Podcasts about Chief product officer

What does it take to build truly product-driven engineering teams? In this episode, Matt Watson — founder and CEO of Full Scale and author of Product Driven — joins Lily and Randy to challenge the longstanding silos between product and engineering. Drawing on 25+ years of experience and four tech ventures, Matt makes the case for why developers need more than just code to care about: they need context, ownership, and clarity.From redefining “done” to the evolving role of AI in software teams, this conversation dives into how product leaders can foster a culture where engineers aren't just implementers, but co-creators of customer value.Chapters0:00 – Why “no feedback” is a warning sign, not success1:46 – Matt's journey: from developer to founder2:58 – Thinking outside the code: how the book Product Driven started4:50 – Why many engineers don't think about the customer5:57 – The rise of product managers and the walling off of engineers6:56 – Redefining the role of PMs in cross-functional teams9:01 – Metrics, measurement, and the illusion of progress10:57 – Ownership as the root of productivity13:04 – Code monkeys, culture, and killing creativity14:55 – Communicating context: five minutes that save weeks17:04 – AI and the changing definition of developer productivity20:32 – External value vs internal tech debt22:48 – The Product Driven model: Vision, Focus, Clarity, Shared Ownership, Courage27:08 – Why courage is the starting point for changeOur HostsLily Smith enjoys working as a consultant product manager with early-stage and growing startups and as a mentor to other product managers. She's currently Chief Product Officer at BBC Maestro, and has spent 13 years in the tech industry working with startups in the SaaS and mobile space. She's worked on a diverse range of products – leading the product teams through discovery, prototyping, testing and delivery. Lily also founded ProductTank Bristol and runs ProductCamp in Bristol and Bath. Randy Silver is a Leadership & Product Coach and Consultant. He gets teams unstuck, helping you to supercharge your results. Randy's held interim CPO and Leadership roles at scale-ups and SMEs, advised start-ups, and been Head of Product at HSBC and Sainsbury's. He participated in Silicon Valley Product Group's Coaching the Coaches forum, and speaks frequently at conferences and events. You can join one of communities he runs for CPOs (CPO Circles), Product Managers (Product In the {A}ether) and Product Coaches. He's the author of What Do We Do Now? A Product Manager's Guide to Strategy in the Time of COVID-19. A recovering music journalist and editor, Randy also launched Amazon's music stores in the US & UK.

Risk has always been part of doing business. What has changed is its scale, speed, and interconnected nature. In this episode, Sean Martin and Marco Ciappelli are joined by Megha Kumar, Chief Product Officer and Head of Geopolitical Risk at CyXcel, to explore how organizations can think more clearly about digital risk without becoming paralyzed by complexity.Kumar shares how digital resilience is no longer a technical problem alone. Regulations, infrastructure dependencies, geopolitical tensions, supply chain exposure, and emerging technologies such as AI now converge into a single operational reality. Organizations that treat these as isolated issues often miss the real picture, where one decision quietly amplifies risk across multiple domains.A central theme of the conversation is proportion. Kumar emphasizes that risk management is not about eliminating uncertainty, but aligning effort with value. Not every threat matters equally to every organization. Understanding who you are, where you operate, and where you are going determines which signals deserve attention and which are simply noise.The discussion also reframes geopolitics as a daily business concern rather than a distant policy issue. Companies operate inside global power dynamics whether they acknowledge it or not. Technology choices, supplier relationships, and market expansion decisions increasingly carry political and regulatory consequences that surface quickly and without warning.Rather than advocating for massive new departments or rigid frameworks, Kumar outlines a practical approach. Organizations can decide whether to avoid, mitigate, transfer, or tolerate risk, then revisit those decisions as conditions change. This mindset supports growth and innovation while avoiding the false comfort of static checklists.The episode closes on culture. Effective risk management depends on listening across roles, disciplines, and seniority. Internal dissent, diverse viewpoints, and external validation are presented as assets, not obstacles. In a world where uncertainty is constant, resilience comes from clarity, not control.Learn more about CyXcel: https://itspm.ag/cyxcel-922331Note: This story contains promotional content. Learn more.GUESTMegha Kumar, Partner, Chief Product Officer & Head of Geopolitical Risk at CyXcel | On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmeghakumarcyxcel/RESOURCESLearn more and catch more stories from CyXcel: https://www.itspmagazine.com/directory/cyxcelAre you interested in telling your story?▶︎ Full Length Brand Story: https://www.studioc60.com/content-creation#full▶︎ Spotlight Brand Story: https://www.studioc60.com/content-creation#spotlight▶︎ Highlight Brand Story: https://www.studioc60.com/content-creation#highlight Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode of Talk Commerce, Brent Peterson interviews Justin Aronstein, Chief Product Officer at Mobile1st. They discuss the importance of revenue per visitor in e-commerce, the role of friction in the shopping experience, and key metrics for success. Justin shares insights on the future of AI in e-commerce, the necessity of mobile-first design, and practical advice for preparing for the holiday sales season. The conversation emphasizes understanding customer needs and creating a seamless shopping experience.Mobile1st focuses on increasing revenue per visitor.Friction in the shopping experience can be beneficial if used correctly.Conversion rates are not the most important metric; revenue per visitor is key.Understanding customer emotions is crucial for driving sales.AI is becoming increasingly important in e-commerce, but traditional channels still matter.Designing for mobile is essential as most traffic comes from mobile devices.Product detail pages should address customer concerns and build trust.Hard abandonment campaigns can help recover lost sales.E-commerce directors face unique challenges that require tailored solutions.Having fun at work is essential for job satisfaction.Chapters00:00Introduction to Justin Aronstein02:13Mobile First: Revolutionizing E-commerce04:42Understanding User Insights and Emotional Connection10:38Key Metrics for E-commerce Success12:45The Future of AI in E-commerce16:27Designing for Mobile: The Ongoing Challenge21:43Preparing for Black Friday: Essential Tips24:34Introduction to Personal Freedom24:35The Power of Choice

If your “business development strategy” is do great work + hope clients stay loyal, I have bad news: that strategy has been officially declared dead on arrival. In this episode, Nicole sits down with Karen Freeman, Chief Product Officer at DCM Insights and co-author of The Activator Advantage, to break down why client loyalty is collapsing—and what the best “rainmakers” are doing instead. Spoiler: they're not waiting around to be chosen. They're activating.  What you'll learn: Why client loyalty is shrinking (even when you are excellent at your job) The buyer behavior shift: from “we trust you” to “we're still taking calls, though” Practical ways to build a stronger pipeline without turning into a sleazy salesperson How AI + procurement + buying committees are changing the game (and the budget) The Activator playbook (aka: stop crossing your fingers) Commit: plan BD weekly (yes, even when you're busy) Connect: treat your network like an asset, not a dusty LinkedIn list Create value: show up before the ask with insight, context, and solutions Because “doing good work” is table stakes. Activating is how you win, retain, and grow today. Thank you to our sponsors! Get 20% off your first order at curehydration.com/WOMANSWORK with code WOMANSWORK — and if you get a post-purchase survey, mention you heard about Cure here to help support the show!  Sex is a skill. Beducated is where you learn it. Visit https://beducate.me/pd2550-womanswork and use code womanswork for 50% off the annual pass. Connect with Karen: Book: https://www.dcminsights.com/activator-advantage  Karen's LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenefreeman/ DCM insights's LI: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dcm-insights/ Related Podcast Episodes Powerfully Likeable with Dr. Kate Mason | 364  From Small Business to Big Impact: Leadership, Confidence, & Community | 362  The 3 N's: Negotiation, Networking & No with Kathryn Valentine | 327 Share the Love: If you found this episode insightful, please share it with a friend, tag us on social media, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform!

Andrew Casale, CEO, Index Exchange, and Megan Pagliuca, Chief Product Officer, Omnicom Media Group, unpack how live sports and streaming are becoming more addressable through programmatic, why new standards are fixing real-time “spike” problems, and how sell-side decisioning and AI-driven curation could reshape efficiency and fees across the open internet. Takeaways Live sports are becoming truly addressable through programmatic. Targeting is shifting to moment-level signals, not broad demos. Standards like podding and advanced ad requests reduce live break spikes. Pre-fetching and smarter pacing keep delivery stable. Sell-side decisioning now happens earlier and faster. That speed opens new optimization before bids reach DSPs. The supply chain may be split into modular parts to cut fees. AI is already boosting inclusion lists, safety, and creative workflows. Chapter 00:10 Intro to live sports and programmatic. 00:45 Megan on addressable “magic moments” in live sports. 03:12 Andrew on podding standards for live streams. 04:23 How advanced ad requests prevent break spikes. 06:36 What sell-side decisioning is and why it's faster now. 09:50 Two futures: bundled platforms or unbundled chain. 15:07 Megan on SPO and tighter partner sets. 17:45 Practical AI wins in lists, safety, and creativity. 23:20 Rapid-fire predictions for 2026. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kieran Devlin sits down with Bill Dellara, Chief Product Officer at VOSS, to unpack one of the biggest shifts happening in enterprise communications: the convergence of unified communications (UC) and contact center (CC). As organizations chase better experiences, lower costs, and smarter operations, we reveal how aligning UC and CC can unlock powerful outcomes for both customers and employees.With decades of experience at the heart of UC transformation, Bill Dellara shares practical insights into why the UC+CC revolution is no longer optional—and how VOSS is uniquely positioned to lead the charge. From overcoming the fear of change to deploying AI-powered experiences, this session is rich in strategy and real-world takeaways.

These are some of the most exciting times to be in AI. And some leaders are not just watching the shift. They are building it. Excited to share, I sat down with Jeetu Patel, President and Chief Product Officer at Cisco, for a conversation I have been wanting to do for a long time. Cisco is right in the middle of AI, networking, security, and data, and this interview felt like a front row seat to how the next decade is being shaped.In this episode of The Ravit Show, we spoke about:- The key AI trends Jeetu is seeing right now and how he explains Cisco's AI vision- What being at the intersection of networking, security, and data allows Cisco to do with AI that most pure AI companies cannot- How AI adoption in Asia Pacific, Japan, Greater China, and India looks different from North America and Europe- Why India is so important to Cisco, both as a market and as a serious talent hub- The early career moments that still shape how he leads today- The one piece of career advice he wishes someone had given him at 25, for everyone starting out in India and across APJCFor me, this was part AI roadmap, part masterclass in leadership at global scale. You can feel how seriously he takes this moment and the responsibility that comes with it.If you care about AI, infrastructure, or building your career in this space, this is one you will want to watch.#data #ai #cisco #CiscoLiveAPJC #Sponsored #CiscoPartner #TheRavitShow

This week on ASUG Talks, SAP Cloud ALM takes center stage. I am joined by two guests offering different perspectives about the solution. Bryce Lightner, Enterprise Solutions and Operations Architect at Woodstream Corporation, discussed his experience using the solution, while Sören Ruder, Chief Product Officer (CPO) and Head of Customer Experience & Solutions (CXS) at SAP, joined the podcast to articulate the value of SAP Cloud ALM and where it fits into the portoflio. Key InsightsHow SAP Cloud ALM helped Woodstream optimize its project management capabilitiesThe impact SAP Cloud ALM can have on enterprises as they undertake business transformationsHow SAP Cloud ALM can also help organizations with their AI journeysRelated Insights Read ASUG editorial's interview with Irfan Khan, President and Chief Product Officer of SAP Data & Analytics, about SAP Business Data Cloud

What better way to end the season than with our IBM Z Day special—featuring Tina Tarquinio, Chief Product Officer for IBM Z & LinuxONE, and Rebecca Levesque, Founder & CRO at 21CS. From AI + infrastructure to security, sustainability, and mentorship, Tina and Rebecca share smart, lively insights to help you go from New to Z to trusted SME—plus a few great stories along the way.

PORTLAND, OR – In a move to reshape how physicians connect with job opportunities, healthcare recruitment startup Beginly Health announced on Monday its acquisition of ProviderJobs.com. The deal includes the integration of ProviderJobs' video-first recruitment technology and the appointment of its founder, Brian Forrester, as Beginly's new Chief Product Officer. https://hrtechfeed.com/physician-job-discovery-app-acquired/ Other headlines https://hrtechfeed.com/hr-tech-bytes-5/ HR Tech execs on the move https://hrtechfeed.com/hr-tech-execs-on-the-move-13/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How Theta Lake is Redefining AI Governance for Enterprise Collaboration PlatformsWhat does it really take to balance cutting-edge AI with the hard rules of compliance? In this exclusive interview, Rob Scott from UC Today sits down with Dan Nadir, Chief Product Officer at Theta Lake, to explore how AI is transforming enterprise communications—and why compliance can no longer be an afterthought.Dan shares his unique journey from cognitive science graduate to CPO, diving deep into the evolution of AI governance and the real-world challenges facing regulated industries. With Theta Lake recognized as a Visionary in Gartner's Magic Quadrant, this isn't just a story about product innovation—it's a masterclass in how to enable AI safely and responsibly.Whether you're trying to launch Copilot, Zoom AI Companion, or simply ensure your whiteboards, chat, and UC tools are compliant, this conversation is packed with hard-won insights from the frontlines of product development.

SEASON 2 - EPISODE 171 - LEDs - with Jeffrey Lee, Ph.D. In this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast, we return to the world of LEDs. After speaking with Tim S. Kang (Season 2, Episode 165), we realized we had even more questions! To answer them, we invited Jeffrey Lee, Ph.D. who works at Fiilex Lighting as its Chief Product Officer to speak with us. We learn how Jeff's background in biology and physics and interest in the physical properties of light led him to work at Fiilex, and he shares what the company is doing to address the bottlenecks inhibiting further innovation in LED fixture design. Our questions run the gamut (again) on LED lighting technology, and Jeff teaches us how colour is really emitted from the fixtures. We also discuss how filmmakers and engineers deal with the spikes in a given fixture's colour spectrum, and we brainstorm future possibilities of the lights' designs. Plus, we learn the best tool to use to light worms, and we accidentally develop a new task for Jeff's intern. - This episode is sponsored by Aputure

In this episode, Brian Berkowitz, Chief Product Officer at Lyric, discusses how AI, data, and trusted intelligence zones can reduce administrative friction, strengthen collaboration between payers and providers, and build a more transparent and efficient payment integrity ecosystem.This episode is sponsored by Lyric.ai.

