20Product: On Running's CPO on How to Create Emotion Through Product | Why 99% of Products Fail and How to Create Cults Around Products | The Biggest Product Mistakes On Have Made & Lessons Learned with Gérald Marolf
Timestamps are as accurate as they can be but may be slightly off. We encourage you to listen to the full context.
Podcast Summary
In this engaging episode of 20 Product, host Harry Stebbings sits down with Gérald Marolf, Chief Product Officer at On Running, for a candid discussion about building exceptional physical products that create emotional connections with consumers. (03:43) Gérald shares how his fascination with perfume taught him that great products must trigger emotion and curiosity, not just serve functional needs. The conversation explores the brutal reality of physical product development versus digital products, where you can't iterate after launch. (07:04) They dive into controversial product decisions, from On's four-hour marathon shoe to their premium tennis line with Roger Federer, examining how brand personality and product intent must remain crystal clear even when expanding into new markets.
- Main themes: The episode centers on creating emotional connections through physical products, the challenge of balancing performance authenticity with market expansion, and why listening too much to customers can be dangerous for innovation.
Speakers
Gérald Marolf
Chief Product Officer at On Running, overseeing the full range of On's shoes, apparel, and accessories to ensure each delivers performance, comfort, and style. Before joining On, Gérald spent over a decade building consumer brands with collaborators such as Microsoft and Ferrari. His unique perspective combines digital product experience with premium physical product development, bringing insights from both tech and luxury consumer goods to athletic performance products.
Harry Stebbings
Host of 20 Product, a monthly show featuring conversations with the world's best Chief Product Officers. Known for his direct questioning style and deep curiosity about what drives exceptional product development and team building.
Key Takeaways
Physical Products Require Emotional Engineering Beyond Function
Gérald emphasizes that great physical products must create emotional connections, drawing inspiration from the perfume industry where consumers buy "just a smell" but fall in love with the entire experience. (03:43) He argues that every great product should trigger "somewhat of that slight discomfort of challenging yourself" rather than just meeting functional needs. Unlike digital products that can be iterated quickly, physical products must engineer emotion upfront since once they're in consumers' hands, they cannot be changed. This principle drives On's approach to creating products that make users feel something more than just comfort - whether it's the three-dimensional logo or the distinctive CloudTec sole technology.
Simple Design Can Be Overrated and Dangerous
Contradicting the common "simple is better" mantra, Gérald argues that simplicity in physical products often leads to increased storytelling needs and reduced word-of-mouth potential. (08:35) He believes simple products give consumers less opportunity to become experts, explore, or give products their own life. While simplicity works for products like trackpads or AirPods, Gérald contends that breaking through in competitive markets like footwear requires more complexity and distinctive features that allow for personal discovery and customization.
The Danger of Listening Too Much to Customer Feedback
One of Gérald's most controversial insights is that companies can listen to customers too much, particularly in the hybrid sports-lifestyle space. (12:47) He reflects that On made mistakes by trying to create products that worked equally well for sports performance and lifestyle use, based on customer requests. This led to compromised products that weren't excellent at either purpose. Instead, he advocates for clear product intent - making either the best performance product or the best lifestyle product, rather than trying to serve both masters simultaneously.
Brand Personality Must Drive Product Strategy Over Market Size
When challenged about On's tennis strategy with Roger Federer, Gérald defends decisions that might not move the business needle from a pure market size perspective. (18:17) He argues that brand DNA and the pursuit of excellence should drive product decisions, not just addressable market calculations. Roger Federer's influence extends beyond tennis sales - his entrepreneurial mindset and pursuit of perfection has shaped On's overall approach to premium sportswear and helped establish the company's aspirational brand positioning globally.
Innovation Must Balance Perfection with Market Timing
Gérald admits On was "too slow and maybe a little bit too complicated" in entering the marathon running market, trying too hard to be overly precise in product development. (23:27) He learned that while striving for perfection is important, products need to get "beyond the pavement" to succeed. The balance between engineering excellence and market timing requires leaving some elements for consumers to discover themselves, rather than over-engineering every aspect before launch.
Statistics & Facts
- On Running has grown to become a multi-billion dollar public company, as mentioned when discussing market size impact on product strategy. (18:20)
- The athletic footwear market has diversified significantly - Gerald mentions that consumers now have approximately 600 different lip balm options compared to just three choices in the past, illustrating how product choice has exploded across categories. (27:00)
- On Running's apparel division is "growing at a speed" that suggests they have "unlocked something" significant, though specific growth numbers weren't provided in this episode. (27:01)
