• Pioneering Women in Tech: Driving Digital Change and Gen AI Revolution
  
• The Human Touch 2.0–Leveraging AI for Deeper, More Meaningful Sales
• The AI Paradox: Bridging Ethics and Innovation

Transcript

0:09:
Hello and welcome to another episode of the Revenue Focused Marketer where we discuss anything and everything related to marketing as well as data.

0:18:
I am your usual host, Hershey.

0:21:
And today I have the privilege to have someone very special with us today.

0:26:
Catherine’s been someone who really sort of inspired me to be in the career that I am right now.

0:33:
I don’t even know if she realized this.

0:36:
But when I started off my career very early on as an internet equinox, I had the opportunity to meet with her and just by learning about her day to day and learning about the impact that she makes, I was really like passionate about understanding more about product management.

0:53:
And now I do serve the role of the product manager for the growth.

0:58:
So it feels like full circle and I’m very excited to welcome Catherine to her podcast today.

1:05:
So welcome, Catherine.

1:07:
Thank you so much, Hershey.

1:09:
Thanks for having me.

1:10:
Yeah, we’re so excited.

1:13:
So I think for our listeners, let’s just start off with giving them more of a background about you.

1:20:
I know certain things about you, but maybe for the rest of us, you can tell us about your professional background and how did you really get started in your field?

1:30:
Yeah.

1:33:
No, great.

1:34:
So, let me start by introducing myself.

1:36:
So my name is Katrine Hu.

1:40:
I was born and raised in Norway.

1:42:
me and my husband, we moved to California when our youngest daughter was three months old.

1:49:
I bring a 15 plus years of tech experience from cloud telecom and data center industries and I’m also a proud dual citizen, have an awesome family.

2:03:
I love to travel and also being outdoors.

2:07:
So a little bit more on my professional background,, I started really with a, a business degree in Norway and a few years of consulting.

2:19:
And through that experience is where I really was able to hone my understanding of humans and human behavior and business dynamics.

2:28:
My most recent role was as a chief of staff at Lightspeed Networks in Oregon.

2:35:
I worked very closely with the CEO and, and the board to reduce operating expenses.

2:43:
We were able to do that with 20% and that helped us achieve a neutral cash flow which was imperative to the, to the business.

2:53:
That’s wonderful.

2:54:
Mhm.

2:55:
And where we met, right was at Equinox and I was recruited to the company to establish product operations for the product org.

3:07:
And that’s where I, I grew and nurtured,, the team to 60 employees.

3:14:
We had a variety of roles which included Scrum.

3:20:
Scrum leads tech writers, analysts, communications expert for internal and external coms and program managers.

3:31:
Mhm.

3:32:
And new product launches and efficiency focus at ni just to call out one thing, you know, that contributed to a 48% revenue increase.

3:43:
Oh, wow, that’s wonderful.

3:45:
Let’s dive deeper than into like, you know, new product launches.

3:50:
What can you shed some light about what a product introduction is for our users?

3:56:
Yeah, of course.

3:57:
Absolutely.

3:59:
So let me provide a quick overview.

4:01:
So the new product introduction model also known as N P I, some people refer to it as new product offering, but it’s pretty much the same, you know what it is.

4:14:
It is a structured approach to bring a new product from an idea or concept if you like to the market.

4:24:
So it’s order and sellable.

4:27:
And this process involves several key stages and cross functional collaboration to ensure a successful product launch.

4:35:
And, and these are the typical phases of an N P I process model.

4:40:
You have strategy commit, planning proof of concept.

4:47:
typically also include a pilot or some, some refer to it as private beta.

4:53:
And after that, there are typical phases as a true beta, limited availability launch.

5:01:
And then you go into the true launch, you know, the release to market, get go to market activities.

5:08:
And after that, it is the usually what happens in the product team is to do a post launch evaluation, a retrospect and when the product is launched and released, right?

5:21:
And what’s in typical cloud fashion, that’s when you go into the continuous updates, which is much more frequent, right?

