Securing a solid product leader can be the key to unlocking your startup’s next round of funding.
Today, we chat with Breanne Hargreaves, Strategy & Growth Director at Evolving Web and mentor at APM Montreal, to dive into how first-time founders can build a high-performing product and design team.
With experience spanning product development, marketing, business ops, and customer success, Breanne has been instrumental in scaling numerous ventures.
Here’s her take on hiring your first product leader:
Focus on what complements your skills—especially in a small team. Identify gaps and hire someone who fills them.
For example, if you have a "business" and a "tech" founder, you might need someone who can bridge that gap and bring your shared vision to life.
Choosing the right product leader starts with knowing where you are in the product life cycle. This will guide your expectations for the role.
There are different types of product leaders, depending on your needs:
• Visionary Leader: If your product's direction is still forming, find someone who can lead the vision, refine your market strategy, and drive product-market fit.
• Practice Leader: If you need to build solid product practices, hire a leader who can implement processes and discipline across the team.
• Technical Leader: If your product is highly technical, bring in someone with industry expertise who can marry tech and product management.
For a technical product, it was critical that one of my first hires had deep industry knowledge. This kept our development aligned with standards and real customer needs.
I also aimed for a mix of product management experience and industry-specific expertise. This helped us stay grounded in broad product practices while addressing our customers' unique challenges.
Founders often have a clear vision but can’t focus on the daily details as the business scales. A strong product manager ensures that vision is executed, making sure every micro-decision aligns with the big picture.
Product teams also bring a unique, customer-centric perspective that extends beyond the product itself. A great product manager balances the biases of engineering, sales, and tech teams to keep the focus on the customer, ensuring the product evolves with their needs.
In small teams, prioritizing what gets built—and breaking down initiatives effectively—is crucial for speed and focus. Startups thrive when they can quickly test, learn, and iterate based on real feedback.
Breanne’s journey underscores the importance of strategic product leadership. Her advice to founders? Build a balanced team, hire thoughtfully, and always keep your eye on the bigger picture. A dedicated product focus is what turns good ideas into world-class products.
