What exactly does being a chief product officer (CPO) entail?
As CPO, the core of my role is product management. The fun of product management is that it lives in the center of the Venn diagram between business, technology, and users. At a small technology company, there is definitely a lot of activity at that nexus! This means I have an excuse to get involved in anything and everything. I am really fortunate to get to work both with the whole Cadmore team and also with all of our clients.
Since starting at Cadmore in January, I’ve gotten involved in project planning and project management for our client-facing initiatives. A huge part of Cadmore’s company culture and value to our customers is our client-centric approach to our technology. It’s important for us to be good partners to anyone who works with us. This means not only understanding the context and needs of our customers and but also applying our technology and knowledge to solve problems.
Really, my primary function is to communicate. I ask questions, make lists, come up with plans, and collaborate with excellent people. (And thanks for not asking me what a “typical” day is, because I’m delighted to report that each and every day is completely new and exciting!)
What is your vision for Cadmore products?
I want each family of Cadmore products to make streaming video technology an approachable and viable product option for organizations across the scholarly publishing space.
In order to support the wide variety of applications for video, Cadmore products must be flexible, scalable, and easy to use.
What are you excited to work on next?
Looking at the second half of 2021, the Cadmore team certainly has a lot to look forward to. Since picking a client project seems worse than trying to pick a favorite child… I guess I’ll admit that I’m really excited to dig into our plans for our next generation platform! “V2” as we lovingly refer to it, is a chance for Cadmore to take everything we’ve learned from our experiences and improve our current workflow tools. I’m still new, so I think it’s safe to tell everyone that the Cadmore platform’s capabilities continue to impress me every day. It’s flexible and endless customizable for a wide variety of applications. Refining this power into a suite of tools that are even easier for our clients to use is really exciting!
What is your advice for societies thinking about introducing video products?
I’m a product manager, so I have to say this: focus on the users! Identify your target audience and then consider how, when, and why they will consume your videos. Ask yourself and your team lots of questions through the process.
What do you do when you’re not working?
I’m usually either parenting or reading or sleeping! My family and I are very much looking forward to a post-cicada summer full of pool time. I’m also currently finishing up the first year of a Master’s in Educational Technology at James Madison University.