AMA: ServiceNow Director of Product Management, Rosa Gonzalez Welton on Consumer Product Management

I think of interviewing as a muscle that you develop and keep strong. Approach interviewing in an intentional way, and get additional help where you need it. I recommend picking up one of the popular product interview books. They cover the basics about telling your own story, and describe the range of interview styles and questions you'll face. You’ll learn about the difference between behavioral interviews and case interviews. Take the time to do real mock interviews. What do I mean by “real mo ...Read More

When I first made the transition from B2C to B2B product roles there were two areas that surprised me, and which I had to approach differently.  Customer and Buyer Personas: I had been used to thinking about different customer segments and their needs, but generally my target customer was also the buyer. My experience was different in a B2B role.  I learned that I had to discern (via research, surveys, conversations with customer and with account execs) a range of customer personas, and that usu ...Read More

I would suggest starting a with reflection about your long-term goals. Spend time to create a vision for where you want to go, identify the milestones to get you there, and the experiences that support that journey. That clarity can help guide your decision about focusing in one segment, industry, etc. The fundamental product skills will serve you well in either role. When I look at candidates I focus on the type of work they owned and what results they drove. For example if I was hiring for a r ...Read More

When I joined my company, my mandate was to improve the way that customers got to value quickly. With the support of a research team, designers, and lots of conversations with customers, I saw an opportunity to build a resource center that consolidated best practice resources and pointed new and experienced customers to the steps needed to get the most value out of their products. The resource center would help customers with self-serve onboarding. Because I was building a post-sales experience ...Read More