5:28:
It could be weekly, monthly, quarterly.

5:31:
Really all depends on the company.

5:34:
Definitely, I think a lot of people say failing to plan is planning to fail.

5:40:
So I understand that like, you know, a product role is very heavy in getting the planning right to make the end goals.

5:48:
Could you share like, what are certain things that you have to keep in mind just to make sure like, you know, it’s a successful delivery, like maybe best practices or even examples of like, you know, experiences that you’ve had with N P I.

6:05:
Yeah, in terms of planning, right?

6:09:
So you have to plan.

6:12:
but I also want to point out to, you know, that it’s an iterative process without a plan, right?

6:20:
You really go nowhere.

6:21:
It’s just chaos, I would say.

6:24:
So you have to have a plan, you have to set milestones, you have to set K P I s or typically in pro in bigger programs, you know, it’s more like O K R S results which is set for maybe a month or a quarter.

6:39:
Depends on how long the cycle is, right?

6:43:
But those are important and what I mean by it, iterative, you know, it is that things change, you know, it’s very, very typical.

6:52:
There could be something new popping up, something we hadn’t thought of.

6:56:
We may have to include more scope than we maybe we missed something, you know, so or something happens to the team or it could be all kinds of things, a new tool is introduced, right?

7:11:
So I’m not saying we need to plan for all of that.

7:13:
We just need to be cognizant of that and having a a planning process and also driving it to using a project plan with which is really good use of that, you know, is to actually have I would say typically weekly project status meetings where you meet with the stakeholders for each of the functions and we just determine if we are on track or off track and what do we need to do.

7:45:
So it’s really like a focus on anything that’s off track.

7:49:
Mhm.

7:51:
And it’s really risk management, I would say, right.

7:54:
It’s, it’s a lot of that you’re mitigating risks, sorry, sorry to interrupt you.

7:59:
No, no, definitely, no.

8:00:
The I think what really interests me is like sort of learning about what might be certain challenges that you might have faced because for me, when I’m working with cross functional teams.

8:13:
I think the hardest part is like, even though I have to somewhat manage their time to get to our end result, I don’t, I don’t technically manage them because they’re from different teams.

8:26:
I’m not the direct manager.

8:27:
So sometimes it gets really hard for me to be able to find the right balance of how do I get things done without having to micromanage their time?

8:37:
Right.

8:37:
So I have, is that something that you have experienced?

8:40:
And like, you know, how do you certainly go about like the challenges that come across?

8:45:
Yeah.

8:46:
No, that’s a, that’s a great question.

8:49:
And I think a lot of professionals find that a challenge.

8:55:
I think most people prefer managing people hierarchical.

9:02:
So they’re in their group, their organization.

9:05:
But, but that’s not what this is, you know, when you the cross functional collaboration, it’s all about people wanting to support it, be part of it because they understand where this is going to go.

9:20:
So if I can maybe take you back to part of my early career at, at Oracle.

9:27:
And at Oracle, I did a lot of different projects and programs and they became bigger and bigger and it’s on a, on a global scale and I never had a big team.

9:42:
So how I executed those programs and they were across all the different product portfolios as well as the functions in order to bring it to market.

9:57:
But to do that, you had to really create strong relationships with those subject matter experts or those that became my primary point of contact.

10:09:
And I think it’s important to establish a point of contact for each function of each product portfolio or product itself.

10:20:
The there’s a couple of other things too that I have found really useful because I think this is a skill to be able to navigate really well in a matrix management and execute through virtual teams.

10:35:
It’s not easy but it can be done.

10:39:
And some of my learnings is that you include them in the scope and the planning.

10:46:
So you get them in earlier and not that everything is done or ready for them to go and just, you know, create deliverables, right?

10:55:
You bring them in early on in, in the project.

10:59:
So they’re, they’re feeling a little bit of ownership, right?

11:02:
Definitely.

11:04:
The second thing that I was able to leverage at Oracle because I had so many projects and programs there was that I was able to go back to the same person, say, in marketing or in sales ops or you know, C R M and say, hey, I’m doing this program and are you will you still be able to be my point of contact or my me?

