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Christopher Miller serves as the VP of Product for Growth and AI at HubSpot. Having spent the past seven years at HubSpot, Chris has been at the center of one of the biggest B2B growth stories in history\u2014leading HubSpot\u2019s early growth strategy, their shift to PLG, and now their investment in AI. Beyond his role at HubSpot, he lends his expertise to founders advising them on PLG and their growth strategy broadly. In today\u2019s podcast, we discuss:

\u2022 The principles of winning teams, careers, and companies

\u2022 What customer obsession looks like in practice

\u2022 How sneaking into a party led to a career opportunity

\u2022 Advice for breaking into product management

\u2022 How to find mentors

\u2022 The top four skills for growth roles

\u2022 Lessons from building HubSpot\u2019s famous PLG motion

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Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/relentless-curiosity-radical-accountability-and-hubspots-winning-growth-formula-christopher-mil/#transcript

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Where to find Chris Miller:

\u2022 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherwilliammiller/

\u2022 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/millsyjoeyoung/

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Where to find Lenny:

\u2022 Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com

\u2022 Twitter: https://twitter.com/lennysan

\u2022 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/

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In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Chris\u2019s background

(04:15) Chris\u2019s role at HubSpot leading Growth and AI teams

(09:17) The story of how Chris crashed a party and pitched his idea around pricing and packaging

(12:25) Relentless curiosity\xa0and other important traits to have as a PM

(16:52) How Chris broke into product management and advice for others wanting to do the same

(22:12) Helpful tips for learning the craft of product management

(26:30) Why you should talk to customers, former customers, and potential customers

(29:34) Mentors vs. sponsors, and advice for finding people who will help you grow

(34:02) What makes HubSpot unique

(36:07) Customer obsession in action

(40:23) How staying in the mid-market space has benefited HubSpot

(42:10) HubSpot\u2019s culture code

(45:10) Fun rituals at HubSpot

(47:36) Key elements that contributed to HubSpot\u2019s early growth

(55:00) Fallacies of product-led companies and how HubSpot embraced PLG

(1:00:48) Advice for companies wanting to become more product-led

(1:04:35) Common mistakes to avoid when trying to start a PLG motion

(1:07:53) How HubSpot structures growth loops

(1:10:50) The importance of aggressive experimentation within new channels

(1:16:11) How Covid accelerated growth at HubSpot

(1:17:59) Lightning round

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Referenced:

\u2022 Kyle Poyar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-poyar/

\u2022 Mariah Muscato on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariahmuscato/

\u2022 Ken Norton on Lenny\u2019s Podcast: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/how-to-unlock-your-product-leadership-skills-ken-norton-ex-google/

\u2022 Fareed Mosavat on Lenny\u2019s Podcast: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/videos/how-to-build-trust-and-grow-as-a-product-leader-fareed-mosavat-reforge-slack-instacart-pixar/

\u2022 Jules Walter on Lenny\u2019s Podcast: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/leveraging-mentors-to-uplevel-your-career-jules-walter-youtube-slack/

\u2022 The Culture Code at HubSpot: https://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/34234/the-hubspot-culture-code-creating-a-company-we-love.aspx

\u2022 Brian Balfour on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bbalfour/

\u2022 Dharmesh on Twitter: https://twitter.com/dharmesh

\u2022 ChatSpot: https://chatspot.ai/

\u2022 Everybody Lies: Big Data, New Data, and What the Internet Can Tell Us About Who We Really Are: https://www.amazon.com/Everybody-Lies-Internet-About-Really/dp/0062390856

\u2022 Chop Wood Carry Water: How to Fall in Love with the Process of Becoming Great:\xa0https://www.amazon.com/Chop-Wood-Carry-Water-Becoming/dp/153698440X

\u2022 The Score Takes Care of Itself: My Philosophy of Leadership: https://www.amazon.com/Score-Takes-Care-Itself-Philosophy/dp/1591843472/

\u2022 I\u2019m a Virgo on Amazon Prime: https://www.amazon.com/Im-A-Virgo-Season-1/dp/B0B8PXXV2M

\u2022 Barry on HBO: https://www.hbo.com/barry

\u2022 Succession on HBO: https://www.hbo.com/succession

\u2022 Building a great product management organization: https://stripe.com/it-es/guides/atlas/building-a-great-pm-org

\u2022 Garmin watch: https://www.amazon.com/Garmin-010-02174-01-Vivoactive-Smartwatch-Refurbished/dp/B0BPCNKBW1

\u2022 Fernet: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernet

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Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.

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Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed.