Clarity, Trust, and Impact: A Conversation with Our New CPO

Some people grow into hospitality.
For Antoine Grebert, it was there from the start.

Growing up in a family-run hotel and restaurant in the Loire Valley, he learned early how much great experiences depend on the smallest details. That perspective has stayed with him ever since — through more than a decade of building SaaS products across CRM, healthtech, and hospitality tech.

Now joining Smart Host as Chief Product Officer, Antoine brings a clear belief: technology should simplify complexity and help hoteliers focus on what truly matters — their guests.

In this interview, he shares what led him to Smart Host, the principles behind his product leadership, and why building great products feels a lot like hiking: knowing where you’re going, adapting along the way, and moving forward together.

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1. What attracted you to the CPO role at Smart Host, and why did this opportunity feel like the right next step for you at this point in your career?

A few things clicked very naturally.

Hospitality first. I grew up in a family-run hotel and restaurant in the Loire Valley, France. So this industry is not abstract to me, it’s very concrete. I’ve seen the reality behind the scenes, the pressure, the expectations, the importance of getting the details right.

Then my professional path. I’ve spent most of my career building SaaS products, including CRM and hospitality tech. Smart Host sits exactly at that intersection.

And honestly, the people mattered a lot. During the interview process, I met genuinely good people. Strong professionals, but also kind, thoughtful, and aligned on values. That made a big difference.

Finally, the timing and the challenge. Hotels today have a lot to deal with, and technology should help them focus on delivering great guest experiences, not add complexity. When Julian pitched Smart Host to me, that was very clear: it was about impact.

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2. You’ve built products across healthtech, hospitality tech, and SaaS over the past 12+ years. What core principles have stayed consistent for you across these different industries?

I’m obsessed with experience.

I’m that guy who finishes an experience and thinks: damn, that was amazing. When a company really understands what I need, in that moment, and delivers it perfectly. You feel it a lot in restaurants: is it a date, a business dinner, a night with friends? The best places adapt naturally, without you having to ask. That kind of targeted, thoughtful experience is incredibly powerful.

From a product perspective, that means focusing on real users and real problems. Not edge cases. Not internal convenience.

Another constant is starting with the problem. Always. If you don’t deeply understand what’s broken or missing, no solution will really work.

Team-wise, diversity matters a lot to me. Different backgrounds, different ways of thinking, different experiences. That’s how you build better products in my opinion.

And finally, honesty. About constraints, trade-offs, and uncertainty. It builds trust, and trust is essential.

3. You’ve helped build and scale product organizations from the ground up. What foundations are essential for strong collaboration between Product, Engineering, and Design?

Clarity comes first. Where are we going, and why. If that’s unclear, everything becomes harder.

Then trust. Product needs to trust Engineering to find the right solutions. Engineering needs to trust Product to focus on the right problems. Design and UX play a huge role here, grounding decisions in real user needs and shaping the experience end-to-end.

And respect for each role. Design is not just visuals. Engineering is not just execution. Product is not just prioritization. When everyone understands that, collaboration becomes much more natural.

4. How do you ensure technical decisions remain scalable in the long term without slowing down product delivery in the short term?

By making decisions in context.

Teams need to understand where we’re heading, not just what we’re building right now. Once that direction is clear, it’s much easier to decide how much to invest today.

Not everything needs to be perfect or future-proof immediately. Sometimes a pragmatic solution is the right call, as long as everyone is aligned on why we’re doing it and what it implies later.

The key is making conscious trade-offs, not accidental ones.

5. What role do developers play in shaping product strategy, and how do you create space for their ideas and ownership?

I want to be very clear first: this is my ideal view. Every tech team is different, every context is different, and in the end it’s up to the teams themselves and to tech leadership to decide what role developers play in shaping strategy.

From my perspective, developers should play a meaningful role, especially when it comes to the how. Strategy is not only about what we want to achieve, but how we realistically get there. There are usually several ways to solve a problem, and technical input makes a big difference in choosing the right path given the constraints and the timing.

