An inside look at how CNN builds product

Equanimity is the most important skill I've developed across my entire life. It means mental calmness, composure, evenness of temper, especially in crazy, stressful situations. It's the ability to remain un-rattled in the highest of highs and the lowest of lows.

The ability to pause before reacting is the key to mindful communication and being a successful product manager.

Those can't be effective for us as product leaders if we're not listening, so I think listening and being able to converse in the language of the listener is the utmost importance.

If you listen and you know where to go to get the answers, that in itself is like a tremendous place to be.

What's something that would not exist without your initiative?

We've developed this unique skill of high agency under high pressure. And I really think that that skill or combination of skills is our superpower, and that is something you can take anywhere.

When our engineers are able to understand our journalists' needs at the same level as we are, they're able to define the how to do it with so much greater clarity and precision.

It's so important to think of your engineers as partners and not just resources. And when they are embedded into the process right upfront, it makes the whole process in general more efficient.

I implemented a system to manage that kind of intake with four different touch points: weekly demo days, working sessions, breaking news dress rehearsals, and office hours.