Podcasts about product leader

On today's episode, we're talking with Jeremy Pollock, VP of Product at WP Engine. In this episode, we discuss: Why speed is the new moat — Jeremy is pushing PMs to use AI, ship code, and move fast, because in the AI era, slow teams fall behind for good How WP Engine is enabling product teams to use AI — through access, training, and best practices that turn weeks of work into hours And, How big, aspirational product goals create momentum — giving teams the motivation to “eat their vegetables” and tackle the foundational work required for long-term success Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dane-molter-6b937231/ Navan: https://navan.com/ Resources (Ethically) cheat your way to $250M+ | Mikal Lewis, Product Exec. (Whole Foods, Nordstrom): https://youtu.be/5txeT2U_YQo Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:06 Dane Molter's Journey From Amex to Grubhub 01:44 The Grubhub Experience: Embracing Imperfection 04:08 The Push for Hypergrowth in Product 05:19 Lessons in Product Risk and Innovation 06:59 The Bigger Picture: Product Beyond Technology 09:30 Focusing on Bravery in Product Innovation 12:12 Applying Product Lessons at Navan 17:50 Enterprise Travel Challenges and AI Solutions 19:53 Business Outcomes and Accountability 20:13 Learning Business Mechanics at Amex 26:15 The Importance of Small Tests in Product Testing 34:27 Navigating AI and Emerging Technologies 37:45 Outro Follow LaunchPod on YouTube We have a new YouTube page (https://www.youtube.com/@LaunchPod.byLogRocket)! Watch full episodes of our interviews with PM leaders and subscribe! What does LogRocket do? LogRocket's Galileo AI watches user sessions for you and surfaces the technical and usability issues holding back your web and mobile apps. Understand where your users are struggling by trying it for free at LogRocket.com (https://logrocket.com/signup/?pdr).

Becoming a parent profoundly changes how you approach product leadership, blending personal and professional challenges in unexpected ways. Anuj Jhunjhunwala, Director of Product at Merge, shares how parenting teaches lessons in influence without authority, clear communication, and time management that directly apply to leading products.Anuj offers candid insights on how managing toddlers parallels managing stakeholders, why career growth feels more like navigating a mountain than climbing a ladder, and the paradoxes that trip up many product managers today. This conversation reveals the surprising overlaps between parenting and product leadership, offering fresh perspectives for anyone balancing both worlds.Resources from this episode:Subscribe to The Product Manager newsletterConnect with Anuj on LinkedInCheck out Merge

Uit onderzoek blijkt dat 16% van de product owners binnen een jaar wil vertrekken, en 28% twijfelt. Verloop is kostbaar. In deze aflevering spreekt Ruud met Sabine en Jochem over wat product leaders kunnen doen om dit te voorkomen. Meer mandaat zorgt voor minder verloop – maar alleen als er ook duidelijke kaders zijn. Je hoort waarom het bespreken van verantwoordelijkheden cruciaal is voor ownership én betrokkenheid. In deze aflevering hebben we het over: mandaat, ownership, verloop, betrokkenheid, duidelijke kaders, verantwoordelijkheden, selectie van PO's, en de rol van de Product Leader. Over deze podcast: In de Product Owner Podcast spreken we elke week met een interessante gast uit de wereld van product management en gaan we in op echte ervaringen, lessen en tactieken van product owners, ondernemers en specialisten. De Product Owner Podcast is een initiatief van productowner.nl

In this episode, Jack Sharry talks with Arnulf Hsu, CEO of GReminders. Arnulf is a serial entrepreneur and has been leading and running B2B enterprise software companies for the last 20+ years as CEO, CTO, Product Leader, and Board Member. He has a strong background in technology and business development, focusing on building successful ventures and growing companies from the ground up. Jack and Arnulf talk about why GReminders is one of the leading scheduling and meeting management platforms for professionals. They discuss how GReminders integrates with existing CRM systems to manage everything from scheduling and reminders to AI-generated meeting summaries and follow-ups. Jack and Arnulf also share the importance of deeply understanding customer needs and how AI can enhance personalization and efficiency in client relationships. In this episode: (00:00) - Intro (00:59) - What GReminders is and how it works (04:57) - The origin story of GReminders (05:59) - Why Arnulf chose to focus on wealth management (09:25) - Feedback from advisors and clients (12:49) - How GReminders compares to Arnulf's past ventures (15:06) - Learning through listening (17:57) - How AI empowers GReminders (19:56) - What's next for GReminders (21:50) - Arnulf's key takeaways (23:34) - Arnulf's interests outside of work Quotes "In this area (wealth management), there were scheduling products that were installed in our customers that, to some degree, they were using, but they weren't very good." ~ Arnulf Hsu "If you have a bunch of data islands everywhere, it's not going to do anybody any good. If you ever want to use AI and analytics on top of this stuff, you better have systems that talk to each other, and data must flow between them." ~ Arnulf Hsu  "Wealth managers aren't IT experts. And so, we believed pretty strongly in a smaller technology stack that has fewer moving parts. It's inherently a better system because you have less complexity." ~ Arnulf Hsu Links  Arnulf Hsu on LinkedIn GReminders Redtail Technology Wealthbox Salesforce Smarsh PreciseFP Zapier Connect with our hosts LifeYield Jack Sharry on LinkedIn Jack Sharry on Twitter Subscribe and stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify LinkedIn Twitter Facebook