In this episode, Prerna Singh, CPTO at Avaaz, walks us through how AI is reshaping the way we prototype, learn and build digital products. Rather than replacing teams or skipping straight to production, she argues that AI shines when used as a “thought partner” to accelerate early‑stage experimentation. Through her own journey building a community platform on weekends, she demonstrates how tools like ChatGPT, Lovable (and later Claude / Replet) and Figma AI enabled her to move from blank page to clickable prototype in hours — while retaining the human insight, iteration and context that underpin good product work. The conversation reframes common assumptions about “fast‑AI = bypass human work,” and instead proposes a balanced adoption path: start in “sandbox mode,” learn and play — before graduating to “architect mode” where the real value to business begins.Chapters00:00 – Introduction & AI's impact on product cycles01:43 – Meet Prerna Singh: her background in product and community building03:50 – The community problem: logistics over connection05:11 – Turning to AI to solve her own problem06:50 – What AI can't do: user insight and human judgment08:08 – From waterfall to short-cycle prototyping10:54 – Using ChatGPT as a Socratic thought partner13:07 – Working solo vs team: where AI fits17:17 – From prompt to prototype: using Lovable19:06 – Iterating with Figma AI and other tools23:00 – Real feedback from real users25:02 – Creating a feedback knowledge base with AI26:16 – AI vs design sprints: same principles, new toolsOur HostsLily Smith enjoys working as a consultant product manager with early-stage and growing startups and as a mentor to other product managers. She's currently Chief Product Officer at BBC Maestro, and has spent 13 years in the tech industry working with startups in the SaaS and mobile space. She's worked on a diverse range of products – leading the product teams through discovery, prototyping, testing and delivery. Lily also founded ProductTank Bristol and runs ProductCamp in Bristol and Bath. Randy Silver is a Leadership & Product Coach and Consultant. He gets teams unstuck, helping you to supercharge your results. Randy's held interim CPO and Leadership roles at scale-ups and SMEs, advised start-ups, and been Head of Product at HSBC and Sainsbury's. He participated in Silicon Valley Product Group's Coaching the Coaches forum, and speaks frequently at conferences and events. You can join one of communities he runs for CPOs (CPO Circles), Product Managers (Product In the {A}ether) and Product Coaches. He's the author of What Do We Do Now? A Product Manager's Guide to Strategy in the Time of COVID-19. A recovering music journalist and editor, Randy also launched Amazon's music stores in the US & UK.

Speakers: ● Todd Eury – CEO, The Pharmacy Podcast Network (Moderator/Host) ● Calvin Hunsicker – Co-Founder & Chief Product Officer, SureCost (Product Vision & Innovation Lens) ● Amy Cruse, Vice President, Pharmacy, AmPharm ● Marsha K. Millonig, MBA, BPharm – President & CEO, Catalyst Enterprises  –Pharmacy Industry Perspective

"If you don't go on the journey, you risk being left behind. The key is to try, learn, and apply AI in a way that creates real value." - Fang Chang, EVP and Chief Product Officer at SAP AI isn't just another feature on your tech checklist. It's changing the way procurement teams deliver impact… but only for those bold enough to rethink from the ground up.  In this podcast episode, host Philip Ideson speaks with Fang Chang, EVP and Chief Product Officer at SAP, who shares what it looks like to rebuild an established platform like Ariba on a true AI foundation. Fang's team didn't just layer new tech onto old workflows; they tore everything down and rebuilt with AI at the core.  If you've ever asked whether your team should wait for the "next" wave of AI innovation or start learning by doing, this conversation is a must-listen. Fang walks through technical choices, balancing agility with reliability, and what an AI-powered procurement experience now enables for the business. In this episode, Fang discusses: Why simply layering AI onto legacy tools leaves value on the table How to decide where AI creates business outcomes… and where it doesn't What real agility looks like in a fast-evolving AI landscape How contextual "insights to action" bring value at every step The new balance of human oversight with AI-driven workflows Links: Fang Chang on LinkedIn Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube  

Today's marketing environment is shaped by a vast and fragmented array of channels and platforms that are all competing for attention and budget. This complexity has made media buying more challenging, requiring marketers to carefully navigate a crowded space while balancing reach and effectiveness. The real difficulty doesn't just come from choosing the right platforms - it's ensuring that every decision supports overarching strategic objectives, from boosting immediate conversions to building lasting brand loyalty. Artificial Intelligence is becoming a game-changer in this space, providing innovative tools to simplify decision-making and enhance campaign performance. It might only be a two letter acronym, but A.I. is profoundly transforming everything that we do and how we do it. In this new episode of MediaTalks, we spoke to David Dworin, Chief Product Officer at FreeWheel, to discuss his views on the impact of AI in our industry and the opportunities it can bring.

Every few years, the world of product management goes through a phase shift. When I started at Microsoft in the early 2000s, we shipped Office in boxes. Product cycles were long, engineering was expensive, and user research moved at the speed of snail mail. Fast forward a decade and the cloud era reset the speed at which we build, measure, and learn. Then mobile reshaped everything we thought we knew about attention, engagement, and distribution.Now we are standing at the edge of another shift. Not a small shift, but a tectonic one. Artificial intelligence is rewriting the rules of product creation, product discovery, product expectations, and product careers.To help make sense of this moment, I hosted a panel of world class product leaders on the Fireside PM podcast:• Rami Abu-Zahra, Amazon product leader across Kindle, Books, and Prime Video• Todd Beaupre, Product Director at YouTube leading Home and Recommendations• Joe Corkery, CEO and cofounder of Jaide Health • Tom Leung (me), Partner at Palo Alto Foundry• Lauren Nagel, VP Product at Mezmo• David Nydegger, Chief Product Officer at OvivaThese are leaders running massive consumer platforms, high stakes health tech, and fast moving developer tools. The conversation was rich, honest, and filled with specific examples. This post summarizes the discussion, adds my own reflections, and offers a practical guide for early and mid career PMs who want to stay relevant in a world where AI is redefining what great product management looks like.Table of Contents* What AI Cannot Do and Why PM Judgment Still Matters* The New AI Literacy: What PMs Must Know by 2026* Why Building AI Products Speeds Up Some Cycles and Slows Down Others* Whether the PM, Eng, UX Trifecta Still Stands* The Biggest Risks AI Introduces Into Product Development* Actionable Advice for Early and Mid Career PMs* My Takeaways and What Really Matters Going Forward* Closing Thoughts and Coaching Practice1. What AI Cannot Do and Why PM Judgment Still MattersWe opened the panel with a foundational question. As AI becomes more capable every quarter, what is left for humans to do. Where do PMs still add irreplaceable value. It is the question every PM secretly wonders.Todd put it simply: “At the end of the day, you have to make some judgment calls. We are not going to turn that over anytime soon.”This theme came up again and again. AI is phenomenal at synthesizing, drafting, exploring, and narrowing. But it does not have conviction. It does not have lived experience. It does not feel user pain. It does not carry responsibility.Joe from Jaide Health captured it perfectly when he said: “AI cannot feel the pain your users have. It can help meet their goals, but it will not get you that deep understanding.”There is still no replacement for sitting with a frustrated healthcare customer who cannot get their clinical data into your system, or a creator on YouTube who feels the algorithm is punishing their art, or a devops engineer staring at an RCA output that feels 20 percent off.Every PM knows this feeling: the moment when all signals point one way, but your gut tells you the data is incomplete or misleading. This is the craft that AI does not have.Why judgment becomes even more important in an AI worldDavid, who runs product at a regulated health company, said something incredibly important: “Knowing what great looks like becomes more essential, not less. The PM's that thrive in AI are the ones with great product sense.”This is counterintuitive for many. But when the operational work becomes automated, the differentiation shifts toward taste, intuition, sequencing, and prioritization.Lauren asked the million dollar question. “How are we going to train junior PMs if AI is doing the legwork. Who teaches them how to think.”This is a profound point. If AI closes the gap between junior and senior PMs in execution tasks, the difference will emerge almost entirely in judgment. Knowing how to probe user problems. Knowing when a feature is good enough. Knowing which tradeoffs matter. Knowing which flaw is fatal and which is cosmetic.AI is incredible at writing a PRD. AI is terrible at knowing whether the PRD is any good.Which means the future PM becomes more strategic, more intuitive, more customer obsessed, and more willing to make thoughtful bets under uncertainty.2. The New AI Literacy: What PMs Must Know by 2026I asked the panel what AI literacy actually means for PMs. Not the hype. Not the buzzwords. The real work.Instead of giving gimmicky answers, the discussion converged on a clear set of skills that PMs must master.Skill 1: Understanding context engineeringDavid laid this out clearly: “Knowing what LMS are good at and what they are not good at, and knowing how to give them the right context, has become a foundational PM skill.”Most PMs think prompt engineering is about clever phrasing. In reality, the future is about context engineering. Feeding models the right data. Choosing the right constraints. Deciding what to ignore. Curating inputs that shape outputs in reliable ways.Context engineering is to AI product development what Figma was to collaborative design. If you cannot do it, you are not going to be effective.Skill 2: Evals, evals, evalsRami said something that resonated with the entire panel: “Last year was all about prompts. This year is all about evals.”He is right.• How do you build a golden dataset.• How do you evaluate accuracy.• How do you detect drift.• How do you measure hallucination rates.• How do you combine UX evals with model evals.• How do you decide what good looks like.• How do you define safe versus unsafe boundaries.AI evaluation is now a core PM responsibility. Not exclusively. But PMs must understand what engineers are testing for, what failure modes exist, and how to design test sets that reflect the real world.Lauren said her PMs write evals side by side with engineering. That is where the world is going.Skill 3: Knowing when to trust AI output and when to override itTodd noted: “It is one thing to get an answer that sounds good. It is another thing to know if it is actually good.”This is the heart of the role. AI can produce strategic recommendations that look polished, structured, and wise. But the real question is whether they are grounded in reality, aligned with your constraints, and consistent with your product vision.A PM without the ability to tell real insight from confident nonsense will be replaced by someone who can.Skill 4: Understanding the physics of model changesThis one surprised many people, but it was a recurring point.Rami noted: “When you upgrade a model, the outputs can be totally different. The evals start failing. The experience shifts.”PMs must understand:• Models get deprecated• Models drift• Model updates can break well tuned prompts• API pricing has real COGS implications• Latency varies• Context windows vary• Some tasks need agents, some need RAG, some need a small finetuned modelThis is product work now. The PM of 2026 must know these constraints as well as a PM of the cloud era understood database limits or API rate limits.Skill 5: How to construct AI powered prototypes in hours, not weeksIt now takes one afternoon to build something meaningful. Zero code required. Prompt, test, refine. Whether you use Replit, Cursor, Vercel, or sandboxed agents, the speed is shocking.But this makes taste and problem selection even more important. The future PM must be able to quickly validate whether a concept is worth building beyond the demo stage.3. Why Building AI Products Speeds Up Some Cycles and Slows Down OthersThis part of the conversation was fascinating because people expected AI to accelerate everything. The panel had a very different view.Fast: Prototyping and concept validationLauren described how her teams can build working versions of an AI powered Root Cause Analysis feature in days, test it with customers, and get directional feedback immediately.“You can think bigger because the cost of trying things is much lower,” she said.For founders, early PMs, and anyone validating hypotheses, this is liberating. You can test ten ideas in a week. That used to take a quarter.Slow: Productionizing AI featuresThe surprising part is that shipping the V1 of an AI feature is slower than most expect.Joe noted: “You can get prototypes instantly. But turning that into a real product that works reliably is still hard.”Why. Because:• You need evals.• You need monitoring.• You need guardrails.• You need safety reviews.• You need deterministic parts of the workflow.• You need to manage COGS.• You need to design fallbacks.• You need to handle unpredictable inputs.• You need to think about hallucination risk.• You need new UI surfaces for non deterministic outputs.Lauren said bluntly: “Vibe coding is fast. Moving that vibe code to production is still a four month process.”This should be printed on a poster in every AI startup office.Very Slow: Iterating on AI powered featuresAnother counterintuitive point. Many teams ship a great V1 but struggle to improve it significantly afterward.David said their nutrition AI feature launched well but: “We struggled really hard to make it better. Each iteration was easy to try but difficult to improve in a meaningful way.”Why is iteration so difficult.Because model improvements may not translate directly into UX improvements. Users need consistency. Drift creates churn. Small changes in context or prompts can cause large changes in behavior.Teams are learning a hard truth: AI powered features do not behave like typical deterministic product flows. They require new iteration muscles that most orgs do not yet have.4. The PM, Eng, UX Trifecta in the AI EraI asked whether the classic PM, Eng, UX triad is still the right model. The audience was expecting disagreement. The panel was surprisingly aligned.The trifecta is not going anywhereRami put it simply: “We still need experts in all three domains to raise the bar.”Joe added: “AI makes it possible for PMs to do more technical work. But it does not replace engineering. Same for design.”AI blurs the edges of the roles, but it does not collapse them. In fact, each role becomes more valuable because the work becomes more abstract.• PMs focus on judgment, sequencing, evaluation, and customer centric problem framing• Engineers focus on agents, systems, architecture, guardrails, latency, and reliability• Designers focus on dynamic UX, non deterministic UX patterns, and new affordances for AI outputsWhat does changeAI makes the PM-Eng relationship more intense. The backbone of AI features is a combination of model orchestration, evaluation, prompting, and context curation. PMs must be tighter than ever with engineering to design these systems.David noted that his teams focus more on individual talents. Some PMs are great at context engineering. Some designers excel at polishing AI generated layouts. Some engineers are brilliant at prompt chaining. AI reveals strengths quickly.The trifecta remains. The skill distribution within it evolves.5. The Biggest Risks AI Introduces Into Product DevelopmentWhen we asked what scares PMs most about AI, the conversation became blunt and honest. Risk 1: Loss of user trustLauren warned: “If people keep shipping low quality AI features, user trust in AI erodes. And then your good AI product suffers from the skepticism.”This is very real. Many early AI features across industries are low quality, gimmicky, or unreliable. Users quickly learn to distrust these experiences.Which means PMs must resist the pressure to ship before the feature is ready.Risk 2: Skill atrophyTodd shared a story that hit home for many PMs. “Junior folks just want to plug in the prompt and take whatever the AI gives them. That is a recipe for having no job later.”PMs who outsource their thinking to AI will lose their judgment. Judgment cannot be regained easily.This is the silent career killer.Risk 3: Safety hazards in sensitive domainsDavid was direct: “If we have one unsafe output, we have to shut the feature off. We cannot afford even small mistakes.”In healthcare, finance, education, and legal industries, the tolerance for error is near zero. AI must be monitored relentlessly. Human in the loop systems are mandatory. The cycles are slower but the stakes are higher.Risk 4: The high bar for AI compared to humansJoe said something I have thought about for years: “AI is held to a much higher standard than human decision making. Humans make mistakes constantly, but we forgive them. AI makes one mistake and it is unacceptable.”This slows adoption in certain industries and creates unrealistic expectations.Risk 5: Model deprecation and instabilityRami described a real problem AI PMs face: “Models get deprecated faster than they get replaced. The next model is not always GA. Outputs change. Prompts break.”This creates product instability that PMs must anticipate and design around.Risk 6: Differentiation becomes hardI shared this perspective because I see so many early stage startups struggle with it.If your whole product is a wrapper around an LLM, competitors will copy you in a week. The real differentiation will not come from using AI. It will come from how deeply you understand the customer, how you integrate AI with proprietary data, and how you create durable workflows.6. Actionable Advice for Early and Mid Career PMsThis was one of my favorite parts of the panel because the advice was humble, practical, and immediately useful.A. Develop deep user empathy. This will become your biggest differentiator.Lauren said it clearly: “Maintain your empathy. Understand the pain your user really has.”AI makes execution cheap. It makes insight valuable.If you can articulate user pain precisely.If you can differentiate surface friction from underlying need.If you can see around corners.If you can prototype solutions and test them in hours.If you can connect dots between what AI can do and what users need.You will thrive.Tactical steps:• Sit in on customer support calls every week.• Watch 10 user sessions for every feature you own.• Talk to customers until patterns emerge.• Ask “why” five times in every conversation.• Maintain a user pain log and update it constantly.B. Become great at context engineeringThis will matter as much as SQL mattered ten years ago.Action steps:• Practice writing prompts with structured context blocks.• Build a library of prompts that work for your product.• Study how adding, removing, or reordering context changes output.• Learn RAG patterns.• Learn when structured data beats embeddings.• Learn when smaller local models outperform big ones.C. Learn eval frameworksThis is non negotiable.You need to know:• Precision vs recall tradeoffs• How to build golden datasets• How to design scenario based evals for UX• How to test for hallucination• How to monitor drift• How to set quality thresholds• How to build dashboards that reflect real world input distributionsYou do not need to write the code.You do need to define the eval strategy.D. Strengthen your product senseYou cannot outsource product taste.Todd said it best: “Imagine asking AI to generate 20 percent growth for you. It will not tell you what great looks like.”To strengthen your product sense:• Review the best products weekly.• Take screenshots of great UX patterns.• Map user flows from apps you admire.• Break products down into primitives.• Ask yourself why a product decision works.• Predict what great would look like before you design it.The PMs who thrive will be the ones who can recognize magic when they see it.E. Stay curiousRami's closing advice was simple and perfect: “Stay curious. Keep learning. It never gets old.”AI changes monthly. The PM who is excited by new ideas will outperform the PM who clings to old patterns.Practical habits:• Read one AI research paper summary each week.• Follow evaluation and model updates from major vendors.• Build at least one small AI prototype a month.• Join AI PM communities.• Teach juniors what you learn. Nothing accelerates mastery faster.F. Embrace velocity and side projectsTodd said that some of his biggest career breakthroughs came from solving problems on the side.This is more true now than ever.If you have an idea, you can build an MVP over a weekend. If it solves a real problem, someone will notice.G. Stay close to engineeringNot because you need to code, but because AI features require tighter PM engineering collaboration.Learn enough to be dangerous:• How embeddings work• How vector stores behave• What latency tradeoffs exist• How agents chain tasks• How model versioning works• How context limits shape UX• Why some prompts blow up API costsIf you can speak this language, you will earn trust and accelerate cycles.H. Understand the business deeplyJoe's advice was timeless: “Know who pays you and how much they pay. Solve real problems and know the business model.”PMs who understand unit economics, COGS, pricing, and funnel dynamics will stand out.7. Tom's Takeaways and What Really Matters Going ForwardI ended the recording by sharing what I personally believe after moderating this discussion and working closely with a variety of AI teams over the past 2 years.Judgment becomes the most valuable PM skillAs AI gets better at analysis, synthesis, and execution, your value shifts to:• Choosing the right problem• Sequencing decisions• Making 55 45 calls• Understanding user pain• Making tradeoffs• Deciding when good is good enough• Defining success• Communicating vision• Influencing the orgAgents can write specs.LLMs can produce strategies.But only humans can choose the right one and commit.Learning speed becomes a competitive advantageI said this on the panel and I believe it more every month.Because of AI, you now have:• Infinite coaches• Infinite mentors• Infinite experts• Infinite documentation• Infinite learning loopsA PM who learns slowly will not survive the next decade. Curiosity, empathy, and velocity will separate great from goodMany panelists said versions of this. The common pattern was:• Understand users deeply• Combine multiple tools creatively• Move quickly• Learn constantlyThe future rewards generalists with taste, speed, and emotional intelligence.Differentiation requires going beyond wrapper appsThis is one of my biggest concerns for early stage founders. If your entire product is a wrapper around a model, you are vulnerable.Durable value will come from:• Proprietary data• Proprietary workflows• Deep domain insight• Organizational trust• Distribution advantage• Safety and reliability• Integration with existing systemsAI is a component, not a moat.8. Closing ThoughtsHosting this panel made me more optimistic about the future of product management. Not because AI will not change the job. It already has. But because the fundamental craft remains alive.Product management has always been about understanding people, making decisions with incomplete information, telling compelling stories, and guiding teams through ambiguity and being right often.AI accelerates the craft. It amplifies the best PMs and exposes the weak ones. It rewards curiosity, empathy, velocity, and judgment.If you want tailored support on your PM career, leadership journey, or executive path, I offer 1 on 1 career, executive, and product coaching at tomleungcoaching.com.OK team. Let's ship greatness. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit firesidepm.substack.com

