Laura Marino, Chief Product Officer for TrueAccord, started her career in civil engineering developing software for reservoir operations and hydrologic simulation.
When she realized she truly wanted to work in software, she went back to school, got her Master’s degree in management, science, and engineering, and has since managed 20 different products across all stages and led product teams in B2B software for more than 20 years.
Over the years, Laura has watched the role of product management evolve. When she first started, product management fell under marketing or even engineering, but now she has seen it take off to a new level as people realize the critical role it plays.
Through jobs at companies like SAP and Lever, she realized she enjoyed working for companies in the growth stage. However, she also wanted to work for a company with a social mission.
About a year ago, Laura began working for TrueAccord, which uses artificial intelligence in debt collection. It was around the time COVID-19 hit, and she knew she could help make an impact, especially for people who were suffering in the pandemic.
Hear as Laura shares her customer-centric framework for product development, how product management education is changing, and why it’s better to think about a product manager as an orchestra director — or janitor.