Anti-Toddler Soccer Goal Setting
by Ami Vora • Chief Product Officer at Faire
Former VP at Meta (Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram)
🎙️ Episode Context
Ami Vora shares insights on high-impact product leadership, covering strategies for effective product reviews, the power of metaphors in product alignment, and how to set distinct goals to prevent teams from overlapping. She emphasizes execution over strategy and the importance of 'fascinating' curiosity during disagreements.
Problem It Solves
Resource contention, teams tripping over each other, neglected product surface areas, and lack of accountability for specific inputs.
Framework Overview
A strategy to prevent all teams from chasing the exact same high-level metric (like toddler soccer players chasing one ball). It involves assigning distinct, non-overlapping goals that ladder up to the main outcome, ensuring the 'whole field' is covered.
🌳 Framework Hierarchy
When to Use
Org design, quarterly planning, and setting OKRs for multiple squads within a larger product organization.
Common Mistakes
Telling every team to 'grow revenue' directly; creating swimlanes that are too narrow and don't impact the customer journey.
Real World Example
Instead of all teams chasing GMV, Team A focuses on 'New User Conversion,' Team B focuses on 'Retention/Reorder Rate,' and Team C focuses on 'Average Order Value' per surface.
I have three kids, I've watched a lot of toddlers play soccer... everyone's tripping on each other... nobody really gets contact on the ball.
— Ami Vora