Welcome to Industry Spotlight—a focused series hosted by Sam D'Arc, highlighting standout dealerships and innovative companies, and exploring the trends driving success in today's automotive market. Today, Sam sits down with Jeremy Nowling, Sales and Digital Retailing Director at Rohrman Auto Group, and Matt Muilenburg, Chief Product Officer of Impel. This episode is brought to you by Impel: Impel - Meet the AI Operating System built for a new era of automotive retailing. From CRM to service bay, from website to DMS, it unifies and orchestrates every part of your dealership operations—and your customer lifecycle. Visit @ http://impel.ai and and discover how Impel AI turns routine interactions into VIP experiences. Check out Car Dealership Guy's stuff: For dealers: CDG Circles ➤ ⁠https://cdgcircles.com/⁠ Industry job board ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://jobs.dealershipguy.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Dealership recruiting ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://www.cdgrecruiting.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Fix your dealership's social media ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://www.trynomad.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Request to be a podcast guest ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://www.cdgguest.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ For industry vendors: Advertise with Car Dealership Guy ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://www.cdgpartner.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Industry job board ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://jobs.dealershipguy.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Request to be a podcast guest ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://www.cdgguest.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Topics: 00:45 What do customers expect from dealerships now? 02:01 How is AI changing modern dealerships? 04:32 How did dealerships operate before AI? 05:53 How to implement AI for leads? 07:30 How to customize AI for engagement? 11:14 Why must dealers engage with AI? 14:24 How to train staff on AI? 20:28 What is AI's future in dealerships? 31:56 Final advice for AI adoption? Car Dealership Guy Socials: X ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠x.com/GuyDealership⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/cardealershipguy/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tiktok.com/@guydealership⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/company/cardealershipguy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Threads ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠threads.net/@cardealershipguy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077402857683⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Everything else ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠dealershipguy.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

In this episode, we dive into technical advancements in the healthcare supply chain. Our guest, Archie Mayani, Chief Product Officer at GHX, breaks down the smart ways to introduce AI and move a healthcare supply chain forward in smart and effective way. For more information, subscribe to ⁠Running on Ice the newsletter⁠ or podcast. ⁠Follow the Running on Ice Podcast⁠ ⁠Other FreightWaves Shows⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of The Product Experience, host Randy Silver speaks with Teresa Huang — Head of Product for Enablement at global health‑insurer Bupa — about the often‑overlooked world of platform product management. They explore why building internal platforms is fundamentally different and often more challenging than building user‑facing products, how to measure the value of platform work, and practical strategies for gaining stakeholder alignment, driving platform adoption and demonstrating business impact.Chapters0:00 – Why “efficiency” alone no longer cuts it — measuring platform impact in business terms1:02 – Teresa's background: from business analyst to head of product in health insurance6:20 – What we mean by “platform product management” — internal tools vs marketplace vs public‑API platforms7:44 – Why you need to “hop two steps”: address developer needs and end-customer value10:24 – Types of platforms: internal APIs, marketplace ecosystems, public‑facing platforms (e.g. like Shopify)10:55 – Reframing platform work: building business cases instead of chasing “efficiency” metrics13:16 – Linking platform initiatives to core business goals and joint OKRs15:47 – The importance of visualisation — using prototypes and role‑plays to communicate platform value20:57 – Internal showcases: keeping stakeholders engaged with real‑world scenarios23:28 – Success metrics for platforms: adoption, usage, reliability, ecosystem growth26:00 – Retiring legacy services: deciding when low-use tools should be decommissioned28:55 – From cost centre to enabler: shifting the narrative to show value creationOur HostsLily Smith enjoys working as a consultant product manager with early-stage and growing startups and as a mentor to other product managers. She's currently Chief Product Officer at BBC Maestro, and has spent 13 years in the tech industry working with startups in the SaaS and mobile space. She's worked on a diverse range of products – leading the product teams through discovery, prototyping, testing and delivery. Lily also founded ProductTank Bristol and runs ProductCamp in Bristol and Bath. Randy Silver is a Leadership & Product Coach and Consultant. He gets teams unstuck, helping you to supercharge your results. Randy's held interim CPO and Leadership roles at scale-ups and SMEs, advised start-ups, and been Head of Product at HSBC and Sainsbury's. He participated in Silicon Valley Product Group's Coaching the Coaches forum, and speaks frequently at conferences and events. You can join one of communities he runs for CPOs (CPO Circles), Product Managers (Product In the {A}ether) and Product Coaches. He's the author of What Do We Do Now? A Product Manager's Guide to Strategy in the Time of COVID-19. A recovering music journalist and editor, Randy also launched Amazon's music stores in the US & UK.

Chelsea Howe is the Chief Product Officer at Sunblink, the studio behind the hit cozy life sim Hello Kitty Island Adventure. With deep experience in licensed games, live ops, & design leadership, she brings a sharp, systems-driven lens to how teams build, scale, & innovate.Listen as Chelsea shares how Sunlink is exploring AI in game development, what works & what absolutely falls apart, why game jams are secret engines of team learning, & how emerging trends from China may reshape the future of game design.LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chelseahowe/Sunblink: https://www.sunblink.com/

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Joel Montvelisky, co-founder and Chief Product Officer of PractiTest.Joel shares his unlikely journey from Costa Rica to the world of software testing. He talks about becoming a Cowboys fan in the 1970s, stumbling into QA because it paid slightly better than bartending, and eventually discovering that testing was far more than bug hunting—it was about improving products, reducing risk, and helping teams release with confidence. He reflects on the evolution of QA from the dot-com era to modern Agile and DevOps practices, the absence of formal QA education, and how conferences and early industry leaders helped him realize that testing is, in fact, a real profession with deep methodology and purpose.Joel also shares the origin story of PractiTest, born from a gap he saw between enterprise tools like Quality Center and teams struggling to manage testing with spreadsheets. He explains how the company's very first customer found them before they even had a way to accept payments, how founder-led sales carried them for years, and why meaningful testing requires both intention and mindfulness—something he practices personally to stay focused as someone diagnosed with ADHD later in life. Hear how Joel Montvelisky turned unexpected beginnings into a career shaping the future of QA in this episode of The First Customer!Guest Info:PractiTesthttps://www.practitest.com/Joel Montvelisky's LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/joelm3/Connect with Jay on LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jayaigner/The First Customer Youtube Channelhttps://www.youtube.com/@thefirstcustomerpodcastThe First Customer podcast websitehttps://www.firstcustomerpodcast.comFollow The First Customer on LinkedInhttp://www.linkedin.com/company/the-first-customer-podcast/

