C. Todd Lombardo

Who is C. Todd Lombardo?

C. Todd Lombardo is VP of Product & Experience at Openly, among other high profile, product-related roles.

As an insurance-tech startup, Openly empowers agents to deliver a higher standard of service through cutting-edge technology and comprehensive options. Lombardo’s role focuses on leading in-house product teams and driving them to succeed. 

He’s also a self-confessed — and proud — “data nerd” and “design geek”. His passion for his profession is clear from the chain of product management positions he’s built. 

Before landing his role at Openly early 2021, Lombardo worked as VP of Product/UX at MachineMetrics for more than two years. This was preceded by his position as Co-founder and VP of User Experience at Vempathy. 

Other key roles include Interim VP of Product & UX at Doorbell Communities, Chief Design Strategist at Fresh Tilled Soil, and Principal Innovation Catalyst & Innovation Architect at Constant Contact - Innovation Loft. 

But C. Todd Lombardo’s impact on the product world doesn’t stop there...

Lombardo has also drawn on his vast hands-on experience to serve as a design and product strategy consultation for a plethora of major clients. These include Spotify, TripAdvisor, FedEx, LogMeIn, New York Times, Lowes, and Genentech... So just a few names you may have heard of!

He also serves as a mentor for Techstars, and as an adjunct faculty-member for IE Business School and the Maryland Institute College of Art.

Lombardo’s educational background is almost as impressive as his career. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Merrimack College in the mid-90s, before moving on to University of Connecticut and Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. He earned an MBA from IE Business School followed by a Master’s from the Maryland Institute College of Art. 

What is C. Todd Lombardo known for?

It seems impossible that C. Todd Lombardo would have any spare time to dedicate to other interests, but he is also known for co-authoring a number of books in product management and strategy. 

Design Sprint, co-authored by Richard Banfield, was published in 2015. This book was designed to introduce product teams to the concept of design sprints in detail, and empower them to reduce their risk of failure. 

It focuses on clarifying problems and identifying user needs, sharing exercises to explore product options, faster prototyping, and more effective testing. 

Product Roadmaps Relaunched was co-authored by Lombardo, Bruce McCarthy, Evan Ryan, and Michael Connors. It hit the market in 2017. 

This book guides readers through the process of building a practical product roadmap and using it effectively. It aims to help teams articulate goals for products, make better decisions, and understand what to expect throughout the roadmapping process. 

Product Research Rules, co-authored by Lombardo, Ara Bilgen and Michael Connors, was published by O’Reilly Media in 2020. In this book, C. Todd Lombardo and his co-writers present nine rules to help product teams conduct essential research to understand their target audience, goals, and markets better. 

It offers insights into studying data, asking the right questions, developing professional interview techniques, creating effective prototypes, and involving stakeholders in the research process. 

Each of these books draws on Lombardo’s decades of experience in the world of product management — and deserves a space on any PM’s bookshelf!

Where can you learn more about C. Todd Lombardo? 

You can learn more about Lombardo on Twitter (@iamctodd) and on LinkedIn (though he only connects with individuals he’s met in real life). 

You can also catch some of his talks online — Roadmaps are Dead! Long Live Roadmaps! and What’s Your Roadmap? are well worth watching. Lombardo is an articulate, engaging speaker with plenty of insights to share. 

And if you want to hear more of Lombardo’s ideas and tips, check out his chat with podcaster Daniel Elizalde in Product Research Rules with C. Todd Lombardo.