Alex Hardiman
Chief Product Officer at The New York Times
CPO at The New York Times leading teams across news, cooking, games, audio, and advertising products; previously CPO at The Atlantic and spent two years at Facebook leading news product.
Dimension Profile
Key Themes
Episode Summary
Alex Hardiman shares how product development at the New York Times is driven by mission rather than metrics alone, spanning the transformation from print to mobile-first and the bold bet on direct-to-consumer subscriptions. She draws on her experience across NYT, The Atlantic, and Facebook to discuss building product at non-tech companies, navigating controversial moments, and ensuring business goals serve journalistic mission.
Leadership Principles
- → Impact and business goals must serve the mission, not the other way around
- → Product managers at mission-driven companies drive metrics while also helping stories find their real audience
- → The shift from print-first to mobile-first requires leading with mobile in everything — formats, features, and revenue
Notable Quotes
"Our impact and our business goals are in service of our mission, which is to seek the truth and help people understand the world, not the other way around."
— On how product work at the New York Times differs from big tech
"When you're a product manager, you're driving specific metrics like engagement or subscribers, but you're also trying to help stories find their real audience in ways that trigger mission-driven impact. I didn't feel that when I was at Facebook."
— On the unique PM role at a mission-driven media company
"We brought in consultants and they said, 'Maybe over the course of history it'll get to one million subscribers, if you're lucky.' It felt like a really big nervous moment."
— On the skepticism around the NYT's digital subscription paywall launch in 2011
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