What does it take to move from product management into the CEO seat and thrive once you get there? In this episode, we are joined by Marc Rubner, CEO of Building Intelligence, to trace his journey from marketing analyst to B2B product leader at American Express to top executive. Marc shares how product thinking gave him a head start in executive decision-making and prioritization but also where PMs often hit blind spots when transitioning into broader leadership. He dives into how successful go-to-market strategies require true collaboration between product, marketing, and sales – and why alignment, accountability, and repeatable processes are essential for growth. For detailed takeaways, show notes, and more, visit: www.pragmaticinstitute.com/resources/podcasts Pragmatic Institute is the global leader in Product, Data, and Design training and certification programs for working professionals. Learn more at www.pragmaticinstitute.com.

Klarheit ist für uns Produktmenschen ein entscheidender Faktor, um auch in unsicheren Situationen handlungsfähig zu bleiben. In unserer neuen Podcastfolge spricht Tim mit Arne Kittler – einem erfahrenem Product Leader, langjährigem CPO und Mitgründer der "Product at Heart"-Konferenz – darüber, warum Klarheit nicht bedeutet, alles zu wissen, sondern ein gemeinsames Verständnis zu schaffen, auf dessen Basis Teams ins Handeln kommen. Gerade in der Produktentwicklung arbeiten wir oft mit unvollständigen Informationen. Arne beschreibt Klarheit als bewusste Entscheidung: den Kontext so gut wie möglich zu erfassen und daraus hilfreiche Orientierung abzuleiten – auch wenn absolute Sicherheit nie erreichbar ist. Zusammenarbeit funktioniert nur, wenn wir bereit sind, Unklarheiten aktiv zu klären und gemeinsam tragfähige Annahmen zu entwickeln. Klarheit entsteht nicht von selbst. Sie muss immer wieder neu geschaffen werden, weil sich Rahmenbedingungen verändern. Wer das ignoriert, riskiert, auf überholten Annahmen zu entscheiden – mit allen Konsequenzen. Teams, die regelmäßig bewusst für Klarheit sorgen, arbeiten schneller, wirksamer und mit weniger Reibungsverlusten. Dabei ist Klarheit oft unbequem. Sie verlangt, innezuhalten, nachzufragen und auch unangenehme Themen anzusprechen. Es kostet Mut und Energie, in Meetings Unsicherheiten offen zu machen, statt einfach weiterzugehen. Doch genau das zahlt sich aus: Was am Anfang Zeit kostet, spart später doppelte Arbeit und verhindert Missverständnisse. Klarheit braucht eine Kultur, in der Fragen ausdrücklich erwünscht sind und Unsicherheiten nicht als Schwäche gelten. Psychological Safety wird so zur Basis für echte Zusammenarbeit. Nur wenn Menschen sich sicher fühlen, auch unbequeme Wahrheiten auszusprechen, können Teams wirkliche Klarheit herstellen und aufrechterhalten. Im Gespräch wird auch deutlich, wie stark bewusste Sprache zur Klarheit beiträgt: Nicht vage bleiben, sondern präzise formulieren, nachfragen, visualisieren – so entsteht aus einem "Wir haben uns doch verstanden" eine belastbare Grundlage für Entscheidungen. Klarheit hilft, den Nebel frühzeitig zu lichten, bevor aus kleinen Missverständnissen große Probleme werden. Arne bringt es treffend auf den Punkt: Produktmenschen tragen die Verantwortung, Klarheit herzustellen – selbst wenn es unbequem wird. Gerade in cross-funktionalen Teams und in der Zusammenarbeit mit Stakeholdern macht das den entscheidenden Unterschied zwischen gut gemeinter Abstimmung und echter Wirksamkeit. Wer Klarheit über Komfort (siehe auch Matthew LeMay) stellt, schafft die Basis für nachhaltige Produktentwicklung – und stärkt nicht nur das eigene Team, sondern auch die eigene Wirksamkeit als Product Owner oder Produktmanager:in. Weitere Empfehlungen zum Vertiefen In dieser Podcastfolge sprechen wir auch über Themen, die wir in früheren Episoden vertieft haben. Wenn ihr tiefer eintauchen wollt, empfehlen wir euch diese Folgen: -POEM – Das Product Ownership Evolution Model -The Decision Stack – bessere Entscheidungen treffen -Ein Produkt einstellen – der Ramp Down von XING Events (mit Thomas Gläser) -Starke Produktmanager entwickeln (mit Petra Wille) Weitere Quellen Wir möchten euch insbesondere die Blog-Artikel von Arne zu den einzelnen Dimensionen von Klarheit empfehlen: Directional Clarity – Klarheit über die übergeordnete Richtung und Vision Situational Clarity – Klarheit über die aktuelle Situation und den nächsten sinnvollen Schritt Role Clarity – Klarheit über Rollen, Verantwortlichkeiten und Erwartungen im Team Clear Communication – klare, präzise und offene Kommunikation als Grundlage für Zusammenarbeit Clarity for Product Leaders – besondere Bedeutung von Klarheit in der Führungsverantwortung für Produktmenschen Wer mit Arne Kittler direkt in Kontakt treten möchte, erreicht ihn über seine Website (https://www.arnekittler.de/) oder sein LinkedIn-Profil. Folgt ihm auch gerne auf LinkedIn.