11:31:
And in most cases, I was that they were there and they, and I will just say, you know, this is important, this is really important once you worked with them before and it’s,, and you’ve been able to turn it into a success, then I will remember that, you know.

11:48:
Oh, yeah, I worked with Katrin and all these other people and I like that and, and it was great how we were able to execute last time.

11:56:
So, of course, I’m gonna do it again.

11:58:
You know, you, you, you build a reputation.

12:02:
it’s a lot about influence, right?

12:04:
It’s a lot about you have to sell a project.

12:07:
So I’m not in the sales profession, but you become a little bit part of that too.

12:12:
You have to have your strategies for how you win people over and how you make them wanna, you know, participate and do, I would say do the right thing, but it so many competing priorities always, right?

12:25:
For everyone.

12:26:
Definitely.

12:27:
I think this is one of those careers where you’re literally pushed into a leadership role very early on in your life.

12:34:
just because you have the ability to make that influence and you’re right, like, you know, just taking the time to make that personal connection and involving them in the process does increase that ownership bit.

12:48:
And then obviously, when people feel more ownership, the results that they provide are better.

12:53:
So I think, yeah, that’s very impactful.

12:56:
And for anyone in this career, that’s something I cannot, they could utilize.

13:03:
I also wanted to learn from you more about like you mentioned, like, you know, getting the sales skills.

13:11:
But I think when we do like new product launches or like new modules within a product, all these launches do require a lot of heavy lifting from the marketing teams, right?

13:25:
So how has that sort of relationship been for you?

13:30:
And like, you know, what role do you really play in?

13:35:
sort of getting, making sure that like every market introduction is successful?

13:40:
Mhm Yeah.

13:42:
I mean, it is it’s not always smooth sailing, but there are a couple of tricks, you know, to, to set it up in a way that it definitely has an opportunity to succeed, right?

13:56:
First of all, you know, I think with any new product launches, whether it’s working in marketing or any other teams, you know, it’s important that the overall program I would say have an executive sponsor if, if it’s at that scale, right?

14:11:
If it’s a big one, right?

14:14:
That helps all the functions including marketing, right?

14:18:
So then the B P O marketing or CMO they’re also informed and engaged and they’re like, yes, this is important, you know, so we’re gonna support this because ultimately it’s gonna support the bottom line and everyone’s gonna be happy, right?

14:34:
So, for marketing in particular, what I’ve seen as challenges is that often the team is under-resourced.

14:44:
It’s, it’s quite difficult.

14:45:
It’s a place where companies tend to cut.

14:49:
So then you are, you are really battling with team members that wants to do, do it, you know, wants to be part of this, they understand it, but they also have so many other things on their plate.

14:59:
Right?

15:00:
Yeah.

15:01:
So in that case, you know, you have to really work with them, maybe teach them how to prioritize, go back to their manager.

15:09:
And kind of actually I would say argue or make a good reasons for why that person should focus on my project, you know, project, right?

15:23:
And in some cases, I, I’m with them too.

15:25:
I go with them, right?

15:26:
Because it’s not important.

15:28:
So you, you give them support, I think that’s another trick, right?

15:32:
So they don’t feel like they’re alone, right?

15:35:
It’s it’s all about relationship making and being there to support them.

15:40:
Definitely.

15:41:
And if it’s about prioritization, the other thing that I have done, which I worked well is that we just decide well, the most critical assets we need for marketing, you know, would, you know, be a couple of material to go up on the website and some sales readiness material, maybe they contribute to that so that the sales team are ready to sell it, right.

16:05:
So they will some of these marketing strategies that they can use.

16:09:
So that’s a lot often how I work, you know.

16:13:
Yeah.

16:14:
And I know you mentioned, like, you know, marketing teams or certain teams being short staffed a lot of the times.

16:22:
So the newest fix that I’ve been seeing in the market is like introducing A I and there’s chat GP T S and there’s like, you know, different forms of A I basically trying to pull every need that you have.

