Future of Last-Mile Delivery: Self-Driving Cars, Virtual Kitchens, AI | Jess Hall, CPO at JustEatTakeaway | E239 | #TheProductPodcast
Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia
CEO at Product School - Global leader in product training
"I think that as a small part of changing that, standing up and telling people that I have achieved success on my own terms. And that you can achieve success on your own terms and that each and every one of us, the different things we bring, we can still achieve our career ambitions."
In this edition of #TheProductPodcast newsletter, we delve into the world of global product management with Jess Hall, Chief Product Officer at Just Eat Takeaway.com. With extensive experience in leading product teams across multiple markets and navigating complex mergers and acquisitions, Jess shares valuable insights on replatforming, cultural integration, and driving innovation in a rapidly evolving industry.
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There are many incredible lessons to learn from Jessica Hall. Here are a few of the top ones:
Navigating Replatforming in a Global Company
"We have formed three mergers and acquisitions. So one of the challenges in this role and one of the challenges for us as a business is that's meant we've had multiple different technology stacks and different tech platforms to work with."
Jess emphasizes the complexity of replatforming in a global company formed through multiple mergers. She explains how Just Eat Takeaway.com is consolidating seven different platforms into one, highlighting the importance of setting stretching goals, taking thin slices of work, and creating a culture of quick wins to maintain momentum. This approach not only improves time-to-market but also reduces maintenance time, allowing teams to focus more on innovation and exciting releases.
Integrating Culture in a Global Team
"These mergers, they happened during the pandemic. we all, you know, we were all around during the pandemic, even when the worst of it was over, travel was very difficult. Remote working, things like that meant that, you know, for quite a long time, our colleagues in different countries, different locations, couldn't meet each other face to face."
Jess highlights the challenges of integrating cultures in a global team, especially during the pandemic. She shares strategies for overcoming these challenges, including creating mixed teams that own legacy tech on both sides, developing shared principles, and restructuring to allow for more in-person collaboration. Jess emphasizes that culture is an ongoing process that requires constant attention and adaptation.
Driving Product Expansion and Innovation
"We started with restaurant food and getting your takeaway quickly. Now you can get groceries and a whole host of non-food items like electricals, things for the home, pet food, all sorts of things, because we are trying to be at the heart of convenience for our customers, being able to get the things that they really need in minutes."
Jess discusses how Just Eat Takeaway.com is expanding its product offerings beyond food delivery. She explains their approach to identifying new opportunities based on customer needs and leveraging existing technology. Jess emphasizes the importance of balancing core product optimization with new product development and future-focused innovation.
Value-Driven Prioritization and Planning
"We have a prioritization framework. We start with value and we look at it in a couple of different ways. You know, I'm sure that the people watching will be familiar with all of these things, but you sometimes it's about risk avoidance. Sometimes it's about revenue, know, sometimes it's about, you know, growth of orders, different things."
Jess shares insights into their continuous planning process and prioritization framework. She explains how they balance different types of value, from risk avoidance to revenue growth, and how they ensure alignment with top-line business goals. Jess also discusses their approach to publishing a focused list of top priorities while still delivering beyond these commitments.
Embracing Future Trends and Technologies
"We've already invested in the electric cars and I think I definitely see big societal change as consumers move away from traditional combustion engine to electric vehicles. We're going to see this very different way of traveling and even self-driving cars I think is going to change that all over again."
Jess discusses how Just Eat Takeaway.com is preparing for future trends, including the shift to electric and self-driving vehicles, AI integration, and virtual kitchens. She emphasizes the importance of continuous learning, experimentation, and solving real problems rather than adopting new technologies for their own sake. Jess also highlights the need to understand changing consumer behaviors, especially among younger generations.
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