By Teresa Torres · producttalk.org · @ttorres on X · LinkedIn
Teresa Torres profiles Rachel Allen, a product leader who builds new business lines inside large companies such as Allstate's Arity and HERE Maps. Rachel argues that corporate size is an advantage: existing assets, data, and distribution can be repurposed into new products. Her process starts with business objectives, market research on future trends, and small market signals, then builds a business case in parallel with early customer validation. She stresses persuasive pitch stories backed by numbers, broad internal buy-in, and iterating through expertise from many functions. The interview also shows that a weak pitch can get a good idea killed, and that teams should start building rather than wait for perfect information.
01Key takeaways
- Use your large company's existing assets, data, and distribution as an advantage when launching new business lines.
- Build a business case that sizes the opportunity, expected revenue, and cost before committing resources.
- Treat a few early adopters' 'yes' as valuable signal, especially in markets that are new and growing.
- Pitch with a clear story of market, problem, and solution, supported by numbers, and get every stakeholder aligned.
- Involve UX, data, legal, and other functions early, since their input reshapes the product in useful ways.
- Start building as soon as the team exists; waiting for perfect information lets the idea harden without progress.
02Key sections
- Background and early path
- Rachel fell into product management by offering business recommendations that impressed a product leader. Without much written guidance available, she learned by following the market and meeting people across the company.
- Repurposing enterprise assets
- Rachel focuses on extracting value from a company's core assets to create new markets, such as turning an insurance risk model into a tool for shared mobility platforms.
- From research to a business case
- She starts with business objectives, researches emerging trends, and reads widely about a market. Market signals and conversations with sales and customers help her size the opportunity and find a fit with company capabilities.
- Pitching and building internal support
- Her pitch decks tell a story of market, problem, and hero, backed by numbers on size, revenue, and cost. A failed pitch that lacked this preparation shows why persuasion matters.
- Iterating through expertise and moving fast
- The product takes shape as UX, data science, legal, and other teams contribute. Rachel advises starting immediately once people are assigned and letting the product evolve as it is built.
03From the post
“One of my goals at Product Talk is to showcase what good product management looks like. Today, I’m excited to introduce a new series, Product in Practice, where I’ll profile product managers doing great work. To kick off the series, we interviewed Rachel Allen, Director of Product at”
04Frameworks mentioned
Summary and takeaways written by PM Atlas; quotes are short excerpts. © the original author.