How do companies know which products to build? What are traits of a 10X product leader? Should national security startups pursue a portfolio of bets or take a couple concentrated big swings? What does it look like to balance buyer vs. customer demand in defense? In this episode, CEO Brett Granberg shares how Vannevar has navigated these questions while making strategic product bets. We explore Vannevar's product evolution, from early failures to recent strategic moves.

We're hiring: https://vannevarlabs.com/careers/

Outline
00:00 Introduction to building products
00:22 Product bet: Economic competition
02:39 Failed products and lessons learned
04:44 Recognizing local vs. global maxima
06:03 Handling user vs. buyer demand
07:31 High conviction product ideas
09:09 Customer feedback timing
|10:33 Structuring product teams
12:10 Portfolio vs. concentrated bets
14:19 Scaling product approach
15:36 Most exciting new product areas
16:55 How to hire product leaders
18:05 Innovation boundaries
19:29 Build vs. buy decisions
21:15 10x product leader traits