16:36:
And a lot of people are also stressed out, like, you know, about, like, what impact will it make to like their job?

16:42:
Right.

16:43:
So how have you sort of, you know, seen, like, have you seen any impact of A I so far and like the role that you are in?

16:52:
And how do you think, like, you know, A I is being leveraged within product development?

16:59:
Yeah.

16:59:
, everyone’s talking about A I and everyone has it on their road map.

17:04:
I mean, I just heard about the company yesterday, a big, big software company.

17:11:
, they had talked about their planning, their strategies and,, I don’t think anyone’s planning like a five year strategy anymore or a one year strategy.

17:24:
It’s like one month, three months, six months, you know, is that a strategy?

17:28:
Yeah, you know, strategy and, and tactical kind of combined and it’s a lot to do with A I, you have to be part of it now.

17:35:
It’s going so fast.

17:38:
So we can’t sit here and think that this isn’t gonna happen yet because it’s, you were mentioning several tools, right?

17:45:
That’s already there that I think a lot of people are using from a, a new product introduction process.

17:53:
You know, I think there’s, there’s several things that I, I haven’t seen it yet but I, I expect it to be there very, very soon.

18:01:
Right.

18:02:
From all the vendors is that, you know, you can use A I to analyze market trends, bringing customer feedback, you can use social media data if it’s B to C right, to identify gaps in the market and generate, you know, new product ideas.

18:21:
You, you can use other tools, you know, to maybe understand customer sentiments and needs, maybe you don’t have to bring them in to, to videotape them what we used to do, right?

18:32:
Yeah.

18:33:
So I, I think it’s just you just have to know the prompts to give the A I or how to code it to go and, and grab the data.

18:42:
But I think that’s gonna be super helpful because what I have definitely experienced with the different N P I S that I’ve introduced and implemented, you know, is that the customer feedback is so critical yet.

18:59:
A lot of companies do not do enough to get the, the feedback because it’s so painful.

19:07:
And so I think A A I for sure can fill that gap.

19:12:
Yeah.

19:13:
Definitely like even with the growth in our product, like we’ve gone like super into our A I modules, our newest work and the launch that I was last working on was more related to our lead scoring module.

19:29:
So for sales now we have like our, it’s like human versus A I, like you can go by the rule base or now we have our A I base that’s way more accurate because it takes historical data and the present data to sort of predict what leads and grade it for them.

19:46:
So like if your sales team, if your sales team is already preoccupied with like, you know, so many different leads and don’t know how to prioritize.

19:53:
Now, you can literally tell them like, hey, here’s the set of the leads that are grade A that will work best for you and we have the data to show why.

20:02:
So I think definitely like when it comes to efficiency and like, you know, saving time, like there’s so much being done out there to sort of, you know, make.

20:15:
Yeah.

20:16:
Yeah.

20:17:
No, it’s a, it’s a good discussion and it’s becoming part of our lives, you know, both private and part of the professional life, you know, in definitely all over.

20:28:
Really?

20:29:
Right.

20:29:
Yeah.

20:30:
It’s the new big data, new Blockchain J A I is now like the new buzzword.

20:35:
if it’s in the market, if it’s like, you know, every conversation is touching that.

20:41:
And because like, I think GP T has also made it so accessible now that people are finally able to understand.

20:49:
Oh, this is A I for the longest, like youtube used to like customize your recommendations based on your taste and data.

20:55:
But now people are able to understand like what like this has A I in on the back end to like, you know, be able to support this.

21:04:
So but like with anything that has so many pros, I’m sure there’s also challenges.

21:12:
so like, you know, for companies that are incorporating A I into their product, I like, have you seen any obstacles or like, you know, where do you think the constraint is right now?

21:27:
Yeah, I mean, so it depends on how quickly companies integrate A I and where they do it, right?

21:34:
But I, I can I definitely know that it’s gonna be included in in, in data quality for instance.

21:46:
And I, I doubt that every person in a company that are involved in that, you know, are fully skilled in A I.

