š§005: The Juicy Chat - Alex Adamopoulos, Founder & CEO of Emergn.
Why you need a Chief Product Officer (CPO), and yes you can tell when a company is not product / consumer centric.
In this series, Iām chatting with insiders across beauty, retail, wellness, and investing ā the ones in the trenches. This isnāt your typical ātell me how you did itā interview. Iām asking āØ what you wish you knew, š¬ what got messy, š what people never see - hoping to provide deeper insight into what often looks seamless from the outside.
Each conversation follows a 5-question format, plus two recurring bonus questions I ask every guest. If there is someone you think would be great for this series (or you), message me š.
Alex Adamopoulos is the founder and CEO of Emergn, a global consultancy that helps large enterprises become more product-centric by transforming how they work and build lasting capabilities.
Chief Product Officer roles are becoming increasingly popular, especially in large organizations where siloed thinking often gets in the way of real product innovation. I wanted to understand what this role actually does, where it fits inside a company, and whether not having one is as obvious a š© red flag as it might seem to someone like Alex, who specializes in this space.
His responses are clear, sharp, and no B.S., which I love. I learned a lot from this chat, and I think you will too.
š“ JUICY BYTE: What typically signals that a company needs a Chief Product Officer? Whatās breaking behind the scenes when you get the call?šµ Alex: When product decisions are driven by gut, not data. When engineering outpaces strategy. When growth flatlines despite customer demand. A CPO isnāt a luxuryāitās the missing link between vision and value.
[In response to what is breaking]:
Teams are misaligned. Roadmaps are bloated. Customers are frustrated. Sales is overpromising, and delivery canāt keep up. Leadership realizes theyāre shipping features, not solving problems. Thatās when the call comes.š“ JUICY BYTE: How do you define the difference between a Chief Product Officer and roles like R&D, innovation, or brand? What makes a CPO distinctāand necessary?šµ Alex: R&D invents. Innovation experiments. Brand inspires.
The CPO delivers. They turn ideas into scalable, valuable products. They're accountable for outcomesānot just activity.
The CPO is the only exec whose job is to balance customer value, business impact, and execution. They align vision with delivery. Without one, strategy gets lost in the noise.š“ JUICY BYTE: Whatās a sign that a company built a product for the pitch deckānot the person using it?šµ Alex: When the demo dazzles but real users struggle. When features outnumber problems solved. When adoption stalls but slideware shines.
Thatās not product thinkingāitās theater.š“ JUICY BYTE: Can you tell when a company has a strong CPO just by looking at the product or experience? What are the tells?šµ Alex: Absolutely. It feels intentional. The flow makes sense. The value is obvious. The edge cases are handled with care. Strong CPOs leave fingerprints on the detailsābecause they know the product is the company.š“ JUICY BYTE: If you could parachute a world-class CPO into any company right nowāwho would it be, and what would change?šµ Alex: Apple. A great CPO would shift the focus from chaos to clarity.
Features would serve users, not egos. Velocity wouldnāt come at the cost of trust. The product would feel like it knows you again.šššBONUS ROUNDšššš“ JUICY BYTE: Whatās a product you resisted buying... and now you canāt live without?šµ Alex: Jura Coffee Machine. Expensive and seemed a bit much for just coffee. But everything about it has changed the way I enjoy coffee.š“ JUICY BYTE: Whatās a brand youāre low-key obsessed with right now & why?šµ Alex: Anker. Innovative designs that are useful for customers. They keep innovative with creative options that make sense. Good price point and great value. High quality.Thank you for reading along!
š” Stay tuned for more!
- Anne