Strategic Signal: The Athletic’s CPO Move
The Athletic has named Alex Deve as Chief Product Officer, with his first day set for Monday, October 20, 2025.
He’ll oversee product, design, data, engineering, plus growth and CRM—bringing these groups under one roof to ship a clearer, faster product vision. The Athletic’s goal is bold: become the go‑to sports news app with multi‑format stories, community features, and AI‑driven personalization. (Source: The NY Times)
Impact On Product Leadership
One owner, less friction
Uniting product, design, data, engineering, growth, and CRM under one leader cuts handoffs and aligns goals. Expect faster feedback loops and sharper bets.
AI as a core system, not a feature
With data close to growth and content, the team can deliver more relevant feeds, alerts, and next‑best actions that lift retention.
Community strengthens the moat
When content meets groups, comments, and creator tools, you get habit, not just pageviews. This is durable.
Editorial + product DNA
Alex started in journalism before leading large‑scale consumer products (Facebook Groups, Stories, Sharing; Yahoo Sports Europe). That mix helps teams build things that serve both readers and the newsroom.
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Who Is Alex Deve? Background At A Glance
Alex led major products at Facebook, including Groups, Stories, and Sharing, and earlier helped Yahoo! launch its European sports property.
He began his career as a journalist (Le Foot, Le Monde, France Télévisions). He’s a lifelong sports fan from France who now lives in the Bay Area—PSG and San Francisco teams top his list.
Practical Wins You Can Use This Week
Map the value chain. Put creation → distribution → personalization → community on one page. Pick two seams and focus.
Create a Growth × Product pact. One shared metric, one weekly ritual. Tie tests to activation and retention, not only clicks.
Operationalize AI. Start with one thin slice: a smarter “For You” module or better notifications. Ship an MVP in two sprints; track activation and D30.
Empower pods. Form cross‑functional squads with a clear user outcome to reduce dependencies.
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🔐Execution Playbook: Build A Unified, Personal Sports News Experience
The section below gives you the how—clear steps, templates, and metrics to run in your team this quarter.
Org Design That Moves Fast
Team topology (example):