In this episode of Builders Wanted, we're joined by Sumeet Arora, Chief Product Officer at Teradata. Sumeet shares his insights on the importance of speed and innovation in the fields of data analytics and AI, emphasizing how Teradata delivers impactful business results by transforming complex data challenges into actionable solutions. The discussion dives into product leadership principles, the balance between speed and reliability, and the evolving landscape of analytics.-------------------Key Takeaways:Building strong systems and focusing on velocity enables organizations to innovate quickly without sacrificing quality.Trustworthy, well-modeled data and clear, measurable outcomes are essential for successful AI and analytics.The best product improvements come from listening to customers, obsessing over their problems, and being willing to rethink or remove features.-------------------“ I think it's equally important for people in my role to not just build a great product, but also build it fast. It has to be fast and excellent, both. And doing things faster in this era means that you have to also treat velocity as a product itself.  It's almost like setting up the right system and then great things come out.” – Sumeet Arora-------------------Episode Timestamps:‍*(02:06) - Defining the mission of a builder ‍*(03:12) - Velocity as a product ‍*(07:51) - The shift to invisible, frictionless analytics ‍*(23:04) - Lessons from product failures ‍*(34:28) - Quick hits-------------------Links:Connect with Sumeet on LinkedInConnect with Kailey on LinkedInLearn more about Caspian Studios-------------------SponsorBuilders Wanted is brought to you by Twilio – the Customer Engagement Platform that helps builders turn real-time data into meaningful customer experiences. More than 320,000 businesses trust Twilio to transform signals into connections—and connections into revenue. Ready to build what's next? Learn more at twilio.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode of The Product Experience, host Randy Silver speaks with Teresa Huang — Head of Product for Enablement at global health‑insurer Bupa — about the often‑overlooked world of platform product management. They explore why building internal platforms is fundamentally different and often more challenging than building user‑facing products, how to measure the value of platform work, and practical strategies for gaining stakeholder alignment, driving platform adoption and demonstrating business impact. Chapters0:00 – Why “efficiency” alone no longer cuts it — measuring platform impact in business terms1:02 – Teresa's background: from business analyst to head of product in health insurance6:20 – What we mean by “platform product management” — internal tools vs marketplace vs public‑API platforms7:44 – Why you need to “hop two steps”: address developer needs and end-customer value10:24 – Types of platforms: internal APIs, marketplace ecosystems, public‑facing platforms (e.g. like Shopify)10:55 – Reframing platform work: building business cases instead of chasing “efficiency” metrics13:16 – Linking platform initiatives to core business goals and joint OKRs15:47 – The importance of visualisation — using prototypes and role‑plays to communicate platform value20:57 – Internal showcases: keeping stakeholders engaged with real‑world scenarios23:28 – Success metrics for platforms: adoption, usage, reliability, ecosystem growth26:00 – Retiring legacy services: deciding when low-use tools should be decommissioned28:55 – From cost centre to enabler: shifting the narrative to show value creationOur HostsLily Smith enjoys working as a consultant product manager with early-stage and growing startups and as a mentor to other product managers. She's currently Chief Product Officer at BBC Maestro, and has spent 13 years in the tech industry working with startups in the SaaS and mobile space. She's worked on a diverse range of products – leading the product teams through discovery, prototyping, testing and delivery. Lily also founded ProductTank Bristol and runs ProductCamp in Bristol and Bath. Randy Silver is a Leadership & Product Coach and Consultant. He gets teams unstuck, helping you to supercharge your results. Randy's held interim CPO and Leadership roles at scale-ups and SMEs, advised start-ups, and been Head of Product at HSBC and Sainsbury's. He participated in Silicon Valley Product Group's Coaching the Coaches forum, and speaks frequently at conferences and events. You can join one of communities he runs for CPOs (CPO Circles), Product Managers (Product In the {A}ether) and Product Coaches. He's the author of What Do We Do Now? A Product Manager's Guide to Strategy in the Time of COVID-19. A recovering music journalist and editor, Randy also launched Amazon's music stores in the US & UK.

Hitachi Vantara's Octavian Tanase, Chief Product Officer joins Light Reading's Phil Harvey to discuss how AI is reshaping enterprise infrastructure design and driving the next generation of high-end block storage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of the VideoWeek podcast, Vincent Flood, Editor-in-Chief at VideoWeek, is joined by Vinod Kashyap, Chief Product Officer at Digital Envoy. They discuss the company's new measurement product, LocID, a geolocation identifier for the CTV space. The conversation also covers the following topics: - Progress in the Internet of Things (IoT) space - IP addresses and challenges around volatility - LocID's role in measurement and attribution - The SME opportunity in CTV - The challenge of VPNs for the streaming industry - Digital Envoy's approach to AI

What if your legal stack worked like a true operating system—one place for documents, deadlines, tasks, client messages, and billing—and then used that context to power AI that actually helps? We sit down with Michael Anderson, Chief Product Officer at Filevine (https://www.filevine.com), to explore how “owning” matter operations unlocks real gains in speed, accuracy, and collaboration without sacrificing control.Michael pulls back the curtain on Filevine's “operating intelligence” approach: capture the full lifecycle of a matter inside a single pane of glass, then use context engineering to ground AI in the right facts, timelines, and permissions. We dig into the practical wins of “chat with your matter,” where lawyers ask questions in plain language and get reliable answers drawn from the file itself—everything from quick retrievals to strategy brainstorming, all without bouncing between apps. We also dive deep into a game-changing feature for litigators: live deposition intelligence that streams the transcript to an LLM, flags inconsistencies in real time, tracks stated goals, and suggests follow-up questions. Because it sees the entire case file, it can cross-check testimony against exhibits and prior statements, then deliver a certified transcript and artifacts back into the matter record.Beyond the courtroom, we talk collaboration: client portals, guest access for outside counsel, and matter-centric messaging that reduces email and keeps context intact. The bigger vision is clear. Lawyers want a GPT-like experience across their own work product, not just the open web. The keys are permissioning that respects ethical walls and human-centered design that elevates expert judgment. When the legal OS becomes the intelligence layer, teams can move faster, make better decisions, and spend more time at the top of their license.If you're ready to see how context-rich, permissioned AI can transform your practice—from depositions to daily workflows—hit play. And if you enjoy the show, subscribe, share it with a colleague, and leave a quick review to help others find us.

If you think automation is just for tech giants, think again. In this episode, Fern sits down with Irem Metin, Chief Product Officer at Goose, to talk about how smart systems and AI are transforming dog daycare and boarding businesses. From streamlining operations to personalizing customer experiences, they explore how tools that used to be out of reach are now leveling the playing field for smaller pet care businesses—and making life way easier in the process.You'll hear real examples of how automation is being used to handle tasks like email marketing, report cards, client communication, and even labor planning—all while freeing up your team to focus on what actually matters: taking care of dogs and people. If you've ever felt overwhelmed by the daily grind or worried about keeping up with tech-savvy competitors, this episode might just change the way you think about running your business.

The journey to building a million-dollar company is often seen as a mix of a great idea, smart people, and a bit of luck. Anand Jain, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer of CleverTap, joins Jonathan Yip, Head of Innovation Banking, Asia, HSBC to offer a deeper insight. Their discussion delves into the complexities of entrepreneurship, the pivotal moments in CleverTap's journey, and the broader implications for startups in the region.This episode was recorded in Mumbai during the launch of HSBC Innovation Banking in India on October 7, 2025.Disclaimer: Views of external guest speakers do not represent those of HSBC.

Live from InfoSec World 2025, this episode of Enterprise Security Weekly features six in-depth conversations with leading voices in cybersecurity, exploring the tools, strategies, and leadership approaches driving the future of enterprise defense. From configuration management and AI-generated threats to emerging frameworks and national standards, this special edition captures the most influential conversations from this year's conference. In this episode: -You Don't Need a Hacker When You Have Misconfigurations — Rob Allen, Chief Product Officer at ThreatLocker®, discusses how overlooked settings and weak controls continue to be one of the most common causes of breaches. He explains how Defense Against Configurations (DAC) helps organizations identify, map, and remediate configuration risks before attackers can exploit them. -Security Challenges for Mid-Sized Companies — Perry Schumacher, Chief Strategy Officer & Partner at Ridge IT Cyber, explores the evolving security challenges facing mid-sized organizations. He discusses how AI is becoming a competitive advantage, how mobility and third-party reliance complicate defenses, and what steps these organizations can take to improve resilience and efficiency. -The Rise of Security Control Management: Secure by Design, Not by Chance — Marene Allison, former CISO of Johnson & Johnson, introduces Security Control Management (SCM), a new software category that unifies control selection, mapping, validation, and enforcement. She explains how SCM transforms fragmented compliance programs into proactive, embedded defense. -Engineered for Protection: The Rise of Security Control Management — Ryan Heritage, Advisor at Sicura, continues the discussion on SCM, explaining how organizations can operationalize this approach to move from reactive reporting to proactive, data-driven defense. He highlights how automation and integration enable security decisions to be made at “the speed of relevance.” -The AI Threat: Protecting Your Email from AI-Generated Attacks — Patricia Titus, Field CISO at Abnormal Security, explores how cybercriminals are weaponizing generative AI to create sophisticated phishing and social engineering attacks. She shares practical strategies for defending against AI-generated threats and emphasizes why AI-based protections are now essential for modern enterprises. -Igniting Change: A Conversation with Dr. Ron Ross — Dr. Ron Ross, CEO at RONROSSECURE, LLC, shares insights from decades of pioneering work in cybersecurity, including the Risk Management Framework and Systems Security Engineering Guidelines. He discusses how leaders can apply these principles to strengthen resilience, foster innovation, and drive meaningful change across the cybersecurity landscape.   Segment Resources ThreatLocker® Defense Against Configurations (DAC): https://www.threatlocker.com/platform/defense-against-configurations Book a demo to see DAC in action. Visit https://securityweekly.com/threatlockerisw to learn more! This segment is sponsored by Ridge IT Cyber. Visit https://securityweekly.com/ridgeisw to learn more about them! Visit https://www.securityweekly.com/esw for all the latest episodes! Show Notes: https://securityweekly.com/esw-435

Today we're talking about the rise of independent hype watches. Until very recently, as we've discussed on this podcast, independent watchmaking was something of a backwater of the watch industry or at best the realm of the cognoscenti. But in recent years, creations from the likes of MB&F, Simon Brette, Rexhep Rexhepi and today's guest Sylvain Berneron have become objects of desire, cutthroat demand and even speculation. How did it get this way? What are the drivers? And what role do the brands and watchmakers themselves play in the economy of hype? Our guest is Sylvain Berneron, a French-born industrial and fine-arts trained designer who, after early roles in automotive design at BMW, moved into the watch world — spending five years at Breitling (ultimately as Chief Product Officer) and earlier working for the Richemont Group on brands such as IWC and Jaeger‑LeCoultre. In 2022 Sylvain founded his independent brand Berneron (based in Neuchâtel, Switzerland) and launched the Mirage collection, noted for its all-gold movement, shaped asymmetric case. And this summer, he unveiled his second collection, the Quantième Annuel. Both collections are highly limited – variants are produced in just 24 units each annually. Hosted by Asher Rapkin and Gabe Reilly, co-founders of Collective Horology, Openwork goes inside the watch industry. You can find us online at collectivehorology.com. To get in touch with suggestions, feedback or questions, email podcast@collectivehorology.com.

Live from InfoSec World 2025, this episode of Enterprise Security Weekly features six in-depth conversations with leading voices in cybersecurity, exploring the tools, strategies, and leadership approaches driving the future of enterprise defense. From configuration management and AI-generated threats to emerging frameworks and national standards, this special edition captures the most influential conversations from this year's conference. In this episode: -You Don't Need a Hacker When You Have Misconfigurations — Rob Allen, Chief Product Officer at ThreatLocker®, discusses how overlooked settings and weak controls continue to be one of the most common causes of breaches. He explains how Defense Against Configurations (DAC) helps organizations identify, map, and remediate configuration risks before attackers can exploit them. -Security Challenges for Mid-Sized Companies — Perry Schumacher, Chief Strategy Officer & Partner at Ridge IT Cyber, explores the evolving security challenges facing mid-sized organizations. He discusses how AI is becoming a competitive advantage, how mobility and third-party reliance complicate defenses, and what steps these organizations can take to improve resilience and efficiency. -The Rise of Security Control Management: Secure by Design, Not by Chance — Marene Allison, former CISO of Johnson & Johnson, introduces Security Control Management (SCM), a new software category that unifies control selection, mapping, validation, and enforcement. She explains how SCM transforms fragmented compliance programs into proactive, embedded defense. -Engineered for Protection: The Rise of Security Control Management — Ryan Heritage, Advisor at Sicura, continues the discussion on SCM, explaining how organizations can operationalize this approach to move from reactive reporting to proactive, data-driven defense. He highlights how automation and integration enable security decisions to be made at "the speed of relevance." -The AI Threat: Protecting Your Email from AI-Generated Attacks — Patricia Titus, Field CISO at Abnormal Security, explores how cybercriminals are weaponizing generative AI to create sophisticated phishing and social engineering attacks. She shares practical strategies for defending against AI-generated threats and emphasizes why AI-based protections are now essential for modern enterprises. -Igniting Change: A Conversation with Dr. Ron Ross — Dr. Ron Ross, CEO at RONROSSECURE, LLC, shares insights from decades of pioneering work in cybersecurity, including the Risk Management Framework and Systems Security Engineering Guidelines. He discusses how leaders can apply these principles to strengthen resilience, foster innovation, and drive meaningful change across the cybersecurity landscape. Segment Resources ThreatLocker® Defense Against Configurations (DAC): https://www.threatlocker.com/platform/defense-against-configurations Book a demo to see DAC in action. Visit https://securityweekly.com/threatlockerisw to learn more! This segment is sponsored by Ridge IT Cyber. Visit https://securityweekly.com/ridgeisw to learn more about them! Visit https://www.securityweekly.com/esw for all the latest episodes! Show Notes: https://securityweekly.com/esw-435

