The Evolution of Product Ops: A Deep Dive with Graham Reed

When’s the right time to hire Product Ops?

In this episode of The Product Pivot, hosts Santi and Meagan sit down with Graham Reed, Head of Product Operations at Helios, to unpack the rise of Product Ops and what it really means for growing teams.

Graham shares how he “fell into” the role after a decade in product management and why he’s built product ops functions from scratch at multiple companies. We also dig into the messy middle between scrappy and established teams, and why Product Ops is more about change management and influence than tools or processes.

You’ll take away:

• The magic number of employees that signals it’s time to hire Product Ops.
• Why starting as a team of one works, and how to make it sustainable.
• The real difference between PMs vs. Product Ops.
• The critical soft skills that matter more than experience (empathy, listening, influence).
• How to pivot into Product Ops by spotting and solving problems in your current org.

If you’ve ever wondered when (or why) to invest in Product Ops, or how to break into the role yourself, this one’s for you.

Graham’s Links:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/grahamreed/

If you’re pivoting into product, or levelling up where you are, hit Subscribe for honest stories and actionable playbooks. Drop your questions for Graham in the comments and we’ll tackle them in a follow-up.

Hosts’ Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meagan-glenn/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/santiana-brace/