From Retail Floors to Product Strategy: Building a Career Around Customers

Foundations in Retail and the Power of Customer Centricity

Nicole Tieche | 00:00–00:33
Hi everyone, I’m Nicole Tieche, your host of our segment, Trailblazing Women in Product Management. Today, our guest is Jennifer Sabetti, Vice President of Product Strategy at Oldcastle Infrastructure. As a non-traditionalist, she didn’t come from a product management background, but she has a wealth of knowledge and experience to share with our PM community. I’m very excited to have her with us today. Welcome, Jennifer.

Jennifer Sabetti | 00:33–00:49
Thank you, Nicole. I’m very excited to be here.

Nicole Tieche | 00:49–01:00
Many product managers did not start off in product management. Let’s begin with how you got started in your career.

Jennifer Sabetti | 01:00–07:03
I started my career working in consumer electronics retail. I’m from Minnesota, home to many Fortune 100 companies. After college, I joined Best Buy headquarters during a time of exciting growth around customer centricity and data analytics in the early 2000s. I began as an information management analyst in customer insight and joined the research division that supported retail with insights around customer behavior, purchasing patterns, and store experience.

That experience taught me to understand customer motivation deeply. It was a time of constant change — the introduction of the iPhone transformed retail completely. We moved from demographic to attitudinal segmentation, learning why people made choices rather than just what they bought. The insight changed everything about marketing, store layout, and customer relationships. Learning from challenge and change became one of my most important values. Working through the 2008 housing crisis and retail contraction shaped who I am today.

Core Values Become Leadership Principles

Nicole Tieche | 07:03–07:13
That sounds like such a foundational experience. How did those values become your leadership principles?

Jennifer Sabetti | 07:13–11:13
Working at Best Buy taught me how to live the values. Corporate employees had to spend time in stores doing tasks like cleaning, restocking, and line management to support associates who directly served customers. It instilled humility and respect for the customer-facing work. I’ve carried that forward — always asking, how are you spending time with your customer? Observing how they make decisions, what drives their motivation — that hands-on connection still shapes my leadership today.

Transitioning Across Industries: Culture Over Category

Nicole Tieche | 11:13–11:25
You moved from retail into manufacturing and technology — industries that are often quite different. How did those values help guide those transitions?

Jennifer Sabetti | 11:25–13:29
Every industry still centers around the customer. Transitioning from retail to automation and manufacturing wasn’t as foreign as it might sound. Understanding how businesses create value for customers makes change easier. What really differentiates each role isn’t the industry — it’s the company culture. When teams are aligned around shared values and curiosity about customers, transitions feel natural.

Building Teams That Thrive on Curiosity and Collaboration

Nicole Tieche | 13:29–13:47
As a product strategy leader, you’re growing teams constantly. How do your leadership principles guide hiring and development?

Jennifer Sabetti | 13:47–15:37
I lead a broad organization — product management, product engineering, and material science. My approach begins with understanding people’s backgrounds, interests, and goals. Once we know our growth targets, it’s about configuring the team so everyone can contribute meaningfully to the customer outcome and to their own development. The companies I’ve worked for all share one commitment — talent. My responsibility is to recruit, retain, and maximize top talent, not just for today but for the next three to five years.

Hiring for Passion: What Great Product Managers Bring

Nicole Tieche | 15:37–15:53
When you’re hiring product managers, what stands out to you?

Jennifer Sabetti | 15:53–17:47
Culture is important, but I focus on passion for our end markets — water, communications, and energy. I want candidates who understand and care about our customers. Beyond technical skills, I look for curiosity, strong PLM experience, and a willingness to ask great questions. Curiosity shows me someone wants to grow and collaborate — that’s what sets exceptional PMs apart.

Strategic Thinking and the PM Career Path

Nicole Tieche | 17:47–18:05
Do you have any advice for people looking to break into product management?

Jennifer Sabetti | 18:05–19:54
I came to product strategy from a P&L role, so having ownership experience is invaluable. Strategy is more important than ever — the ability to connect customer needs with business outcomes defines success. You can always learn tactical tools, but strategic thinking and understanding value creation are what elevate your impact.

Mentorship: Learning Through Every Interaction

Nicole Tieche | 19:54–20:17
Let’s talk about mentorship. How have mentors influenced your journey?

Jennifer Sabetti | 20:17–25:38
I’ve been very fortunate to work with incredible people. Early on, I didn’t expect to find so many mentors — I just worked hard and stayed curious. Over time, I realized mentorship happens constantly if you’re open to it. You can learn from every interaction — executives, peers, team members. I mentor others now too, and I always ask what they’re trying to learn or overcome. When someone comes prepared with goals, it creates powerful growth moments. At Oldcastle, our internship and formal mentoring programs are outstanding and truly drive talent development across divisions.

Closing Reflections and Gratitude

Nicole Tieche | 25:38–26:05
Thank you, Jennifer, for joining us and sharing your story today. For our listeners, stay tuned for more inspiring conversations from the world of product management.

Jennifer Sabetti | 25:49–26:05
It’s been my pleasure. Thank you so much.

Nicole Tieche | 26:05–End
Until next time, I’m Nicole Tieche, and this is Productside Stories.