Unpacking strategy & getting goal setting right | Ravi Mehta (Tinder, Facebook, TripAdvisor, Outpace)

Product with Panash

#20: In this episode, Axel chats with Ravi Mehta, the Co-Founder and CEO of Outpace, a company that is reinventing the way that people learn and grow.

We cover a range of topics across strategy, leadership and team growth. Axel invites Ravi to dive deeper on goal setting, the challenges posed by OKRs and how to use the NCT framework to set better goals.

Prior to founding Outpace, Ravi was an Executive-in-Residence at Reforge where he helped create the Product Leadership program and helped launch the Product Strategy program.

Ravi was the Chief Product Officer at Tinder, a Product Director at Facebook focused on Gen Z Engagement, and the Head of Consumer Product at TripAdvisor. He started his career at Microsoft, where he was an early member of the Xbox team focused on Xbox Live.

Where to find Ravi

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ravimehta/
• Website: https://www.ravi-mehta.com/

Where to find Axel

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/axelsooriah/

About Panash

We provide training and coaching programs to help product professionals unlock their true potential and become high performers.

You can learn more about our programs here: https://www.panash.io/

Our blog contains articles and free resources on key topics for product managers and leaders.

Check it out here: https://collection.panash.io/

Referenced in this episode

• TED Talk - Why the secret to success is setting the right goals by John Doerr: https://www.ted.com/talks/john_doerr_why_the_secret_to_success_is_setting_the_right_goals?language=en
• The Score Takes Care of Itself by Bill Walsh: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6342995-the-score-takes-care-of-itself
• Setting better goals with NCTs: https://www.reforge.com/blog/set-better-goals-with-ncts-not-okrs
• The Creative Act by Tick Rubin: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/717356/the-creative-act-by-rick-rubin/
• The S

Show notes and highlights

(01:51) Ravi's background

(05:29) Outpace's ideal customer profile and value proposition

(08:25) Ravi's view on how product leaders can balance their time between management & coaching

(10:50) Overview of Ravi's Product Strategy Stack

(14:32) Don't be too distracted by nailing both Mission and Vision statements

(16:18) Goal setting and challenges OKRs can pose

(19:17) Narratives, Commitments and Tasks - a framework for goal setting

(22:27) How can teams chart a path towards progress with different goal types

(27:14) What traits Ravi hires for

(29:20) What were great candidates lacking when they weren't hired

(31:24) Biggest challenge Ravi had to solve for at Tinder

(34:49) Can leaders get coached too?

(37:28) Biggest challenge Ravi is addressing at Outpace

(39:55) Question from the Panash community

(43:28) Ravi's Treasure Chest

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