I try to create space by involving developers early, not just once decisions are already made. That includes vision discussions, platform and scalability topics, and early solution exploration. Especially for long-term or structural topics, their perspective is essential.

Ownership comes from autonomy and trust. Small teams, clear goals, and real responsibility. When people understand the problem, the context, and the trade-offs, and have room to decide how to approach it, ownership tends to emerge naturally.

6. Throughout your career, you’ve worked with highly autonomous, cross-functional teams. How do you build trust while still maintaining clarity, focus, and alignment?

Clear goals. That’s the foundation. People need to know what they’re aiming for and why it matters.

Then focus. Too many priorities kill autonomy. Fewer, clearer goals make teams more effective.

Trust comes from consistency. Doing what you say, respecting commitments, being transparent when things change. Autonomy works when alignment is strong and expectations are clear.

7. Looking back, what have been the most important lessons you’ve learned as a leader—especially from challenges or mistakes along the way?

One lesson I keep relearning is: if you think you know, think again. Context changes, people change, and what worked once won’t necessarily work next time. Staying curious and questioning your own assumptions is crucial.

Another important lesson is that the “best” solution on paper is not always the right one in reality. Timing, scope, and constraints matter. Understanding the full context often matters more than aiming for technical or conceptual perfection.

I’ve also learned to listen more. Customers might not always know the solution, but they are almost always right about their problems. And teams usually have more insight than you think if you give them space.

Finally, teams matter more than individuals. Strong, diverse teams outperform even the most talented individuals. As a leader, creating the conditions for teams to succeed is far more important than having all the answers yourself.

8. What can developers and product teams at Smart Host expect from you in your role as CPO?

They can expect someone who stands behind the product. I see myself as the first advocate of what we build, both inside and outside the company. When we commit to something, I’ll defend it and make sure there is a clear story around why we’re doing it.

They can also expect a partner. My role is to help create the right conditions for teams to do great work: clear direction, aligned priorities, and fewer unnecessary obstacles. Removing blockers, clarifying trade-offs, and helping teams move forward is a big part of how I see my job.

Above all, they can expect clarity, respect, and commitment. Clear goals, honest conversations, and trust in their expertise. When teams are aligned and empowered, good things usually follow.

9. After many years in product leadership, what still motivates you personally to build and improve products every day?

What motivates me most is impact. Hearing that a product helped someone grow their business, avoid a difficult situation, or deliver a better experience to their own customers is incredibly rewarding.

The same applies to people in my teams. Helping individuals grow, gain confidence, and succeed is a big driver for me.

10. Outside of product strategy and leadership—where do you find inspiration or clarity when you need fresh ideas?

Spending time outdoors helps me a lot. I love the mountains, hiking, and being in nature. Changing scenery and slowing down clears my head and creates space for better thinking.

Inspiration often comes from my surroundings. I’m surrounded by people who create things in very different ways: making music, writing, producing shows or radio, designing clothes, building furniture, or crafting food experiences. Being close to people who build things outside of tech keeps my perspective fresh and grounded.

For clarity, I often talk to the people closest to me. They’re far from the tech world, and that distance is valuable. Their outside perspective usually helps me cut through complexity and focus on what actually matters.

11. So hiking, climbing, and biking? If product leadership were an outdoor activity, which one would it be — and why?

Hiking.

You have a destination, but the path is rarely straight. You adapt to the terrain, the weather, and the people you’re with. Sometimes you push, sometimes you slow down.

What matters is moving in the right direction and making sure everyone gets there together. That’s pretty close to how I see product leadership.

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Antoine’s perspective on product leadership is deeply shaped by experience — in hospitality, in technology, and in the teams he’s worked with along the way. As he steps into his role as Chief Product Officer at Smart Host, one thing is clear: for him, great products are built with clarity, trust, and a genuine focus on people. We’re excited to have him on the journey.