In this special Cloud Wars report, Bob Evans sits down with Michael Ameling, President and Chief Product Officer of SAP Business Technology Platform, for a deep dive into how SAP is helping customers navigate the fast-moving AI Era. Ameling and Evans discuss how SAP's Business Data Cloud, partnerships with Snowflake and Databricks, HANA Cloud innovations, and new AI-powered tools and agents are helping SAP evolve from an applications powerhouse into a data-and-AI-driven business platform for the next generation.SAP's AI Data FutureThe Big Themes:SAP HANA Cloud Becomes an AI-Optimized Database: SAP HANA Cloud is evolving into “the database AI was looking for." As a multi-model system supporting spatial, graph, vector, and document storage, HANA Cloud enables AI workloads to run more efficiently and contextually. Recent additions, like vector engines and Knowledge Graph capabilities, give customers powerful tools for retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), contextual reasoning, and advanced analytics.Developers Are 'The AI Revolution': Developers aren't observing the AI Revolution, they are the revolution. With modern AI tools, developers can innovate faster, solve bigger problems, and directly influence business outcomes. SAP is investing heavily in meeting developers where they are by enhancing IDEs, building business-aware development tools, and providing context-rich assets such as APIs, business objects, and process insights. AI acts as a teammate, not a replacement.SAP: An Applications and a Data Company: SAP must be both an applications and a data company. Customer value emerges when applications, data, and AI converge seamlessly. SAP's decades of industry expertise give it unparalleled business context, which becomes even more powerful when embedded into AI agents and data platforms. With more than 34,000 SAP HANA Cloud customers and rapidly expanding AI adoption, SAP is positioning itself as the platform where business process knowledge meets modern AI capability.The Big Quote: " . . what we need to understand that AI is our teammate. It's like asking your best friend who has a lot of knowledge, but you can ask multiple friends at the same time. Not everything is always right, but you can ask questions, you can continuously improve. If we understand that pattern, we understand that AI helps us to solve much bigger problems as a developer, and then, of course, having much more impact on real business."More from Michael Ameling and SAP:Connect with Michael Ameling on LinkedIn, or get more insights from SAP TechEd.  Visit Cloud Wars for more.

Live from InfoSec World 2025, this episode of Enterprise Security Weekly features six in-depth conversations with leading voices in cybersecurity, exploring the tools, strategies, and leadership approaches driving the future of enterprise defense. From configuration management and AI-generated threats to emerging frameworks and national standards, this special edition captures the most influential conversations from this year's conference. In this episode: -You Don't Need a Hacker When You Have Misconfigurations — Rob Allen, Chief Product Officer at ThreatLocker®, discusses how overlooked settings and weak controls continue to be one of the most common causes of breaches. He explains how Defense Against Configurations (DAC) helps organizations identify, map, and remediate configuration risks before attackers can exploit them. -Security Challenges for Mid-Sized Companies — Perry Schumacher, Chief Strategy Officer & Partner at Ridge IT Cyber, explores the evolving security challenges facing mid-sized organizations. He discusses how AI is becoming a competitive advantage, how mobility and third-party reliance complicate defenses, and what steps these organizations can take to improve resilience and efficiency. -The Rise of Security Control Management: Secure by Design, Not by Chance — Marene Allison, former CISO of Johnson & Johnson, introduces Security Control Management (SCM), a new software category that unifies control selection, mapping, validation, and enforcement. She explains how SCM transforms fragmented compliance programs into proactive, embedded defense. -Engineered for Protection: The Rise of Security Control Management — Ryan Heritage, Advisor at Sicura, continues the discussion on SCM, explaining how organizations can operationalize this approach to move from reactive reporting to proactive, data-driven defense. He highlights how automation and integration enable security decisions to be made at "the speed of relevance." -The AI Threat: Protecting Your Email from AI-Generated Attacks — Patricia Titus, Field CISO at Abnormal Security, explores how cybercriminals are weaponizing generative AI to create sophisticated phishing and social engineering attacks. She shares practical strategies for defending against AI-generated threats and emphasizes why AI-based protections are now essential for modern enterprises. -Igniting Change: A Conversation with Dr. Ron Ross — Dr. Ron Ross, CEO at RONROSSECURE, LLC, shares insights from decades of pioneering work in cybersecurity, including the Risk Management Framework and Systems Security Engineering Guidelines. He discusses how leaders can apply these principles to strengthen resilience, foster innovation, and drive meaningful change across the cybersecurity landscape.   Segment Resources ThreatLocker® Defense Against Configurations (DAC): https://www.threatlocker.com/platform/defense-against-configurations Book a demo to see DAC in action. Visit https://securityweekly.com/threatlockerisw to learn more! This segment is sponsored by Ridge IT Cyber. Visit https://securityweekly.com/ridgeisw to learn more about them! Show Notes: https://securityweekly.com/esw-435

Live from InfoSec World 2025, this episode of Enterprise Security Weekly features six in-depth conversations with leading voices in cybersecurity, exploring the tools, strategies, and leadership approaches driving the future of enterprise defense. From configuration management and AI-generated threats to emerging frameworks and national standards, this special edition captures the most influential conversations from this year's conference. In this episode: -You Don't Need a Hacker When You Have Misconfigurations — Rob Allen, Chief Product Officer at ThreatLocker®, discusses how overlooked settings and weak controls continue to be one of the most common causes of breaches. He explains how Defense Against Configurations (DAC) helps organizations identify, map, and remediate configuration risks before attackers can exploit them. -Security Challenges for Mid-Sized Companies — Perry Schumacher, Chief Strategy Officer & Partner at Ridge IT Cyber, explores the evolving security challenges facing mid-sized organizations. He discusses how AI is becoming a competitive advantage, how mobility and third-party reliance complicate defenses, and what steps these organizations can take to improve resilience and efficiency. -The Rise of Security Control Management: Secure by Design, Not by Chance — Marene Allison, former CISO of Johnson & Johnson, introduces Security Control Management (SCM), a new software category that unifies control selection, mapping, validation, and enforcement. She explains how SCM transforms fragmented compliance programs into proactive, embedded defense. -Engineered for Protection: The Rise of Security Control Management — Ryan Heritage, Advisor at Sicura, continues the discussion on SCM, explaining how organizations can operationalize this approach to move from reactive reporting to proactive, data-driven defense. He highlights how automation and integration enable security decisions to be made at "the speed of relevance." -The AI Threat: Protecting Your Email from AI-Generated Attacks — Patricia Titus, Field CISO at Abnormal Security, explores how cybercriminals are weaponizing generative AI to create sophisticated phishing and social engineering attacks. She shares practical strategies for defending against AI-generated threats and emphasizes why AI-based protections are now essential for modern enterprises. -Igniting Change: A Conversation with Dr. Ron Ross — Dr. Ron Ross, CEO at RONROSSECURE, LLC, shares insights from decades of pioneering work in cybersecurity, including the Risk Management Framework and Systems Security Engineering Guidelines. He discusses how leaders can apply these principles to strengthen resilience, foster innovation, and drive meaningful change across the cybersecurity landscape.   Segment Resources ThreatLocker® Defense Against Configurations (DAC): https://www.threatlocker.com/platform/defense-against-configurations Book a demo to see DAC in action. Visit https://securityweekly.com/threatlockerisw to learn more! This segment is sponsored by Ridge IT Cyber. Visit https://securityweekly.com/ridgeisw to learn more about them! Show Notes: https://securityweekly.com/esw-435

With so many AI tools flying around, it feels overwhelming for any creative team to choose the ones that will make a difference. This is why last week, we decided to have a conversation with Charles Migos, Chief Product Officer, Founder of Intangible.ai, Design Leaders faculty member and one of the most exciting voices in design today. He is a design executive who has spent 30 years building tools for creatives, working alongside the industry's brightest minds like Steve Jobs and in companies like Apple, Microsoft, and Unity.What we got is a powerful conversation with Charles about how designers play an important role in the age of AI, from problem-solving and aligning teams to improving collaboration. Timecodes:00:00 Introduction to design and AI with Charles Moberly (ex Apple, Microsoft, Unity)03:04 How the AI shift compares to the internet, Photoshop, and touchscreens06:12 The fundamentals of design that stay the same in the AI era08:23 How to choose AI tools for designers without feeling overwhelmed14:07 How to test and adopt AI tools in a design team16:36 Why creativity still works best as a team sport19:49 What design leaders should focus on in the AI era25:51 Balancing design and engineering cultures at scale32:20 Building Intangible AI and rethinking generative 3D workflows38:46 Copyright, IP, and ethical risks in generative AI45:08 Trust, privacy, and data choices when using AI tools45:26 A realistic look at the future of AI for creatives46:42 How designers can actively shape the future with AI50:19 New opportunities for designers using AI tools well54:09 Practical Figma Make tips for faster high fidelity prototyping01:02:04 Gender bias in AI and what design leaders can do01:22:22 Empathy and pragmatism as core design leadership skills54:09 Practical Figma Make tips Prototyping faster in high fidelity01:02:04 Gender bias in AI How design leaders respond01:22:22 Empathy and pragmatism in design leadership

