For a guy whose early career centered around X’s and O’s in a football playbook, Bill Campbell now appreciates the bits and bytes of the digital world after decades as a technology insider.
Campbell, the former Columbia University football coach, now mentors Silicon Valley startups and successes. Still known as “Coach,” he rarely speaks publicly, even among the many companies he works with. And the list is impressive, including Intuit, where 
he is chairman of the board, and Apple, where he serves on the board of directors and was a confidante of founder Steve Jobs.
Campbell broke the silence on April 12, speaking candidly with Intuit CEO Brad Smith, who hosted the first of a series of discussions with industry and influential thought leaders. The opening topic: a leader’s role in creating awesome products and experiences. The following summarizes Campbell’s thoughts.
The awesome product that blew his socks off:
I’m Apple biased. The iPhone is one of the greatest breakthroughs ever. I couldn’t believe it the first time I saw it – even as images on a screen. It was a blowaway. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. It transformed everything I did. This became a computer in your pocket. I have not been as wowed by anything I’ve seen since. Everybody’s out there trying to copy it.
What it takes to create great products:
What you need more than anything is great people. The world today is one of product creation. We have to keep thinking that that comes from engineers… (In Silicon Valley) there’s a premium on engineers who can understand the use of technology and know how to apply it. Great products come from great engineers. You need product managers to guide them.
The role of product managers:
We need product managers. Jack (Dorsey, creator of Twitter and founder of Square) calls product managers “editors.” There’s a role for product managers to guide the evolution of technology. You learn that the world is about great products. A marketing person would not have created the Macintosh. But a good marketing person would have made it better.
How product managers should prioritize time and coach:
Spend a lot of time with your chief engineer. When you’re a product manager, you’re writing down dates and listing things. That can be done in the last 10 minutes of your day. You ought to be working with an engineer all the time, figuring out what features go in and what tradeoffs have to be made. Pay attention to sales and marketing, but if you’re not spending 80 percent of your time with engineering, you’re not spending your time right.
How product managers can get great products created:
If you’re not an engineer in Silicon Valley, then you have to drive product excellence. There are three ways to look at it.
- Look at current products we have and make them better. Make it faster, tighter, smaller. Or improve functionality.
- Take the (existing) product and rethink it. Solve the same problem in a different way. Mint solved the same problem as Quicken in a new and different way.
- Start from scratch. Spend 10 percent of your time on new ideas. What things are in categories that we know but haven’t approached before?
Best new product on the horizon:
The Nest thermostat. You’d think something as boring as a thermostat in the house would be something that people would yawn at and not be a breakthrough. I was surprised. It’s really expanded the category. You can look for more from them.
Why he continues working with Intuit, after serving as president and CEO:
When I met (founder) Scott Cook, he was looking for someone more visionary. And after I worked with him for some period of time, I felt like, it was his company…it’s still his company. He’s still our visionary leader. Somebody that we look at almost iconically. How do you not want to help Scott?
Once you (Brad) came in, you exhibited the values that you have. You care deeply about people. You care deeply about products. People and products are what we’re all about here. To see the way you run the company – the clarity of your direction, the transparency of where we are in everything that we do – with Scott kind of guiding us from a heart and soul perspective, how do you not want to stay here?
I like doing what I’m doing…and I never wanted to go another place. My independence is important to me. And my devotion to Intuit is important to me.
Here’s the entire broadcast:
Photo: An overflow crowd watches Intuit Chairman Bill Campbell discuss awesome product development and leadership in an inaugural event hosted by President Brad Smith.
