Productside Stories

Building a Product Community of Practice with Stephanie Redl

Featured Guest:

Stephanie Redl, Director of Product Operations at Descartes
28/05/2024

Summary

In this episode, Rina Alexin speaks with Stephanie Redl about how product operations can transform fragmented product teams into collaborative, learning-focused communities. Stephanie shares her journey from product management to founding the “office of product management” at Descartes — a role that evolved into full-fledged product operations.

Stephanie discusses how she identified gaps in communication, documentation, and process alignment, then built systems that empowered product managers to focus on strategy rather than tool logistics. She also shares how bi-weekly knowledge-sharing sessions, standardized roadmap practices, and a growing community of practice have become the foundation of Descartes’ product culture.

Together, they explore the value of enabling, coaching, and fostering open communication across distributed teams, especially in companies experiencing rapid growth and acquisitions.

Takeaways

  • Product operations enables product managers to focus on strategy, not tooling.

  • Communities of practice create belonging and reduce duplication of effort.

  • Knowledge-sharing is essential for scaling learning across teams.

  • Don’t reinvent the wheel — document, share, and build reusable assets.

  • Building trust through transparency fosters engagement.

  • Standardization improves efficiency, especially during mergers.

  • Reward and recognize contributors to strengthen the community.

  • Use product principles to “productize” internal processes.

  • Approach acquisitions with openness — both sides can learn and grow.

  • Product leaders should focus on coaching, not micromanaging.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Stephanie’s Path into Product Management
08:36 From Knowledge Sharing to Building a Product Community
10:53 Using AHA Roadmaps to Standardize and Scale
12:55 Launching Bi-Weekly Knowledge Sessions
15:03 The Three Pillars of Product Operations: Community, Tools, and Data
17:21 Common Challenges Between Product Ops and Product Managers
19:09 Building Trust and Collaboration Across Global Teams
21:42 Encouraging Participation in Knowledge Communities
23:20 Overcoming Fear of Sharing and the “1-9-90” Rule
25:04 Recognizing and Rewarding Contributions
26:43 The Role of Extroverts and Community “Champions”
27:10 Why Product Communities Matter
28:39 Combining Training, SOPs, and Community Learning
30:47 The Role of Community in Mergers and Acquisitions
32:35 Learning from Acquired Companies
34:35 The Value of Open-Minded Leadership
36:18 Empowering Product Managers to Speak Up and Share Ideas
38:20 Advice for Product Managers: Prioritize, Focus, and Manage Energy
40:46 Empowering Product Leaders Through Coaching, Not Control
42:08 How to Connect with Stephanie and Closing Remarks

Keywords

product operations, community of practice, product management, knowledge sharing, Descartes, AHA roadmaps, mergers and acquisitions, Rina Alexin, Stephanie Redl, product leadership, data-driven decisions, team enablement, organizational change, learning culture, cross-functional collaboration

Introduction and Stephanie’s Path into Product Management

Rina Alexin | 00:00–05:00

Welcome to *Productside Stories*! I’m your host, **Rina Alexin**, CEO of Productside. Today, I’m joined by **Stephanie Redl**, Director of Product Operations at **Descartes Systems Group**. Stephanie, thank you for joining me. Can you tell us how you first got into product management?

Stephanie Redl | 05:00–08:36

Thank you for having me! My path into product management was anything but traditional. I studied business information systems, but no one ever told me about product management as a career. I loved solving problems and explaining solutions — I just didn’t know that’s what product management was called.

I started at a small e-commerce ERP company in Germany called Pixi. Over time, I realized I didn’t just want to document the product — I wanted to shape it. I started reading everything I could on product ownership, agile processes, and strategy. That’s when I knew I’d found my calling.

From Knowledge Sharing to Building a Product Community

Stephanie Redl | 08:36–10:53

After Pixi was acquired by Descartes, I suddenly found myself in a massive organization with so many other product managers — yet no structured way to connect. Everyone was doing their own thing. I wanted to fix that.

Around the same time, I discovered Aha! Roadmaps — and it blew my mind. It was exactly what I needed: a way to standardize how we plan, communicate, and scale across teams.

Using AHA Roadmaps to Standardize and Scale

Stephanie Redl | 10:53–12:55

The tool was powerful, but adoption was low. I spoke with our EVP of Product, pitched a vision for better collaboration, and he gave me the green light to create a new function: the **Office of Product Management**, which later became **Product Operations**.

We started small — sticky notes, brainstorming sessions — and soon realized we needed a community to bring everything together.

