Presented by Amplitude

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The C-suite has continually evolved to keep pace with the impact technology has had on business. The CIO stepped up as the importance of data grew; the CTO took charge when companies needed a way to manage their tech stack; the CMO embraced the emergence of a vast range of digital channels.

And now, in a world where digital products don’t just support the business, they are the business, the chief product officer (CPO) is becoming an indispensable company leader.

“With so many products out there, it’s more important than ever to create loyalty and think about how you retain customers,” says Justin Bauer, SVP of product at Amplitude. “This is why we’re seeing the rise of the chief product officer, and why we believe that product people will become the most powerful individuals within any business.”

To that end, Amplitude is launching the Product 50: the definitive ranking of the best and brightest in the product space. These are the product leaders developing ground-breaking digital products, transforming legacy companies into product-led organizations, or advising the most successful teams on the modern way to build products.

Companies are realizing that they need to adopt a product mindset if they’re going to survive in this new era, where product is now your best distribution channel and your competitive advantage. Digital has also transformed the buyer’s journey. People are making purchase decisions based on the quality of the product itself determined by free trials or freemium subscriptions, not marketing campaigns or sales pitches.        

As a result, a visionary product leader has become one of a company’s most powerful assets. And recognizing those individuals is what Product 50 is all about.

“We believe the Product 50 will give well-deserved honors to those individuals who are creating this change, transforming industries, driving innovation, and that’s why we’re excited about launching this initiative,” Bauer says. “We want to shine a brighter light on their contributions, celebrate their success, and hopefully inspire the next generation of product leaders as well.”

Nominations for Product 50 are open until March 11, and then judges from VentureBeat, G2, and Amplitude will select the winners. Winners will be announced in May and featured in VentureBeat, given a free pass to Amplify, the #1 product and growth conference, and more.

Who to nominate

• From product managers to designers, and heads of data to chief product officers, the Product 50 is all about honoring the individuals leading the way in product innovation.
• Having “product” in a title isn’t a requirement. If someone impacts the how, why, and what of digital product strategy, they are doing product work.
• This is a global list – there are no geographic requirements.

How to nominate

Visit product50list.com to nominate your favorite product leader by March 11. The nomination form should take less than 10 minutes for you to complete.

Categories

There are ten categories. If your nominee fits multiple categories, please feel free to submit them for up to three.

• Most Admired Product Leader: Who up-and-coming product leaders aspire to be
• Best Product Leader, Large Company: Works at a company with 1,000+ employees and has been instrumental to its products’ success
• Best Product Leader, Midsize Company: Works at a company with 100-1,000 employees and has been instrumental to its product’s success
• Best Product Leader, Small Company: Works at a company with fewer than 100 employees and has been instrumental to its product’s success
• Most Promising Product Up-and-Comer: Not an executive yet, but sure to be making headlines in the product world one day
• Best Digital-Native Product Leader: Works for a tech-native company and has contributed to its product’s success
• Best Digital Transformation Product Leader: Works for a non-tech-native company and helped it launch or enhance its digital product(s)
• Best Product Design Leader: The brains behind a product known for its seamless, engaging, and intuitive user experience
• Best Product Influencer: Has a track record of building successful products and now makes it a priority to advance product thinking across industries 
• Best Nonprofit Product Leader: Has helped a nonprofit organization launch a successful digital product

Key dates

Applications are now open! They will close on Friday, March 11.

Winners will be announced in May.

Judging criteria

Innovation: Is this person responsible for a product that is novel, cutting-edge, or trailblazing?

Business Impact: Is this person responsible for a product that has led to significant business growth?

Diversity: Does this nominee have a unique background, perspective, or way of working that enables their teams to be more successful? 

Influence: Was this person nominated multiple times?

Judges

Justin Bauer, SVP of Product, Amplitude

Sara Rossio, Chief Product Officer, G2

Ben Ilfeld, Head of Product, VentureBeat

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Don’t miss the March 11 deadline for nominees – get all the details here.

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