If you want to succeed in the C-Suite and in front of a board...
As a product leader, you're not expected to be an accountant. However, finance is the common language at the C-suite and board. To succeed, you need fluency in relevant aspects of corporate finance. Without it, you won't be taken seriously. This class will expose you to the essential areas in a rigorous manner.
The class is a mix of lecture and structured exercises/cases based on real world scenarios. We'll then constantly tie our financial analyses back to strategic product decisions. Ultimately this is a product leadership class, just with a focus on finance.
The classes themselves are 90 minutes. For the first 5 weeks, we'll have an open roundtable for discussions on Fridays. Each week there is an assignment to get you thinking about the topic for the next class.
In this class, you'll be doing a bunch of financial modeling exercises. You aren't expected to be a spreadsheet pro, but these are muscles you want to learn how to flex and to strengthen. Students are welcome to explore using ChatGPT to tackle problems.
What you’ll learn
Get hands-on learning the essential financial skills you'll need to succeed as a product executive.
We will discussing using finance to build the confidence and trust of your CEO and board
You will practice using financial analyses as a thinking and decision-making tool
You will model out realistic product and pricing initiatives, exposing upsides and risks
We'll discuss the main differences between family-owned, VC-backed, PE-backed, and publicly traded companies.
We'll discuss how product can help or hurt how your company is valued
We'll cover how to stay aligned with your board and earn their confidence and trust
We'll analyze the common characteristics of successful revenue models and the signs a change is needed
You'll model out a risky pricing adjustment demanded by your CFO
You'll get a detailed framework for designing a new revenue model
We'll practice different methods for using finance to defuse politics, uncover blockers, and influence a decision
You'll learn how to tell a story with finance and shape the conversation and the C-suite and board level
Learn directly from Giff
Giff Constable
former CPO at Meetup, CEO at Neo Innovation, bestselling author
Who this course is for
Mid-to-senior product managers who want to speed their path to a leadership role.
New product VPs who want to shore up gaps in their skillset and be more successful in the hot seat.
Design and engineering leaders who want to increase their influence over strategic business decisions.
What's included
Live sessions
Learn directly from Giff Constable in a real-time, interactive format.
Lifetime access
Go back to course content and recordings whenever you need to.
Community of peers
Stay accountable and share insights with like-minded professionals.
Certificate of completion
Share your new skills with your employer or on LinkedIn.
Maven Guarantee
This course is backed by the Maven Guarantee. Students are eligible for a full refund up until the halfway point of the course.
Course syllabus
11 live sessions • 6 projects
Week 1
Mar
3
Class 1: How income statement tells a story (and can also mislead)
Mar
6
Roundtable 1
Assignment: Connecting the dots b/w financial and product metrics
Week 2
Mar
10
Class 2: Connecting product metrics to financial metrics
Mar
13
Roundtable 2
Assignment: Which project do you prioritize?
Free lesson
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CPO Practice: Defusing a Controversial Decision
Shift opinion wars into productive conversations
I'll demonstrate how a financial model, when done and presented right, becomes a tool for collaboration and alignment.
Create alignment over big assumptions
We'll examine how a model helps you and others think through risks, assumptions, and possible future states.
Customize to the audience
We'll discuss how you would present something different to a peer vs CEO vs a Board.
Schedule
Live sessions
2-3 hrs / week
Each week there is a 1.5hr seminar and 1 hour optional roundtable
Tue, Mar 3
5:00 PM—6:30 PM (UTC)
Fri, Mar 6
5:00 PM—6:00 PM (UTC)
Tue, Mar 10
4:00 PM—5:30 PM (UTC)
Projects
1-3 hrs / week
Async content
1 hr / week
Some weeks there will be a 20-30 minute pre-watch video but the core of the class is the live time and the exercises.
Success stories
- Giff really bridges the gap between theory and real-world application. Instead of drowning us in abstract concepts and jargon, Giff would bring these vivid, relatable examples into the classroom. This approach made the subject matter come alive and helped us see its relevance in the world beyond the textbooks. It wasn't just about memorizing facts.
Cindy Liang
Sr Product Mgr, EzCater - Giff's experience in the finance and product leadership worlds give him the subject matter expertise to teach this course. When you combine that with his teaching and mentorship experience, it's truly a perfect storm. Take this course!
Daniel Pardes
VP, Digital Product, Away - Giff is a brilliant teacher. He makes complex and challenging topics accessible by framing them around his own experiences. His teaching is incredibly practical and grounded in reality; it’s easy to put his advice into proactive immediately. Giff is also thoughtful and patient; it’s clear he wants to be as helpful as he possibly can.
Florence Jumpp
Sr Product Manager, Runa - Giff is an engaging instructor and facilitator in addition to being an accomplished product executive. One of his super powers is designing courses to elicit sharp insights and reflections from the group, ensuring that you will learn from the diverse perspectives of the product leaders in your cohort, while soaking up Giff's considerable wisdom.
Brian Orloff
Principal Product Mgr, Amazon
Intro to the class
Here's 1 min and 30 seconds on what this class is about!
Frequently asked questions
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$1,200
USD