Launching Bi-Weekly Knowledge Sessions

Stephanie Redl | 12:55–15:03

We kicked off **bi-weekly knowledge-sharing sessions** — every second Tuesday. At first, maybe 15 people showed up, but it grew quickly. Soon, half our PMs were attending live and the rest were watching recordings.

It created a space for learning, sharing, and connecting across products. That’s when I realized community-building was the heart of Product Ops.

The Three Pillars of Product Operations: Community, Tools, and Data

Stephanie Redl | 15:03–17:21

Product Ops stands on three pillars: **community, tools, and data**. – *Community* connects people and shares context. – *Tools* create consistency and efficiency. – *Data* drives better decisions.

Our goal isn’t to control — it’s to enable. We remove friction so PMs can focus on customer value, not tool management.

Common Challenges Between Product Ops and Product Managers

Stephanie Redl | 17:21–19:09

Sometimes PMs expect Product Ops to “tell them what to do,” but that’s not the point. We’re here to enable, not dictate. PMs must still adapt processes to their context. And for Product Ops, listening is essential — we can’t improve what we don’t understand firsthand.

Building Trust and Collaboration Across Global Teams

Rina Alexin | 19:09–21:42

That’s so true — Product Ops is like a product itself. Its customers are product managers. To build trust, we need empathy, communication, and constant feedback loops.

Encouraging Participation in Knowledge Communities

Stephanie Redl | 21:42–23:20

People are often hesitant to share publicly. We started with smaller, more private groups. Over time, as extroverted members led by example, others followed. Humor and informality helped too. Once people saw value, participation skyrocketed.

Overcoming Fear of Sharing and the “1-9-90” Rule

Stephanie Redl | 23:20–25:04

In any community, 1% post, 9% engage, and 90% just read. That’s okay! Don’t measure success by comments — measure by value delivered. Quiet members are still learning.

Recognizing and Rewarding Contributions

Stephanie Redl | 25:04–26:43

We reward participation — not with money, but with **time**. Presenters can take a day to prepare and research. Recognition also motivates others. Once they experience appreciation, they’re eager to share again.

The Role of Extroverts and Community “Champions”

Stephanie Redl | 26:43–27:10

Extroverts make great community champions. They help normalize participation and make it safe for quieter voices to contribute.

Why Product Communities Matter

Stephanie Redl | 27:10–28:39

Communities prevent isolation and duplication of effort. They accelerate learning, connect PMs globally, and ensure everyone benefits from shared experience.

Combining Training, SOPs, and Community Learning

Stephanie Redl | 28:39–30:47

We combine community sessions with **SOPs** and **training**. When people understand the “why” behind a process, adoption becomes natural. Peer examples inspire innovation more than any manual ever could.

The Role of Community in Mergers and Acquisitions

Stephanie Redl | 30:47–32:35

Communities are crucial in M&A integration. They welcome new employees, reduce cultural friction, and provide a bridge between legacy teams. Nobody feels like “the only one.”

Learning from Acquired Companies

Stephanie Redl | 32:35–34:35

When acquiring companies, stay open-minded. Acquired teams often have innovative practices. Listen first, learn, and integrate what works. That mutual respect builds unity faster than any process mandate.

The Value of Open-Minded Leadership

Stephanie Redl | 34:35–36:18

Open-minded leaders empower teams to innovate and contribute beyond their titles. It removes the “us versus them” mindset and replaces it with shared ownership.

Empowering Product Managers to Speak Up and Share Ideas

Stephanie Redl | 36:18–38:20

If you’re part of an acquired company — or any new team — **speak up**. Don’t wait for change; be part of it. Leaders value honest feedback more than silence.

Advice for Product Managers: Prioritize, Focus, and Manage Energy

Stephanie Redl | 38:20–40:46

Read *A World Without Email* by Cal Newport. It completely changed how I prioritize. Focus on your “big rocks” — the most impactful work — before the noise of emails and meetings fills your day.

Empowering Product Leaders Through Coaching, Not Control

Stephanie Redl | 40:46–42:08

For leaders: read *Empowered* by Marty Cagan. Your job isn’t to micromanage; it’s to coach. Ask questions that guide discovery. Empower your PMs to own outcomes.

How to Connect with Stephanie and Closing Remarks

Rina Alexin & Stephanie Redl | 42:08–End

**Stephanie:** You can find me on **LinkedIn**, or join **Descartes** — we’re always hiring great product people! **Rina:** Thank you, Stephanie, for your insights, and thank you all for joining *Productside Stories*. Remember: every challenge is a story waiting to be told. Visit **Productside.com** for resources, webinars, and our playbook for product excellence.