LinkSquares SVP of Product & Engineering on Product Development in Legal Tech

What are the key principles and challenges of product development in legal technology? In this podcast, Ubiety Technologies CPO and Product Talk Host Nacho Andrade interviews Linksquares SVP of Product & Engineering Andrew Leverone on product and engineering leadership, challenges in prioritizing work in a new market with little competition, and the importance of staying close to customers to develop solutions. He also offers career advice for those interested in product development, emphasizing networking, finding the right team members, and self-awareness. Leverone discusses the importance of trust and communication when scaling teams, psychological safety in the workplace, the role of data in decision-making, and the Agile approach as a culture or behavior.

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Show Notes

1. The podcast features an interview with Andrew Leverone, SVP of Product and Engineering at LinkSquares.
2. LinkSquares is a legal technology company that focuses on contract lifecycle management.
3. Constantly learning and growing, both as an individual and as a team, is necessary in order to stay ahead of the curve and succeed in the fast-paced world of product development in legal tech.
4. Having one person act as a glue between different disciplines helps create healthy conflict and keep the team focused on a common goal.
5. Prioritizing work in a new market with little competition is challenging. Staying close to customers is important to understand their problems and develop solutions.
6. The future of product development in legal tech is exciting, and there are upcoming products from LinkSquares.
7. Networking and connecting with startups is crucial for entering the product industry.
8. To get involved in the product management community, attend events, and set up coffee chats with industry professionals.
9. Finding the right team members involves looking for people with drive and motivation and evaluating whether they are a good fit for the company culture.
10. Self-awareness and playing to one’s strengths are essential for career success.
11. Stay close to the team and use a bottom-up approach when making significant changes.
12. Trust and communication are important when scaling teams, as well as the concept of psychological safety in the workplace.
13. Data in decision-making should be used differently depending on what stage of growth the company is in.
14. In the early stages, weak signals and face-to-face conversations with customers and team members may be more important than collecting data.
15. In later stages, stronger signals and more complex data systems may be necessary.
16. Being agile is not just about velocity or burndown rates, but more about flexibility and adaptability.
17. The agile approach should be embodied as a culture or behavior, rather than just a process.
18. Daily, weekly, and monthly reminders help maintain alignment between product and engineering teams. This builds trust through empathy and understanding.
19. Gone, Leverone’s favorite product, records all phone calls across the company. This provides easy access to customer interactions and facilitates a deeper understanding of their needs.
20. Product management skills are highly in demand but are still hard to find in candidates.