21:55:
So I think that is something to be cautious, cautious about and also how we integrate with other systems, you know, is, is the areas that you’ve integrated A I, is that gonna mess up or have any issues with other tools or systems that you have?

22:13:
And I also think may maybe a big one that, I don’t think anyone’s really sorted out yet, you know, globally and especially in Europe, you know, it’s big on this.

22:23:
They’re usually the first one to be,, really honing in on regulatory and ethical areas to consider that, you know, data, data privacy privacy.

22:35:
Yeah.

22:36:
Yeah.

22:36:
So those areas I think are gonna be our gaps today.

22:41:
, that’s calling off a few.

22:44:
Right.

22:44:
I’m sure that there’s many others, you know, as you go through the product life cycle, there’s, there’s gonna be gaps everywhere and I think it’s just leadership’s responsibility, you know, to be a little bit, you know, take responsibility and not just un unleash A I everywhere, right?

23:05:
But do it responsible, you know, be responsible when they do that.

23:10:
Yeah, in a controlled manner and like, you know, also making sure like there are like, because this is the new normal, there’s certain rules and regulations that are sort of set up while using A I also.

23:23:
Yeah.

23:24:
Yeah.

23:25:
Yeah.

23:25:
Yeah, definitely.

23:27:
For me, like with like for the next section of our conversation, like you’ve been such a Trailblazer for women in leadership, right?

23:36:
You’ve had so many different roles.

23:38:
I know I am definitely someone who’s inspired by everything that you’ve done.

23:43:
What piece of advice would you have for other women that are in similar fields and like, you know, still trying to pave their path, still trying to figure out like how to sort of, you know, become leaders, any piece of advice for them.

24:00:
Yeah.

24:02:
that was a good, good question.

24:03:
I love to give some advice.

24:08:
So, yeah, I’ve I’ve had the opportunity right to be in several companies, different leadership and individual contributor roles.

24:17:
And early on in my career, you know, I, I face numerous challenges, you know, in including bias and underestimation, you know, I think just being a woman.

24:28:
However, I remained focused, I set goals for myself and I just kept working away, you know, and I leveraged my skills and expertise to really prove my worth.

24:42:
And that did a big thing for me, right?

24:45:
Because what I contributed to and how I delivered that really set the tone for promotions or changes and opportunities, right?

24:59:
The other thing I’d say, you know, it’s really, really important to build your network and seek mentorship.

25:06:
I mentor.

25:07:
I’ve always mentored several people within the company I’m in or se or outside of that, it doesn’t really matter.

25:15:
And I, if I can go back and make a change, I just, I wish I had like, really looked for a mentor that I could have had throughout my career, right?

25:26:
Because I’ve had a few, but it hasn’t been anything that’s been there as a stable force for me.

25:34:
And so that, that’s definitely an advice I would give to you and everyone else, you know, that are, you know, in the early phases of their career, find a mentor and a good mentor, you know, and, and, and the other thing too, I would say to everyone is learning is, is so important.

25:54:
It’s not just something you say in an interview, right?

25:57:
It’s you, you have to do it.

25:59:
I think it’s continuous learning, right?

26:03:
So embrace the new technology since that’s the sector we’re in, right?

26:08:
Embrace changes.

26:10:
And, and of course, you know, then go ahead and develop your super skills and, and believe in yourself.

26:17:
And remember too, you know, that you are a role model for so many other young women, you know, that’s following in, in your and our path.

26:27:
Yeah, definite.

26:29:
I think something that like really resonated with me is also like you saying that like how you are open to providing mentorship to others.

26:38:
So I think a lot of the times we definitely grow by like uplifting each other and like, I am a solid believer in like paying it forward, if not back, at least pay it forward, it definitely makes a difference.

26:52:
I know Equinox had like a program for like, you know, sort of having these like sessions for uplifting women.

27:00:
How do you sort of think like companies have been or can improve and sort of like, you know, removing this gap or removing this animosity of like just being a woman in tech or like having more women in leadership.