Send us a textIn this episode of the Life Science Success Podcast my guest is Divya Vijay Pratheek, a seasoned biotechnology leader with over a decade of experience in product and commercial strategy. With a remarkable background spanning roles at QIAGEN, Automata, and Congenica, Divya brings a wealth of expertise in managing global product portfolios and driving innovation at the intersection of biotechnology and product development.00:00 Introduction to Life Science Success Podcast00:43 Meet Divya Vijay Pratheek: Biotechnology Leader01:18 Divya's Journey into Life Sciences01:54 Early Career and Transition to Marketing03:29 Experience at Accenture and Moving to Germany05:32 Joining QIAGEN and Career Growth09:00 Challenges and Overcoming Imposter Syndrome13:39 Transition to Startups and Learning Adaptability19:47 Significant Projects and Accomplishments22:29 Communicating Complex Biotechnology Concepts29:44 Current Focus and Understanding Product Management30:22 A Funny Story About Product Management30:51 Defining Product Management31:24 Product Development and Market Fit32:42 Challenges in Product Management35:29 Balancing Tech and Sales41:51 The Future of Biotechnology48:46 Advice for Aspiring Biotech Professionals53:58 Inspiration and Concerns58:02 Closing Thoughts and Farewell

Mackenzie Hughes, Co-Founder of GoldHue and former Product Ops Leader, shares how she navigated career pivots, overcame self-doubt, and ultimately built a business rooted in purpose. From knocking on doors as a political canvasser to leading product teams at high-growth startups. Mackenzie reflects on the pressures of leadership, the identity shifts that come with climbing the corporate ladder, and the moment she realized she had been contorting herself to fit an environment that was never built for her.Mackenzie opens up about:- The gut feeling she ignored when stepping into a leadership role - Why corporate “professionalism” often reinforces bias and how she stopped playing the game- The hard-won lesson that success isn't about making more money, it's about aligning with what actually mattersThings to listen for:(00:00) Changing yourself to fit in (02:06) Why Mackenzie values vulnerability and honest conversations (08:45) Early career: Political and nonprofit campaigns (09:10) Thanks to our sponsor, Fullstory(14:30) Overcoming fear of public speaking (23:35) A career low point: Feeling disillusioned in her last role (29:19) A coach's insight that helped Mackenzie find authenticity (32:32) Enabling the patriarchy vs. staying true to herself (36:29) The challenge of under-resourcing and lack of support (46:38) Losing herself in a money-driven mindset (51:00) Creating a vision board and defining her ideal state This episode is presented by:Fullstory: Surface User Sentiment with Behavioral Data - https://fullstory.com/valueResources:Connect with Mackenzie::LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mackenzierhughes/ GoldHue: https://www.goldhue.co/ Connect with Andrew:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewcapland/ Hire Andrew as your coach: https://deliveringvalue.co/coaching