Day 2 of F3: Future of Freight Festival brings the energy, the insights, and the triple-threat lineup. Host Malcolm Harris goes live from downtown Chattanooga to dive into the evolving world of freight tech, AI, payments, and innovation—straight from the leaders building the future. Guest #1 — Garrett Wolfe, EVP of Market Strategy, TriumphGarrett breaks down Triumph's purpose-built, verified freight transaction network, how their data and payments ecosystem powers trust, fraud prevention, and smarter decision-making, and why AI is a tool—not a buzzword—to be deployed when it improves customer outcomes.Guest #2 - Daniel Lucas, VP of Innovation & Business Strategy, UFSDaniel brings a decade-plus of logistics and tech experience to talk about AI as a freight copilot—and why companies must standardize their processes before plugging AI into their workflow. Guest #3 — Danielle Villegas, Chief Product Officer, PCSPCS flips the script by putting midsize carriers first. Danielle shares how their embedded AI engine, Cortex, is driving efficiency, accuracy, and profitability—plus, her team wins Best in Show live on the air. ⁠Watch on YouTube⁠ ⁠Visit our sponsor⁠ ⁠Subscribe to the WTT newsletter⁠ ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠ ⁠Spotify⁠ ⁠More FreightWaves Podcasts⁠ #WHATTHETRUCK #FreightNews #supplychain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Day 2 of F3: Future of Freight Festival brings the energy, the insights, and the triple-threat lineup. Host Malcolm Harris goes live from downtown Chattanooga to dive into the evolving world of freight tech, AI, payments, and innovation—straight from the leaders building the future. Guest #1 — Garrett Wolfe, EVP of Market Strategy, TriumphGarrett breaks down Triumph's purpose-built, verified freight transaction network, how their data and payments ecosystem powers trust, fraud prevention, and smarter decision-making, and why AI is a tool—not a buzzword—to be deployed when it improves customer outcomes.Guest #2 - Daniel Lucas, VP of Innovation & Business Strategy, UFSDaniel brings a decade-plus of logistics and tech experience to talk about AI as a freight copilot—and why companies must standardize their processes before plugging AI into their workflow. Guest #3 — Danielle Villegas, Chief Product Officer, PCSPCS flips the script by putting midsize carriers first. Danielle shares how their embedded AI engine, Cortex, is driving efficiency, accuracy, and profitability—plus, her team wins Best in Show live on the air. Watch on YouTube Visit our sponsor Subscribe to the WTT newsletter Apple Podcasts Spotify More FreightWaves Podcasts #WHATTHETRUCK #FreightNews #supplychain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Charu Roy, Chief Product Officer at Enlil, shares her extensive journey in the software industry, which began in the late 1980s and evolved into her leadership role in medtech. Charu discusses her role at Enlil, where she oversees the development of an AI-powered platform to enhance medical device lifecycle management. She emphasizes the importance of understanding customer needs, fostering team potential, and ensuring cybersecurity in medtech software solutions. With profound insights on her career growth, leadership style, and the technological advancements propelling the industry forward, Charu's story is an inspiring tale of innovation and dedication to improving lives.  Guest links: https://enlil.com/ |  https://www.linkedin.com/company/enlil-inc/ Charity supported: ASPCA Interested in being a guest on the show or have feedback to share? Email us at theleadingdifference@velentium.com.  PRODUCTION CREDITS Host & Editor: Lindsey Dinneen Producer: Velentium Medical   EPISODE TRANSCRIPT Episode 069 - Charu Roy [00:00:00] Lindsey Dinneen: Hi, I'm Lindsey and I'm talking with MedTech industry leaders on how they change lives for a better world. [00:00:09] Diane Bouis: The inventions and technologies are fascinating and so are the people who work with them. [00:00:15] Frank Jaskulke: There was a period of time where I realized, fundamentally, my job was to go hang out with really smart people that are saving lives and then do work that would help them save more lives. [00:00:28] Diane Bouis: I got into the business to save lives and it is incredibly motivating to work with people who are in that same business, saving or improving lives. [00:00:38] Duane Mancini: What better industry than where I get to wake up every day and just save people's lives. [00:00:42] Lindsey Dinneen: These are extraordinary people doing extraordinary work, and this is The Leading Difference. Hello and welcome back to another episode of The Leading Difference podcast. I'm your host Lindsey, and today I'm absolutely delighted to introduce you to Charu Roy. Charu is the Chief Product Officer at Enlil, where she leads product strategy, vision, and execution for the company's AI powered medtech development platform. With over two decades of experience building and scaling enterprise software products, Charu brings deep industry expertise in product management, user-centered design, and go to market leadership. Before Enlil, she held senior product roles at industry leaders, including Epicor, Oracle, I-2 Technologies slash Aspect Development, HP and Agile Software, where she drove software innovation across enterprise cloud SaaS and data driven solutions. Known for her ability to align customer needs with business strategy, she is passionate about delivering products that transform complex industries and enable measurable impact. Well, welcome, Charu, to the conversation today. I'm so excited to be speaking with you. [00:01:54] Charu Roy: Thank you so much for having me. I'm very really excited about being here on this podcast. [00:02:00] Lindsey Dinneen: Oh, awesome. Yeah. Well, I would love, if you wouldn't mind starting off by sharing a little bit about yourself, your background, and what led you to medtech. [00:02:10] Charu Roy: Sure. As every other sort of person who gets into the software world, I came in a while back in 1987 to 89, where I did Master's in Computer Science at University of Louisiana. That was my first introduction to America, really. And computer science brought me to the Bay Area where I worked at HP, Hewlett Packard. In those days, it was called Scientific Instruments Division in Palo Alto. And there I programmed robotic hands to, to sort of move that, the vial from samples, drug samples from athletes so that they could get tested for drugs. So, I didn't know the importance of all this. It was my first job. I enjoyed myself seven years, you know, software programming, really, and understood how a large company works. And then slowly I started getting a little bored. So I went on to my next startup and was involved in the same kind of principles that drive things today. So I just sort of built my way up. In terms of the software, I joined different groups, ran consulting services, ran engineering, and sort of worked myself up through the ranks and into sort of more decision making capabilities, and you know, continued to join companies and learn new things and leave them for some better opportunities. So I moved from Hewlett Packard to a startup that was called Aspect Development, which got sold to I-2 Technologies for $9.3 billion in those days. So, you know, I went through that acquisition, trying to understand the market, what kind of software triggers buying, you know-- so sort of just the software aspects of how to sell software, how to develop software, how to deploy it. So in general, I was learning all of the ropes until I came to Agile PLM, which is a company which, very popular company which made it very sort of easy to deploy software, especially software called Product Lifecycle Management. So I was -- here, I was in and out of companies, learning and understanding the world of software until I fell into med device companies being my customers. So med device being our customers meant, you know, a lot more strictness, a lot more process, with the software itself. So here I was trying to now go through those kind of features, trying to understand what med device needed when they were building products. So, from Agile, I went to Conformia. Again, it was the same, it was regulatory product for wine, spirits and pharma --very adjacent to med device. But again, it was the same thing about how to be provide, how to provide a traceable platform where our customers can trace there, the make of the wine or make of the spirit, or make of a pharma drug or make off of med device. All the principles underlying it are the same because it's a regulated product at the end of the day, but so that's how I kind of fell into it, and I enjoyed every bit of that until I got acquired by Oracle. And so I continued at Oracle doing the same thing over and over again; rebuilt the same products again at Oracle in the clouds, and I was managing the old Agile products. So it's an interesting journey where I was, you know, started off as a software programmer. And I didn't know anything about, you know, the use cases until the time I sort of joined Oracle and understood my customers better. And that's how I came in there. And of course I was at Epicor and finally I made my way to Enlil, which is a very small company, and I'm doing the same thing again. It's just with a different set of customers, very small to medium sized companies. So that's how my career sort of spanned 30 years. [00:06:11] Lindsey Dinneen: Wow. Oh my goodness. Well, there is so much to dive into all of that. Thank you for sharing. It's so cool to hear about all of the winding paths that lead us to maybe, you know, where we're meant to be in, in any given season. And yeah, I just love learning about it. So, okay. So I'm curious, you know, way back when did you like growing up, did you always have an interest in computers and computer science? Is this something you knew you wanted to get into? [00:06:40] Charu Roy: Not at all, actually it was a suggestion, and in those days, parents kind of suggested that you be a engineer or a doctor or a chartered accountant. The choices were very limited. And so my father said, "you will do computer science." And I said, "okay." And there I was and there was no, no sort of emotional attachment to any of those professions. And, I liked it well enough to continue, and I found it was easy enough to understand the principles and work at it. So yeah, there was no-- you know, in these days I think kids are training themselves like by seven or eight to program. And I'm seeing, you know, machine language I mean AI, ML, LLMs being taught to seven year olds and sort of trying to shape them, but in those days it was just some very simple choices, I guess. So, yeah, not a very romantic story. I was never programming younger in my younger days, but I think you know, compared to all the choices youngsters have these days, but just fell into it. [00:07:44] Lindsey Dinneen: Sure. Oh, how fun. You know, even though, yes, it was somewhat prescribed for you, at least originally, and I'm so glad that you fell in love and it ended up being a happy place for you because... [00:07:57] Charu Roy: Yeah, and I think I fell in love with the customer, how customers reacted to the software. I didn't fall in love with the software delivery process or anything else, but it was just the way customers said, "oh, I like that. It's gonna make it easier for me to do something. I'm having a tough time tracking it on paper. I just hate it what I'm doing right now, and your software will help." So I think that's a part that makes me feel really pleased that okay it's going into some good hands and it's going to be used. [00:08:30] Lindsey Dinneen: Yes, by people who really appreciate and value what you can contribute, what maybe comes --at this point, I guess-- naturally to you. And so it's, you're able to translate somebody's ideas or dreams into a really tangible solution. [00:08:48] Charu Roy: Yeah. And in fact, somebody's pain points, like they're really sort of, trying their best to use little resources they might have, wasting a lot of time on either tracking something on paper or in emails. And I think those are the kind of pain points that I really like to understand and say, "Hey, will the software help really help your day to day life? Will it make it easier to find things?" I think that's where I find my sort of biggest thrill of when a customer says, "Yes, you shaved off three hours of my time by giving me this efficient system." [00:09:26] Lindsey Dinneen: Nice. Yeah. Oh my goodness. Yes , and the products that you're making are indeed life impacting and make a difference. And that is rewarding because you know that the work you --do all work is important, but it's really fun when you get to know personally the impact that you get to have. [00:09:45] Charu Roy: Right, right. [00:09:46] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. Yeah. So, okay, so I'm, I'd love to dive in a little bit more to your current company and role and learn about that, and how you're helping, you're still helping people you know, win through this. [00:10:00] Charu Roy: So, yes, absolutely. Enlil is part of Shifamed, the portfolio. Shifamed invests in med device devices typically, so ophthalmology devices or cardio devices. Enlil came about as an enterprise software company within the portfolio because they realized that they needed some software to throw all their data into, right? So they had early designs, prototype data. They might have had some user requirements, what kind of standards they might have to follow. So all those were floating about, again, in emails and paper. Enlil came in saying that we can store this data more successfully, more cleanly in a structured fashion so that our users can find that data. And this becomes really important as the med device company moves on and tries to apply for regulatory approval at that time, they need all that history and the data behind the device. And they wanna be able to find it easily and present it to auditors. So, Enlil's a structured way of describing all the data that the customer has and being able to find it easily and then run their audits using the data. So it's a very crucial part of their lifecycle, their product lifecycle. And so it's really important for us to be secure, reliable, available, 24/7. All of that applies to us and basically defines how they go about driving their product lifecycle. [00:11:34] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. Well, and you know, one thing that stood out to me when you were talking about that was of course the security aspect. And as we all know, we're, we're probably much more so than in the past, hyper aware of the critical need for cybersecurity and the role it plays specifically in medical device technology. And I'm curious if you could speak a little bit more to that particular element. [00:11:55] Charu Roy: Yeah, we have a lot of layers of security, you know, right from the folks who are accessing the software. The software is hosted in a well-known, reputable cloud service environment. So apart from them providing us cybersecurity and access control and everything else, we have another set of layers on top of that. So our users are vetted and they all have a password. People can be invited and not just sort of show up. So, there's a lot of control of what they can see and can do. Every button sort of, you know, has a role behind it or a layer of control. So not everyone can do everything and press any and all buttons. So, security is at many levels. And we also have a lot of audit trails, e-signatures, and so on. So everything is done to protect the data, and audits are run regularly by them and by us to make sure that nobody who's supposed to be, you know, people who are not supposed to see the data, don't see the data. [00:13:01] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. Excellent. Yeah, I know that's just something that is, should be at least, on the forefront, especially of startups' minds as they're thinking about this and working towards having a really secure device. So it sounds like you've built in all of that safeguarding really well and really intentionally. So, so, okay, so I know that -- well, there's a few things that really stood out to me on your LinkedIn profile, and I'm just curious if we could dive into a couple things. One was, I love how you said that you're "passionate about teams and people delivering to their full potential," and I was wondering if you could speak a little bit more to that. [00:13:42] Charu Roy: Yeah, so, you know, along the years I've noticed that people in my team, the team members, they're there, they're working hard, but I do like to understand what's making them tick, what might they be wanting to do, which they haven't got gotten to do yet. Can we unlock some potential, some skill, some talent? And I think that comes about by sort of just talking about it , trying to give them openings about, "Hey, look, I've got this cool project or this cool feature. Any thoughts on that?" Just to understand, are they happy doing what they're doing, or is there something more they could do? And so I think that human touch, you know, is -- it was given to me, or at least it was taught to me by some mentors along the way. And I think that's a part that I really like to explore and see how can teams do better, not just in a numbers, not just turnaround features and releases on time, but are they happy doing it? Did they contribute something meaningful along the way? Did they feel they grew in the process? Did they feel they were recognized for some new responsibilities that they may not have stepped up for in some other companies? So that's a feeling I'm trying to always give them and sort of hoping that we contribute to their growth, not just the company and the bottom line. [00:15:02] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah, that's critical and key,, and really speaks to who you are as a leader. And I'm actually very curious, you know, you mentioned earlier having kind of worked your way up at HP and then, you know, that may be opening some doors for you for of course, your future opportunities, and I'm curious, what has your own leadership journey looked like? Has, does leadership come naturally to you? Have you spent a lot of, you know, time and resources, whatever, developing those skill sets or how did that work for you? [00:15:29] Charu Roy: I think I was thrown into the deep end of the pool several times, you know, like, so I kicked into the pool, so to learn to swim. So similarly I was made to take on responsibility pretty much the very beginning. So I kind of knew that there were certain things expected that I should be doing, can be doing and then this introspection saying that, did I give the right amount of energy to that particular responsibility and did I do well? So just a lot of introspection and being able to understand, did I do well as a leader? But I've been honing it, honing skills. I mean, nothing out of an MBA school, nothing out of, you know, college that helped me. I think it was just about pure interest in psychology, pure interest in humans, you know, just being able to connect and how did I make them feel? How did they make me feel in those interactions? And is that, was that good? Was there something we could do to incorporate more people to get that feeling of ownership or anything? So it wasn't a, you know, by rote or something that I learned in a school. It was more of just sort of. Being thrown into situations where I had to come out of it somewhat gracefully and some somewhat feeling like I had also learned along the way. [00:16:46] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. Yeah, that, that's wonderful and incredible. And I think, you know, you mentioned learning along the way, and one thing also that stood out to me was, the recommendations on your profiles are so lovely for you. And two things stood out: they, one thing was somebody mentioned you're always learning, which is a gift in and of itself. And then the other thing was you're always letting others succeed. And that's such a beautiful gift and I'm wondering if you could talk more about both of those as well. [00:17:16] Charu Roy: Yeah, I think it's not about just me being sort of the boss and being able to tell people what to do, though I think success comes from enabling or encouraging the teams to again contribute without any barriers, any levels, or politics. I love the fact that we are in a small company, and I can say safely that, you know, politics --in larger companies there are politics. People are always trying to sort of be showing that they are very valuable. But in a small startup, it's very quickly apparent that there are certain valuable players there and startups, everybody is valuable, right? So I think being able to encourage the team members to do what they think is best for the problem to solve it. And of course, there are reasons why you can't sometimes accept the solution, but the fact that they're thinking about it and the fact they're able to openly express their opinions and say, "No, you're wrong, Charu." I think this is the way to do it. I love that. I think, somebody disagrees with me in a meeting, I just think that's the best thing that could have happened as a style of management. Because I'm not, you know, insecure in that sense. I don't sulk afterwards. I have had bosses and so on who don't like that kind of, you know, disagreements in public. And I think that's a part where I beg to differ, and I want to have people say what they think, what are they feeling, what are the problems, really the truth, and fix it, really. So I think it's less waste of a time when people are honest, and get to the point, and we are able to solve it together rather than hide behind, you know, facades, I guess. [00:19:01] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah, that's beautiful. And yeah, I've often said for me personally, that, you know, more heads are better than one. I mean, I could have a, an opinion on whatever it is that we're talking about, but really, until we collaborate and start sharing those ideas and those thoughts and opinions , all of a sudden those kinds of sparks happen where, you know, you start with one thing and then it, and then somebody else catches that and they take it even to the next level and it just keeps going. And it's so cool to see the creativity and problem solving and innovation that comes from allowing those conversations. [00:19:36] Charu Roy: Yes, exactly. Creativity and innovation. You've said it so well. That comes with smart people being in the same room, arguing, not agreeing, and then something comes out of that, right? I mean, either your thoughts get clearer because you've seen every side of the coin and you're able to say, "Okay, I know the pros and cons and we can go this way, knowing the full effect of what we are going to do." So I think surrounding myself with smart people who have varied opinions, I think that's a beauty and a blessing really. [00:20:12] Lindsey Dinneen: Yes it is, and you've nailed it with varying opinions. You know, it's easy to get yourself into a situation-- and not necessarily intentionally-- but just it's easy to give into a situation where you've surrounded yourself with people who all kind of have the same opinions on things. And so inviting those conversations to take place that might be difficult, might be challenging, might be frustrating at times, but allowing for that and being open to other points of view and experience. I mean, that's the beauty of a really good collaborative environment is all of those varying opinions that don't necessarily match yours. [00:20:50] Charu Roy: Yes, exactly. Exactly. [00:20:52] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. Yeah. So, okay, so looking back, could 10-year-old you have ever imagined where you'd end up today? [00:21:00] Charu Roy: No, absolutely not. I thought I wanted to be a doctor or something vague. 10-year-old me was climbing trees and eating guavas off the trees in Delhi. So it was really crazy childhood. And you know, it wasn't filled with studies and rules and stuff. So I think coming to this, a country when I was young, being able to absorb everything, the culture, the of course the education itself and being able to sort of grow within the companies that I joined, i, I think that was the journey that I was sort of a pointing more towards rather than the childhood me. The childhood me was horrible, I think. [00:21:46] Lindsey Dinneen: Oh man. Honest reflection right there. That's awesome. Yeah, okay. Are there any moments that really stand out to you, perhaps with your current position or, you know, something in your past where you really thought, "Wow, what I'm doing makes a difference. I am in the right industry, at the right time, in the right place." [00:22:07] Charu Roy: I think it's the technology now that, you know, speaking from a technical viewpoint of shipping software, meaning full software, more easily, the time is now. I feel that the culmination of everything I've learned about pain points and users and customers, all of that's culminating in in the product that I'm managing right now, using new technologies, having the right technologies to choose from and being able to propel that software forward to our users. I feel that, "Wow, what a time to be a product officer really, when we have so many choices and being able to be able to apply that to real world problems and real pain points." I had the same pain points 20 years ago, even 30 years ago, but we couldn't do much. We had to, you know, write painful programs. We had to write database queries and, you know, things like that. It was quite painful, I would say. And then now to see all the tools where we can create things overnight and be able to ship it to customers, just hitting the nail on the head. We had to experiment a lot in the old days but I think the time now is is really special. We are on an sort of an industrial revolution or a computer science revolution here with the AI, MML, the LLMs, being able to do so much with probably less resources than before. So. [00:23:39] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. So seeing the impact of the work and getting to not have it be so painful. [00:23:45] Charu Roy: Yes. It used be very painful and now I'm thinking, I think we're at the right time, right place now with this product. And it's not just about the products. It's the kind of help we are getting as software professionals to help deliver software and support our users. I think that's really special and I, we are still learning, we're still trying to understand all the technologies that are available to us and how can we make our lives easier and our customers feel that we've solved some problems for them. [00:24:14] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah, absolutely. And I think that there's just, it is really wonderful again-- just to, to circle back to this kind of been a running theme of getting to be able to experience for the end user or with the end user, that moment of, "Oh wow, I needed this is so helpful and it's gonna make a difference." [00:24:36] Charu Roy: Yeah. I remember in my past, same sort of software tracking wine being made. And that software was pretty cool. It, it used to track where the wine sat and which barrel for how long. And so the pleasure of talking to wine makers, and being able to show them how the software track the progress of the wine and being able to print out a label at the very end for them, saying that "this wine sat in these bottles or these barrels for a while," and that technology application for a simple, naive user, I thought that was it. That was the, you know, the culmination of all the learnings that I had over the years to be able to explain the software so easily to a end user who might be a distiller or a winemaker or somebody, a farmer. I thought that was pretty cool. And that since then, of course, technology has changed, but I think we're beginning to see the effect on a naive user, which we couldn't do, you know, 30 years ago. [00:25:37] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah, absolutely. Oh my goodness. That is, it is so cool. And I love the work you're doing and just learning all about your history so far and just exciting to see where it's gonna end up too, and as you continue along your career path, but pivoting the conversation a little bit just for fun. Imagine that you were to be offered a million dollars to teach a masterclass on anything you want, could be within your area of expertise, it doesn't have to be. What would you choose to teach? [00:26:06] Charu Roy: I would probably think about teaching psychology of the individual. I don't have a PhD or a even basic courses in psychology, but I just love the fact that, you know, you can apply psychology, figure out how a user might or somebody might react to something that you say, do, think so I, if it was a master class and I'd be teaching you know, teaching more about life interactions, you know, ordinary interactions. How can they be made more meaningful, more fruitful, using psychological tricks or phrases? I don't know all of those things, but I would really think that I could teach that based on, you know, facial expressions, body mannerisms, or body-- what do they call it, sort of, you know, criminal stories. They read your mind based on certain mannerisms of flutter viol. So yes, psychology is a masterclass I would teach, but more applied to daily interactions, maybe work situations and being able to use psychology better to improve your own work relationships with people and even just general interactions. Yeah, so that would be my attempt at being a psychologist and eventually be a criminal psychologist. [00:27:28] Lindsey Dinneen: Yes. Oh my goodness. That would be so interesting. Yeah, I love that idea. And the masterclass sounds fabulous, so I'm signing up whenever you do it. [00:27:37] Charu Roy: Okay, I'll go get my degrees for it then. [00:27:40] Lindsey Dinneen: Right, right, right. Yeah. Ah, details. Awesome. How do you wish to be remembered after you leave this world? [00:27:50] Charu Roy: This is something that I've always felt deeply about. It's not what you say or what you do, it's how you make people feel, that Maya Angelo said that this much nicer than what I'm saying, but and I've had a few people say this to me, saying that, "We worked together 30 years ago, but that day you made me feel good." And I don't even remember what I said, what I did, but the fact that they remember me for what I made them feel. The fact that somebody also told me that they "don't avoid me when I'm walking up to them because, because I make them feel like things are okay, things are good, however bad the problem is." So they say that with other people they would duck and, you know, go away in the opposite direction. But with me they're waiting for me to come up to them. I'd like to continue that, that feeling that somebody feels like, "Hey, you are coming up to them and you just make them feel good in some fashion." Nothing else. I think that feeling, if I could evoke in people, they say, "Oh yeah, she made me feel good that day. I don't know what she said, but she made me feel good." That's enough. [00:29:01] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah, that, yes, that is more than enough. What a beautiful legacy. Yeah, and then final question, what is one thing that makes you smile every time you see or think about it? [00:29:15] Charu Roy: I think my dogs smile. I would say he's got missing teeth and so when he looks at me when I first come, you know, come back home and he is smiling almost, and he is sniffling and, you know, trying to sneeze and smile at the same time. Oh my God, what kind of a character dog this is? So that makes me smile and laugh the whole time, especially the missing teeth. Poor thing. He doesn't understand that his teeth are missing because of me, and yet he's smiling at me, so. [00:29:50] Lindsey Dinneen: That is so sweet and cute. Oh my goodness. I love, I know somebody at one point said, "You know, dogs don't actually smile." I don't believe them. They smile. [00:30:00] Charu Roy: They smile and they choke while they smile because my dog has a small nose, I guess. So he chokes when he smiles, and so he is choking, and he is smiling, and this missing teeth there. I was like, "Oh my God." [00:30:16] Lindsey Dinneen: Oh my goodness. Yes. I mean, that would just I, yes, I can just sort of picture this. I love, love dogs and so I'm just picturing this and I, that would bring me joy every single day, definitely. Excellent. Well, this has been such a wonderful time spent with you today. Thank you for sharing your stories and your journey and your advice, and I really appreciate some of those in particular, your leadership advice, and the impact that you can have as a leader, inviting the collaboration, having conversations that encourage people to have varying opinions and maybe outright disagree with you. I love what you're wanting to, you know, wanting your legacy to be, and so that's how you're intentionally showing up in the world. And so I just wanna thank you so, so very much for being here. We're really grateful to have you. [00:31:10] Charu Roy: Thank you, and thank you so much for your intelligent questions and insightful questions that go above and beyond just you know, a company and it's gold. It's there, there's something so human about your questions-- and I love when I'm like, "Oh my goodness, this is so, so interesting to see in this day and age, somebody taking the time to ask such questions" and I really appreciate you for that. [00:31:36] Lindsey Dinneen: Oh, thank you. Well, I really appreciate that feedback too, because it's, you know, you come up with an idea-- speaking of sometimes echo chambers, you come up with an idea and you think, "Oh, this is how I'd like to go about this, but does it resonate with somebody else?" So that's delightful to hear. [00:31:51] Charu Roy: Fantastic, thank you, thank you for having me. [00:31:54] Lindsey Dinneen: And we're so honored to be making a donation on your behalf as a thank you for your time today to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which is dedicated to preventing animal cruelty in the United States. So thank you for choosing that organization to support Thank you so much, and gosh, I just wish you the most continued success as you work to change lives for a better world. And to all of our listeners for tuning in, I wanna thank you for being here as well. And if you're feeling as inspired as I am right now, I'd love it if you'd share this episode with a colleague or two, and we'll catch you next time. [00:32:31] Charu Roy: Thank you. [00:32:32] Dan Purvis: The Leading Difference is brought to you by Velentium Medical. Velentium Medical is a full service CDMO, serving medtech clients worldwide to securely design, manufacture, and test class two and class three medical devices. Velentium Medical's four units include research and development-- pairing electronic and mechanical design, embedded firmware, mobile app development, and cloud systems with the human factor studies and systems engineering necessary to streamline medical device regulatory approval; contract manufacturing-- building medical products at the prototype, clinical, and commercial levels in the US, as well as in low cost regions in 1345 certified and FDA registered Class VII clean rooms; cybersecurity-- generating the 12 cybersecurity design artifacts required for FDA submission; and automated test systems, assuring that every device produced is exactly the same as the device that was approved. Visit VelentiumMedical.com to explore how we can work together to change lives for a better world.

