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Why Does Cisco Have No Product Managers? · The Product Podcast

The Product Podcast

Cisco President & CPO on Rebuilding Products So Agents Can Use Them, Running a $460B+ Company in Founder Mode & the Rule of Thirds | Jeetu Patel

Agents now consume more tokens than humans do, and Jeetu Patel thinks that breaks almost every product built for people to click through. In this episode of The Product Podcast, Carlos (CEO at Product School) sits down with Jeetu Patel, President and Chief Product Officer at Cisco, for his fifth appearance, to unpack what it actually takes to rebuild…

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Notes

  1. How Does Cisco Practice Founder Mode? at 4:04

    Jeetu Patel says Cisco has said outright that it values an owner mindset, and he treats himself as a late-stage co-founder of Cisco. Full answer

  2. Why Does Cisco Have No Product Managers? at 6:53

    Jeetu Patel says Cisco has no product managers. It has feature managers who build features for one platform, and the platform is what Cisco sells. Full answer

  3. What Is Jeetu Patel's Rule of Thirds? at 13:14

    Jeetu Patel's rule of thirds is how he staffs his team at Cisco. One third are operators who know how to navigate Cisco. Full answer

  4. What Happens When an AI Agent Shops for a Customer? at 18:18

    Jeetu Patel says an AI agent that shops for a person will not take the cross-sell and upsell the way a person does. Full answer

  5. What Startup Did Jeetu Patel's Daughter Start? at 21:39

    Jeetu Patel’s 15-year-old daughter and her boyfriend are starting a streetwear startup for hoodies, t-shirts, and sweats. Full answer

  6. Can Every Brand Give Each Customer a Concierge? at 25:07

    Jeetu Patel says every brand can now give every customer a personal concierge agent, after Cisco launched the agents at a WebEx event in Austin. Full answer

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