April Underwood - Founder and CEO at Local Laboratory Corp - airfocus Product Hero

Who is April Underwood?

April Underwood is the founder and CEO of Local Laboratory Corp. 

April has worked across the breadth of product management. She has significantly contributed to the development and growth of notable platforms and products, including Twitter and Slack. Previously she’s worked in product roles for Apple, Google, and Intel too. 

April joined Twitter and Slack when they were both just 150 employees strong. She built their products, teams, and markets up to see ten times more growth in less than five years.

With a passion for addressing the ongoing issues facing humanity, April is a venture partner at Obvious Ventures. Here, she invests in organizations tackling climate change, our health and wellness, and the ways in which we work. She’s also a long-time angel investor and has backed over 20 companies. 

What is April Underwood known for?

April is best known for her time at Slack, as VP of product and then rising to chief product officer, where she played a huge role in their success and growth. These days, Slack is ubiquitous in remote teams, and increasingly popular with office-based companies too. 

April was also responsible for product management at Twitter when the social media giant was just getting started. She worked on fundamental aspects of the platform, including the development of a "Tweet" and the Follow" button.

Her Local Laboratory Group has been responsible for empowering local businesses in San Francisco and has had a lasting impact on the local community. 

What is April Underwood's advice for building great products and having great product teams?

April frequently stresses that great products are the result of really great product teams. So having a company culture that reflects the mission and values of an organization is hugely important. 

As an avid start-up fan, April advises that if an opportunity to work on an innovative project arises, backed by a CEO with a clear vision, you should run, not walk. Plus points for a start-up that is driving innovation through technology and/or advancing towards a cultural shift.  

Where can you learn more about April Underwood?

April shares her personal views and nuggets of advice on her Medium profile. You can also see what ventures she is passionate about via her LinkedIn, where she regularly sings praise for community-driven organizations.