Ep30: Product, Platforms, & Poking the Bear; w/ April Underwood, former CPO @ Slack, and co-founder #ANGELS — Product Market Fit podcast

Join me as I speak with April Underwood, an early-stage investor with an impressive operating history at Slack, Google, and Twitter. Together, we delve into the distinctive product development styles of these tech giants, unlocking valuable insights and lessons from visionary leaders like Stewart Butterfield and Dick Costolo.  Tune in to gain insights into emerging trends in product-led growth and sales, and discover investment strategies tailored for startups. Learn how to spot exceptional founders and navigate the ever-evolving technology landscape. Don't miss out on this insightful episode packed with practical advice and industry knowledge. Tune in now! Chapters: (02:11) The Unifying thread in April's remarkable career path: insights from Silicon Valley (04:52) Exploring commonalities and differences between Google, Twitter, and Slack (08:32) Differentiating product development styles: unveiling Google, Slack, and Twitter's unique approaches (13:40) Lessons from visionary Leaders: Stewart Butterfield and Dick Costolo (17:19) Revealing the most valued leadership traits: insights from April's journey (22:39) Evolving trends in product-led growth and sales: insights from a decade of experience (25:48) Overcoming the Initial network barrier in communication products (32:17) Building a successful platform: lessons from Slack's integration strategy (38:07) Navigating competition between Microsoft and Slack (41:11) Investing insights: balancing conviction and fundamentals in startup investments (44:19) Spotting early exceptional founders: traits to look for (46:40) Informed AI investments amidst trendy tech categories (48:50) Working with an operator-investor: pros and cons for founders (52:37) Fundraising tips for early-stage founders: navigating pitfalls Guest Contact Info: https://twitter.com/aunder linkedin.com/in/aprilunderwood Sponsor: This podcast is brought to you by ⁠grwth.co⁠. Grwth offers fractional CMOs, paired with best-in-class digital marketing execution to support early-stage startup success. With a focus on seed and series A companies, Grwth has helped a number of SaaS, digital health, and e-commerce startups build their go-to-market function and scale up. To learn more and book a free consultation, go to ⁠grwth.co⁠. Get in touch with Mosheh: ⁠linkedin.com/in/moshehp ⁠⁠twitter.com/MoshehP ⁠⁠[email protected] ⁠⁠www.pmfpod.com