3 Reasons Why We Invest in Our Own Product Craft Conference
Over the last few years, Atlassian has brought our entire worldwide Product Management team together for a multi-day internal conference that we call ‘Product Craft’. Our 2019 event saw over 200 people gather in Sydney, Australia — representing every one of our products that we lovingly create for our customers. Product Craft is a whirlwind of external speakers, customers & partner panels, internal presentations and team events that benefits our whole team professionally and socially.
We have had such an amazing impact on our teams with this conference and we wanted to share the key benefits so other companies can be inspired to create their own. Collectively we can grow a global community of incredible product managers. Here are the top 3 reasons why we invest in our own Product Craft conference…
1. Build Customer Empathy and Understanding
Atlassian’s mission is to unleash the potential in every team. Our Product teams play a big role in that mission, by understanding and helping to prioritize what problems we solve for customers and how we solve them. Understanding those customers is absolute top priority, and while we have many mechanisms to get feedback from our customers, there is no substitute for a conversation. We invite some customers to the conference so we can hear their stories first hand. This helps every PM build empathy and awareness for the entire journey we are on with that customer, and helps everyone keep customer as North Star. Understanding why we build what we build, what the value we think it will provide is all starts with understanding the customer we solve for — Product Craft helps us achieve this.
2. Create a Global Community of Atlassian PMs
It’s hard to run into people in the hallway when they live on the other side of the planet. Atlassian’s Product Management community spans the globe, and while everyone in that community works together, it’s rare to have everyone actually be together. The social and experience bonds we build in Product Craft help our ever increasing team use Atlassian’s products and methodologies more effectively when everyone is back home.
The team of product managers who are involved in a complex user journey that may span multiple Atlassian products and different systems can empathize and share experiences in person, leading to better products for all our users. And over the long run, Product Craft helps us build a community that outlives an individual’s time at Atlassian. No matter what someone’s career may hold, we strive to create connections that are durable and personal, so that the community that comes from being part the Atlassian product management team is a career long benefit.
3. Master the PM Craft
The craft of building great products is never complete. While there are many approaches, theories and frameworks to apply, the vast majority of an individual’s proficiency as a product manager comes from shipping things to customers and measuring what happens.
We learn by doing, as an ongoing process in a dynamic environment of changing technologies, competitors, regulations and customer needs — product management is never complete. Product Craft removes some of the organizational and geographic obstacles and allows team members from all aspects of the organization to share and improve their craft.
This breadth and depth of potential experiences and areas where someone is learning by doing ensures that no one individual can experience them all! Hearing about lessons learned from peers and mentors around the organization, and external perspectives from speakers and guests provides the opportunity for everyone on the team to improve their personal craft.
We improve as a team, by reflecting and sharing individual failures and successes openly and honestly so that “someone’s” experience can be “everyone’s” experience.
If attending Product Craft sounds like your kind of job perk, come join us next year — we’re hiring! And for a behind the scenes look at 2019’s event, make sure you check out the video.