27:16:
I, I think everything is helping and and where it really makes a difference is when you also have men participating in these groups.

27:28:
Because you, you really have to make the changes resonate with the men as well because they are the one who’s going to actually help you reach your goals faster than just women colleagues if that makes sense.

27:46:
So I’ve definitely experienced that at EIC, that there were several men that joined different alliances groups or EIC women leadership network.

27:57:
And that sounds weird right in the beginning, like, oh, here that’s, that is so important and so impactful.

28:07:
And I think the other thing that’s gonna make a big difference too is what’s happening now, you know, in California for, I think maybe the last few years where you have to have so many females on, on a board and they’re really big on figuring out how many minorities do they have in leadership positions in companies.

28:32:
But they report a lot and it’s only when you have, when you’re actually starting to put some rules into place and there is like some hard facts and you have to actually get, I don’t know what it is.

28:45:
a few, several, there’s a perception to be on the board, right?

28:51:
That’s when you’re starting to really see and feel the difference, you know, as a woman, I think, and I’m so happy that that’s happening.

29:00:
So, yeah, big change.

29:02:
Yeah.

29:02:
No, definitely like huge transitions.

29:05:
I’m sure from like, you know, when you started off earlier in your career to like getting and being able to experience the changes also, that’s huge.

29:14:
I know, I know we’re coming to the sort of tail end of our conversation here today but like, you know, I just wanted to understand from you, are there any particular key takeaways or like key points that you’d want our listeners to like, you know, go away with today for all the discussions that we’ve had.

29:35:
Yeah, so let me do a quick summary.

29:38:
So let me call out three points.

29:41:
Number one.

29:43:
The new product introduction is critical to a successful launch and I believe it’s, it’s the, it’s the glue, you know, that makes this work.

29:54:
so important is the cross functional collaboration, you know, through trust and empathy.

30:02:
Second A I, you know, is here, it’s fascinating.

30:08:
It’s going to help us with the mundane tasks.

30:11:
And I think it will do a better job than humans as it has this natural attention to detail.

30:17:
But I also believe that humans needs to validate and and, and it really opens up for other opportunities and work and jobs for humans, you know, that they, you know, now that A I is here to do some of the other things.

30:32:
And and third, you know, I would say, you know, find a mentor if you don’t have one or maybe you have to go and find one or two, right?

30:44:
And also be open to mentor to mentoring others.

30:49:
I think it’s just a really good way, you know, to, to share and, and teach and, and give to others.

30:57:
But also you get so much back by, by being a mentor.

31:02:
Yeah, definitely.

31:03:
Yeah.

31:05:
No.

31:05:
Thank you so much for like, you know, sharing that.

31:08:
I think that was a really good summary of like some of the things that we discussed today.

31:14:
I know it’s been a very impactful session for me and just like, you know, the fact that we reiterated on the importance of even like mentorship being such a huge component that helps with growth.

31:27:
I think when we get so busy, when we get busy with our work life, our personal lives, it’s easier to sort of, you know, put this on the back burner and not being able to either be a mentor or seek mentorship, even if we like, you know, find areas where we need it.

31:41:
Some of us even like, you know, get hesitant.

31:43:
Oh What if like, you know, I ask if they’re not interested, but like the fact that like what I learned from you today is like putting yourself forward is the way to, you know, get the opportunities that you want and continuing to learning and growing and like, you’ll get the opportunity if you just strive hard.

32:04:
So I think you’re a wonderful example of that and we’re really grateful that, you know, we got this chance to sort of learn from you about your challenges, your career.

32:14:
And also like, you know, your insights on A I because, yeah, you’re right, it’s here to stay.

32:20:
And so we have to like, you know, find the way to integrate with it and like, make the best out of it.

32:26:
Mhm Yeah.

32:29:
No.

32:29:
Thank you so much, Hershey for the opportunity.

32:34:
It was really great to share some of my experience and opinions on this call today.

32:39:
Thank you.

32:39:
Wonderful.

32:40:
Thank you so much.

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