Podcast Episode 25: Philip Baumann, CPO at Ecosia about purposeful product management

With more than 30 million Euro revenue in 2019 and 50 million trees planted, Ecosia provides a purposeful alternative to the dominant search engines from quasi-monopolist Google. Philip explains the core values of the company, how the product teams handle conflicting KPIs and how the 45 employees’ strong search engine company makes sure that partners share their values.

Digitale Leute Insights is the podcast for passionate product people. We interview product developers from around the world and take a closer look at their tools and tactics.
Host: Anna-Lena Kümpel
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From a short-lived engagement at Greenpeace in his younger years to his current position at Ecosia, Philip has committed his career to an important cause. “Using technology to bring real long-term value to users while reconciling our relationship with nature is one of the most crucial challenges of our times,” says Philip, who is now leading product and empowering agile teams at Germany’s first-ever B corporation.

In this episode you learn:

• about the role of the Chief Product Officer at Ecosia. [00:03:21]
• what the core values of Ecosia are and how they are communicated internally. [00:04:35]
• how Ecosia communicates, for example, their tree planting activities internally to motivate employees. [00:05:35]„Every day I feel there is a real tangible impact happening in the world out there due to the work we are doing.“
• how Ecosia brings together its economic and sustainability goals. [00:12:25]

If you have a strong purpose beyond making money, you work towards that purpose and you do it in a sustainable way. That, in the end, is a competitive advantage.

• how Ecosia works with KPIs and how they handle conflicting KPIs [00:15:12]
• how Ecosia makes sure that partners share their values. [00:24:43]
• reading Suggestions:
  • Newsletter: WDRL | ClimateAction.tech
  • Book: Lean Impact, Ann Mei Chang

About the Host
Anna-Lena’s trip through the startup world started in 2016 when she worked as an editor for the German startup magazine Berlin Valley. In Oct. 2017 she moved to the Rhineland, where she now works as the Startup Agent of the Digital Hub Cologne. In this function, she builds a strong network of regional startups to connect them to local SME-Companies.

This interview was recorded on November, 28th at Digitale Leute Summit.