In this episode of The Product Experience, host Randy Silver sits down with product veteran John Cutler to explore why creating great products remains one of the hardest things organisations do. They dive into why so many companies adopt off‑the‑shelf models (“Spotify”, “SAFe”, etc) and still struggle, and how the secret often lies not in what you build but how you build it—specifically the game you design for how you work.Chapters00:00 — The stigma around “how you work”00:54 — Introducing John Cutler (again)01:25 — What John's building at Dotwork02:46 — From fun to formal: doing discovery at scale04:04 — Why process became a bad word05:10 — The “cavalier PM” mindset06:28 — Empowered teams vs. harsh realities08:00 — What great pockets of practice have in common09:03 — Managing up vs. doing the right thing10:24 — Playing the game vs. designing the game11:20 — What makes a great internal game12:33 — Defining success: thriving, surviving, progressing13:46 — Environmental design: why leaders hesitate15:10 — Making intentional design less intimidating16:42 — Tools, rituals, and the power of checkpoints18:23 — The behaviour design playbook20:41 — Removing blockers: access, repetition, reflectionWe're taking Community Questions for The Product Experience podcast.Got a burning product question for Lily, Randy, or an upcoming guest? Submit it here. Our HostsLily Smith enjoys working as a consultant product manager with early-stage and growing startups and as a mentor to other product managers. She's currently Chief Product Officer at BBC Maestro, and has spent 13 years in the tech industry working with startups in the SaaS and mobile space. She's worked on a diverse range of products – leading the product teams through discovery, prototyping, testing and delivery. Lily also founded ProductTank Bristol and runs ProductCamp in Bristol and Bath. Randy Silver is a Leadership & Product Coach and Consultant. He gets teams unstuck, helping you to supercharge your results. Randy's held interim CPO and Leadership roles at scale-ups and SMEs, advised start-ups, and been Head of Product at HSBC and Sainsbury's. He participated in Silicon Valley Product Group's Coaching the Coaches forum, and speaks frequently at conferences and events. You can join one of communities he runs for CPOs (CPO Circles), Product Managers (Product In the {A}ether) and Product Coaches. He's the author of What Do We Do Now? A...

Industrial Talk is talking to Jay Limburn, Chief Product Officer about "Unleashing the power of data for operational excellence". Scott Mackenzie hosts the Industrial Talk Podcast, featuring industry professionals like Jay Limburn from Atacama, who discusses the importance of data trust and AI initiatives. Atacama's platform helps organizations integrate and enrich data from various sources, providing a unified view and a trust score to ensure data reliability. This is crucial for AI and automation, which are essential for business efficiency and competitive advantage. Upcoming events include Power Gen in January and M D and M West in February. The conversation emphasizes the need for clean data to support AI and automation, which is vital for resilient businesses. Action Items [ ] Reach out to Jay Limburn on LinkedIn to learn more about Atacama's solutions.[ ] Visit the Atacama website at atacama.com to explore their data trust platform. Outline Introduction to Industrial Talk Podcast Scott MacKenzie welcomes industry professionals and stresses the importance of storytelling to inspire the next generation of industrial leaders.Scott highlights the excitement in the industry and the need for advocates to share their stories.Scott introduces Jay Limburn from Atacama, focusing on the importance of data and the role of companies like Atacama in data insights. Announcements and Upcoming Events Scott announces two new podcasts: "Ask Molly" and "The Business Beatitudes.""Ask Molly" features Scott's daughter Molly, who helps him with marketing challenges."The Business Beatitudes" focuses on seven components of success in industry, emphasizing virtues like humility and selflessness.Scott mentions upcoming events: Power Gen in January and M D and M West in February, highlighting the importance of power generation and manufacturing. Introduction of Jay Limburn and Atacama Scott introduces Jay Limburn, Chief Product Officer at Atacama, and discusses the importance of data in the industry.Jay explains Atacama's focus on Data Trust, which involves giving meaning to data to make better decisions.Jay shares his 25-year background in data and AI, emphasizing the importance of data in AI initiatives.Scott and Jay discuss the challenges of data cleanliness and the importance of a solid data foundation for AI success. Challenges of Legacy Systems and Data Integration Scott and Jay discuss the challenges of integrating legacy systems with modern data sources.Jay explains how Atacama connects to various data sources, enriches metadata, and provides data quality and observability.Jay emphasizes the importance of having a unified view of data from different sources to support AI initiatives.Scott and Jay discuss the human aspect of data management and the need for trust in data to drive automation and efficiency. Trust and Quality in Data Jay explains the concept of a trust score, which measures the reliability of data, and how it can be configured based on industry standards.Scott and Jay discuss the importance of trust in data for decision-making and the impact of data quality on business processes.Jay highlights the role of anomaly detection and auto-correction in maintaining data quality.Scott and Jay discuss the importance of trust in data for automation and the competitive advantage it provides. Evolution of Data and Change Management Scott and Jay discuss the dynamic nature of data and the need for continuous data management.Jay explains how Atacama's Data Trust Index helps organizations evolve their...

