Procurement

Topics Covered:

• Why Teresa is (half-jokingly) threatening to retire
• The stark contrast between vendor-friendly companies and bureaucratic nightmares — and why company size isn't the deciding factor
• The hidden cost of procurement theater: scope creep, repetitive forms, and the 800-question security review
• How a CEO's buy-in can compress a 4-month legal review process into 10 days — and what that reveals about organizational priorities
• The vendor experience as a brand experience — a lens product people should apply to their own organizations
• Teresa's new policy: her paperwork, credit card payment, no vendor setup — or no speaking engagement
• How bureaucracy compounds over time through adverse events — and why startups historically win by moving fast

Key Takeaways:

• Your procurement process is a reflection of your culture. If it's painful for vendors, it's probably painful internally too.
• Product thinkers should care about vendor experience. Every process your company delivers — including procurement — has brand impact.
• CEO-level buy-in is the fastest procurement tool there is. It reveals how much your organization actually values what it's trying to buy.
• Simple vendor terms attract the best experts. The more friction you create, the more likely top speakers and consultants will just say no.

Resources & Links:

• Follow Teresa Torres: https://ProductTalk.org
• Follow Petra Wille: https://Petra-Wille.com

Mentioned in the episode:

• Hire Teresa to Speak
• AWS DynamoDB & GuardDuty
• Claude Code
• The classic film Office Space (referenced for reasons that will be very clear)