Product administration in an company setting isn’t your typical one-to-many mannequin—it’s fast-paced, extremely adaptable, and deeply collaborative. In contrast to in-house product groups that construct and iterate on their very own merchandise, company product managers (PMs) should rapidly perceive a shopper’s enterprise, dive deep into their challenges, and ship high-impact options inside tight timelines.
In a latest episode of Productside Tales, our CEO, Rina Alexin, sat down with Anne Veit, Head of Product Technique at Razorfish, to debate how product administration works in an company setting. With over 20 years of expertise throughout industries like monetary providers, healthcare, aerospace, and retail, Anne brings a strategic and modern method to product growth—one which focuses on velocity, adaptability, and delivering actual affect.
From Journalism to Product Technique
Anne’s journey into product administration began in an sudden place—journalism. She studied at Indiana College’s Ernie Pyle College of Journalism, the place she developed a deep curiosity for understanding issues, asking the precise questions, and investigating root causes.
“I feel that journalism background—all the time questioning why, how, what—actually lends itself to product technique,” Anne shares. “All through my profession, I naturally gravitated towards fixing issues and creating options.”
This basis in analysis and storytelling proved invaluable in her transition into product technique, the place she applies those self same investigative expertise to uncover consumer wants, market gaps, and enterprise alternatives.
How Company Product Administration Differs from In-Home
So what does product administration appear like in an company setting? In contrast to conventional product groups that personal a product long-term, businesses function in high-intensity, fast-moving environments the place they have to embed themselves right into a shopper’s enterprise, ship affect rapidly, and hand off options effectively.
Anne breaks it down:
- Purchasers come to businesses with particular enterprise challenges or innovation objectives.
- Businesses should rapidly assess the issue, conduct discovery, and design an answer.
- Timeframes are compressed—there’s little room for lengthy growth cycles.
- Recent views enable company groups to problem assumptions and rethink methods.
“What’s fascinating about company work,” Anne explains, “is that we don’t have the lengthy runway or deep inside data of an in-house staff. However that’s truly a bonus. We are available in with recent eyes, problem present considering, and transfer quick.”
Are Purchasers Asking for Options or Investigations?
One problem company PMs typically face is that shoppers suppose they know the answer they want—however it’s not all the time the precise one.
“Purchasers don’t all the time say, ‘Please examine this drawback for us,’” Anne notes. “They typically ask for a selected resolution. However a part of our job is to validate whether or not that resolution will really remedy their problem.”
Anne and her staff take a structured discovery method—leveraging consumer analysis, focus teams, and value testing to make sure the proposed resolution is definitely fixing the precise drawback. When obligatory, they pivot suggestions based mostly on information and insights.
The Energy of Cross-Purposeful Product Acceleration Groups
To maneuver quick and ship worth, Anne’s staff at Razorfish makes use of a Product Acceleration Group mannequin—a cross-functional, collaborative group designed to push innovation ahead.
These groups sometimes embrace:
- Product Managers
- Designers (UX/UI)
- Engineers
- Knowledge Analysts
- Advertising and marketing & Model Consultants
As a substitute of inflexible departmental silos, these groups function like startup squads—fixing issues from a number of angles directly.
“We work intently with advertising, model, and tech groups as a result of product isn’t nearly what you construct—it’s about the way you carry it to market and drive adoption,” Anne emphasizes.
Speedy Product Innovation: The Key to Company Success
As a result of company PMs work on accelerated timelines, they depend on product innovation methodologies—a mix of design considering and product technique that ensures options are fascinating (user-focused), viable (business-backed), and possible (technically sound).
Anne explains:
- Fascinating: What’s the shopper want? How can we remedy actual ache factors?
- Viable: Does this align with enterprise goals? Will it drive income or development?
- Possible: Can this be constructed inside constraints? Does the know-how assist it?
Utilizing this framework, businesses can innovate rapidly whereas guaranteeing long-term sustainability.
Dealing with Knowledge Challenges & the AI Revolution
AI is on the forefront of practically each product dialogue in the present day—however as Anne factors out, many firms misunderstand its position.
“Usually, when shoppers say they need AI, they really want higher information,” she says. “We hear, ‘We would like AI to do X,’ however once we examine, they don’t really want AI for that.”
She highlights two main information challenges firms face:
- Messy Knowledge – Knowledge isn’t clear or structured, making AI adoption tough.
- Zero Knowledge – Corporations coming into new markets don’t have historic information to research.
For messy information, Anne’s staff helps shoppers clear and construction their datasets to enhance decision-making. For firms missing information, businesses like Razorfish leverage third-party datasets (e.g., via companions like Epsilon) to bridge the hole.
Recommendation for PMs Contemplating an Company Profession
For product managers contemplating a shift to company work, Anne affords a number of key insights:
- Count on selection: You’ll work on totally different industries, challenges, and enterprise fashions.
- Be adaptable: Shopper priorities shift quick—you must pivot rapidly.
- Develop robust communication expertise: You’ll must convey product concepts clearly to stakeholders who won’t communicate “product.”
- Assume quick, however suppose good: Businesses don’t have the luxurious of lengthy timelines, however good selections nonetheless require rigorous considering.
“Product at an company is thrilling since you’re continually being challenged,” Anne says. “But it surely’s necessary to know that product work isn’t all the time glamorous. The day-to-day could be messy and complicated—however that’s the place the magic occurs.”
Mastering Product Administration in Excessive-Pace Environments
Anne’s method to product administration showcases the energy of adaptability, fast problem-solving, and cross-functional collaboration—important traits for PMs navigating the fast-paced world of businesses. Whether or not you’re working throughout a number of industries, driving innovation on tight timelines, or serving to shoppers rethink their digital methods, having the precise frameworks and instruments could make all of the distinction.
What’s been your greatest problem in company product administration? Share your ideas within the feedback or join with us on LinkedIn.
March 20, 2025