Welcome to Industry Spotlight—a focused series hosted by Sam D'Arc, highlighting standout dealerships and innovative companies, and exploring the trends driving success in today's automotive market. Today, Sam sits down with Kevin Frye, Marketing Director Jeff Wyler Automotive Family, and Paul Nadjarian, Chief Product Officer at CARFAX. This episode of the Car Dealership Guy Podcast is brought to you by CARFAX. CARFAX - Here's a reality check: CARFAX data shows that 55% of car buyers won't return to the same dealership for service in year one. That's lost revenue walking out your door.  But Carfax Lifetime Dealers don't stop after the sale. They partner with CARFAX to deliver co-branded, VIN-specific service reminders that drive customers back to their service lane. The CARFAX Lifetime program: Give customers the insight they want, earn the loyalty you need. Contact your CARFAX representative today. Learn more at carfax.com/CDG. Check out Car Dealership Guy's stuff: For dealers: CDG Circles ➤ https://cdgcircles.com/ Industry job board ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://jobs.dealershipguy.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Dealership recruiting ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://www.cdgrecruiting.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Fix your dealership's social media ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://www.trynomad.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Request to be a podcast guest ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://www.cdgguest.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ For industry vendors: Advertise with Car Dealership Guy ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://www.cdgpartner.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Industry job board ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://jobs.dealershipguy.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Request to be a podcast guest ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://www.cdgguest.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Topics: 01:27 Why is service retention so critical? 02:34 Biggest customer communication challenge today? 03:10 OEM vs. dealer loyalty: who wins? 05:41 How is Carfax for Life game-changing? 07:52 Using data to boost retention how? 10:42 Future of customer engagement in service? 18:28 Most actionable insight for dealers now? 27:20 AI and data hygiene's role? 35:09 Final advice for improving retention? Car Dealership Guy Socials: X ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠x.com/GuyDealership⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/cardealershipguy/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tiktok.com/@guydealership⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/company/cardealershipguy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Threads ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠threads.net/@cardealershipguy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077402857683⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Everything else ➤ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠dealershipguy.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Limelight is building the infrastructure layer for B2B creator marketing, processing payments and managing campaigns for companies spending six figures monthly on creator partnerships. With $2.1 million in funding from Signal to Noise Ratio, Ascend Ventures, Savion Ventures, and strategic angels including the head of AI at Amazon and the former Chief Product Officer at Lyft, Limelight powers creator programs for Clay, Webflow, ZoomInfo, and Bill.com. In this episode of BUILDERS, we sat down with David Walsh, Founder and CEO of Limelight, to learn how he validated the market by interviewing 100+ creators, why he deliberately chose not to build an agency despite customer demand, and how his platform tracks engagement data at scale to prove ROI for performance-focused buyers. Topics Discussed: The pivot from referral software to B2B creator infrastructure after 100+ creator interviews How creator attitudes shifted from refusing brand partnerships to actively monetizing Clay's playbook: building custom Clay tables for creators before asking them to post Why Limelight chose to power agencies rather than compete with them The data infrastructure required to justify $100K+ monthly creator budgets Tracking organic engagement, converting content to paid ads, and attributing pipeline The split between brand/social buyers and performance/demand gen buyers Launching social listening to challenge legacy social media management platforms GTM Lessons For B2B Founders: Validate with 100+ user interviews before pivoting: David didn't just chat with a handful of potential users—he conducted and recorded over 100 interviews with B2B creators, asking detailed questions about monetization interest, partnership preferences, and content strategies. He then repeated this process with marketing leaders. This level of research rigor before committing to a pivot is rare but critical when entering emerging categories. The depth of qualitative research gave him conviction to make a contrarian bet when most creators were still refusing brand partnerships. Build where network effects are structural, not hoped for: David specifically chose a creator marketplace after a previous marketplace failure because the unit economics included built-in virality. When Limelight pays a creator $10,000, that creator has tens of thousands of followers who see the transaction result (the sponsored content). Every payment notification becomes inbound interest. He understood that in consumer marketplaces you compete on supply quality, but in creator marketplaces the supply actively markets your platform. Founders should identify whether their marketplace has structural network effects in the transaction itself, not just theoretical ones. Target micro-creators with niche audiences over vanity metrics: The counterintuitive insight: creators with 10,000-25,000 followers often outperform those with 100,000+ in B2B because deal sizes are $25K-$50K, not $100 sunglasses. Smaller creators have higher engagement rates, unsaturated audiences, authentic expertise in specific domains, and haven't been "bought and sold for" yet. When brands face the choice between a 100K-follower creator at $2,000 per post with 200 likes versus a 25K-follower creator at $1,000 per post with 300 likes, they irrationally choose the larger following. Founders should educate buyers that in B2B, targeted influence within specific buyer committees matters more than reach. Build data infrastructure to win performance buyers, not just brand buyers: Limelight tracks every piece of content in real-time (not waiting weeks for creator screenshots), monitors all engagement and segments it by ICP fit, provides self-reported attribution from demo forms, tracks website traffic spikes correlated to posting schedules, and generates qualified lead lists from content engagement. This comprehensive data layer is what allows demand gen leaders to reallocate spend from paid channels. The market is splitting 50/50 between brand/social buyers and performance/demand gen buyers—the latter has larger budgets and treats creator spend like paid media that requires attribution. Founders entering new marketing channels should build attribution infrastructure from day one, not as an afterthought. Deliberately choose infrastructure over services even when customers ask for help: Despite customers like Webflow, ZoomInfo, and Bill.com spending $100K+ monthly and requesting more hands-on support, David chose to build product and enable agencies rather than hire account managers and become a service business. His reasoning: people have tried to replace agencies in recruiting for decades and failed because buyers want the human in the middle. The bigger opportunity is being the infrastructure that powers all agencies, not competing with them. This fork-in-the-road decision—hire CSMs and influencer marketing managers versus build more product—defines whether you're building a scalable platform or a services business disguised as SaaS. Use your first customer to custom-build product, then scale it: Clay became Limelight's first customer when the platform was early. David essentially custom-built features for Clay's creator program, learning their workflow for building Clay tables for creators, their onboarding process, and their approach to creative freedom. This deep partnership gave Limelight the product foundation to scale from managing 20 creators to 200+ for Clay within nine months, then apply those learnings to other customers. Rather than building in a vacuum, founders should find a sophisticated first customer willing to co-develop the product, even if it means initially building something custom. // Sponsors: Front Lines — We help B2B tech companies launch, manage, and grow podcasts that drive demand, awareness, and thought leadership. www.FrontLines.io The Global Talent Co. — We help tech startups find, vet, hire, pay, and retain amazing marketing talent that costs 50-70% less than the US & Europe. www.GlobalTalent.co // Don't Miss: New Podcast Series — How I Hire Senior GTM leaders share the tactical hiring frameworks they use to build winning revenue teams. Hosted by Andy Mowat, who scaled 4 unicorns from $10M to $100M+ ARR and launched Whispered to help executives find their next role. Subscribe here:  https://open.spotify.com/show/53yCHlPfLSMFimtv0riPyM

Send me a messageWhat happens to your supply chain when it gets too hot for workers to show up?In this episode I'm joined by Kevin Vranes, Chief Product Officer at Worldly, a platform working with tens of thousands of suppliers to generate real sustainability intelligence across global supply chains. We dig into why climate exposure, labour disruption, tightening disclosure rules, and escalating NGO scrutiny are converging into one of the biggest resilience challenges companies have ever faced, and why the old ways of managing risk simply won't cut it anymore.You'll hear how rising heat stress across manufacturing regions is creating a very real form of operational fragility, with knock-on effects that most leadership teams still underestimate. Kevin explains why the gap between brand-level assumptions and on-the-ground realities is widening, and why primary data from deep-tier suppliers is becoming essential infrastructure rather than a “nice to have”.We break down where AI is genuinely transforming sustainability analysis, including the shift from weeks of spreadsheet work to seconds of machine-driven insight, and where human relationships, incentives, and policy signals still determine whether change actually happens on the factory floor. And you might be surprised to learn why NGOs, not regulators, may become the true enforcers of global climate disclosure.If you care about supply chain resilience, Scope 3, data visibility, or the next wave of sustainability risk, this episode goes right to the heart of what's coming, and what leaders need to prepare for.

Jeetu Patel is President and Chief Product Officer at Cisco. He previously served there as Executive Vice President and General Manager of Security and Collaboration.He joined Cisco in 2020 after serving as Chief Product Officer and Chief Strategy Officer at Box, where he played a key role in expanding the company into a multi-product platform used by more than 100,000 customers. He currently sits on the board of real estate services company JLL (Jones Lang LaSalle) and holds a B.S. in Information Decision Sciences from the University of Illinois.In this conversation, we discuss:How Cisco is becoming an AI-first company and why fully embracing AI is now a requirement, not a choiceHow AI will reshape every job, and which human skills will matter most in the decade aheadThe real constraints slowing enterprise AI adoption: power, trust, and dataThe infrastructure, security, and data gaps limiting AI's potential, and how Cisco is closing themWhy skill gaps are growing, and what workers can do to stay relevant as AI changes the workplaceHow Cisco approaches new markets, strategic focus, and building products people love at global scaleResourcesSubscribe to the AI & The Future of Work NewsletterConnect with Jeetu on LinkedInAI fun fact articleOn How AI helps serve 70 million meals every dayPast guests mentioned on this show:Box´s CTO Ben Kus on Responsible AI Use, Innovation Culture, and Future AI TrendsBox's Global CIO Ravi Malick on Why Every Problem Doesn't Need an AppCisco´s Former CEO on the Future of AI-Driven Work and Investing in PeopleReign

The promise of agentic AI has been massive, autonomous systems that act, reason, and make business decisions, but most enterprises are still struggling to see results.In this episode, host Chris Brandt sits down with Sumeet Arora, Chief Product Officer at Teradata, to unpack why the gap exists between AI hype and actual impact, and what it takes to make AI scale, explainable, and ROI-driven.From the shift toward “AI with ROI” to the new era of human + AI systems and data quality challenges, Sumeet shares how leading enterprises are moving from flashy demos to measurable value and trust in the next phase of AI. CHAPTER MARKERS00:00 The AI Hackathon Era03:10 Hype vs Reality in Agentic AI06:05 Redesigning the Human AI Interface09:15 From Demos to Real Economic Outcomes12:20 Why Scaling AI Still Fails15:05 The Importance of AI Ready Knowledge18:10 Data Quality and the Biggest Bottleneck20:46 Building the Customer 360 Knowledge Layer23:35 Push vs Pull Systems in Modern AI26:15 Rethinking Enterprise Workflows29:20 AI Agents and Outcome Driven Design32:45 Where Agentic AI Works Today36:10 What Enterprises Still Get Wrong39:30 How AI Changes Engineering Priorities55:49 The Future of GPUs and Efficiency Challenges -- This episode of IT Visionaries is brought to you by Meter - the company building better networks. Businesses today are frustrated with outdated providers, rigid pricing, and fragmented tools. Meter changes that with a single integrated solution that covers everything wired, wireless, and even cellular networking. They design the hardware, write the firmware, build the software, and manage it all so your team doesn't have to.That means you get fast, secure, and scalable connectivity without the complexity of juggling multiple providers. Thanks to meter for sponsoring. Go to meter.com/itv to book a demo.---IT Visionaries is made by the team at Mission.org. Learn more about our media studio and network of podcasts at mission.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode of the Cause+Effect Podcast, host Trent Dunham sits down with Dan Sumpter, Chief Product Officer and creative leader at Dunham+Company, to explore the fascinating world of creativity with a purpose.Together, they dive into the challenges and opportunities of leading creative teams, dispelling myths about creativity, and offering practical insights for those who work with or manage creatives. From understanding the emotional and logical balance in creative work to eliminating waste in the creative process, this episode is packed with actionable advice for anyone looking to harness creativity to solve problems and drive impact. Tune in to learn how to align creativity with purpose and create work that truly resonates!

Sanish Mondkar is the Founder and CEO of Legion Technologies, a company specializing in AI-powered workforce management solutions that optimize labor efficiency and enhance hourly employee engagement. Under his leadership, Legion has become a trusted platform for automating scheduling, forecasting, and communication across major industries. Before Legion, Sanish served as Executive Vice President and Chief Product Officer at SAP, and earlier at Ariba. He holds a bachelor's degree in computer engineering from the University of Pune and a master's in computer science from Cornell University. In this episode… In today's fast-paced world of retail, hospitality, and other hourly-based industries, companies are racing to balance efficiency with employee satisfaction. But as technology reshapes how businesses operate, can AI actually make hourly work more engaging, flexible, and fulfilling? Sanish Mondkar, a seasoned technology leader and AI innovator, believes it can. He explains that traditional workforce management systems were built to control labor costs, not empower people — and that's where AI can fundamentally shift the equation. By automating scheduling, predicting demand, and empowering employees with control over their work schedules, companies can reduce attrition while fostering a more motivated workforce. Sanish also points out that real transformation comes when AI is transparent, explainable, and trusted by both managers and frontline workers. In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Weisz sits down with Sanish Mondkar, Founder and CEO of Legion Technologies, to discuss how AI can drive employee engagement and operational excellence. They talk about Legion's AI-powered scheduling innovations, the "trifecta" that reduces attrition, and how automation builds trust between employers and staff. Sanish also shares lessons from scaling Legion with major brands like Dollar General and Philz Coffee.