“ There was trust - the mission was very clear. The problem isn't the idea. The problem is choosing. It starts with being purpose driven.”Eric Tholomé is a former Google product leader and tech CEO. At Google, Eric led product initiatives in Switzerland and the US - including the launch of Gmail themes and YouTube internationally in 10 countries. At Google Eric was the first ever Product Manager ever promoted to Director outside the US. Eric also spent one year as the CEO of European telecom company 1&1 IONOS. Prior to these experiences, Eric had early professional experiences at tech companies like Handspring, Palm, Schlumberger, and Nortel Networks, and is a Stanford Graduate. This conversation is from from P&G Alum Stefan Homeister's top podcast “LEITWOLF” - for more inspirational conversations on leadership subscribe to Leitwolf wherever you get your favorite podcastsGot an idea for a future “Learnings from Leaders” episode? Reach out at pgalumpod@gmail.com

What key skills and mindsets does it take to become a successful product leader? In this podcast hosted by Justin Leibow, Redfin Senior VP of Product and Design Ariel Dos Santos shares insights on balancing customer empathy, business impact, and personal growth throughout his diverse career in product management. Ariel also discusses the evolving role of product managers and the influence of emerging technologies like AI and machine learning.

Bosky Mukherjee has been part of startups and Fortune 500 companies both in Vancouver and Silicon Valley, working with companies like: HSBC, Atlassian, Function Point, Vrify, etc. where she used to be product manager, director of product management at any given point in time. As a Product Leader and Founder of PMDojo, she is now helping career transitioners pivot into product roles with confidence so that they not only find their first product role but thrive in their careers. MORE: https://aerowong.com/ttc35-bosky-mukherjee/

S1 Ep#33 Bridging Business and Data: The Art of Data Product Management The Data Product Management In Action podcast, brought to you by executive producer Scott Hirleman, is a platform for data product management practitioners to share insights and experiences.  In Season 01, Episode 33, Amritha, our newest host, chats with Sagar Nikam, Head of Product at CK Delta. Sagar shares his journey from finance to data product management, highlighting the art of translating complex AI/ML models into actionable business strategies. He discusses the challenges of defining data products, the importance of clear communication, and why adoption often outweighs accuracy. Sagar also offers insights on handling uncertainty, setting success metrics, and the cross-industry applicability of data product management skills. Tune in for a deep dive into making data-driven decisions that drive real business impact. About our host Amritha Arun Babu: Amritha is an accomplished Product Leader with over a decade of experience building and scaling products across AI platforms, supply chain systems, and enterprise workflows in industries such as e-commerce, AI/ML, and marketing automation. At Amazon, she led machine learning platform products powering recommendation and personalization engines, building tools for model experimentation, deployment, and monitoring that improved efficiency for 1,500+ ML scientists. At Wayfair, she managed international supply chain systems, overseeing contracts, billing, product catalogs, and vendor operations, delivering cost savings and optimizing large-scale workflows. At Klaviyo, she drives both AI infrastructure and customer-facing AI tools, including recommendation engines, content generation assistants, and workflow automation agents, enabling scalable and personalized marketing workflows. Earlier, she worked on enterprise systems and revenue operations workflows, focusing on cost optimization and process improvements in complex technical environments. Amritha excels at bridging technical depth with strategic clarity, leading cross-functional teams, and delivering measurable business outcomes across diverse domains. Connect with Amritha on LinkedIn. About our guest Sagar Nikam: Sagar is the Head of Products at CKDelta, leading the development of AI-driven solutions, AI Agents, and intelligent applications that enhance decision-making and automation across industries. With experience in banking, utilities, and SaaS, he has successfully launched and scaled AI-powered products that drive real business impact. Sagar helps product teams seamlessly integrate AI, navigate challenges, and build solutions that are user-centric, explainable, and trusted. Connect with Sagar on LinkedIn.   All views and opinions expressed are those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect their employers or anyone else.  Join the conversation on LinkedIn.  Apply to be a guest or nominate someone that you know.  Do you love what you're listening to? Please rate and review the podcast, and share it with fellow practitioners you know. Your support helps us reach more listeners and continue providing valuable insights!     

The Data Product Management In Action podcast, brought to you by executive producer Scott Hirleman, is a platform for data product management practitioners to share insights and experiences. In this episode of Data Product Management in Action, we introduce our new host, Amritha Arun Babu! With over eight years of experience, Amritha shares her transition from engineering to product management and her impressive journey. She discusses scaling Amazon Today's same-day delivery program, building code-to-cash products, and her current role at Klaviyo, where she's shaping AI-driven features and refining ML platforms. Amritha emphasizes the value of understanding user needs, designing secure, scalable systems, and overcoming cross-functional challenges. Her advice to fellow product managers: network, share your experiences, and enjoy the ride! About our Host Amritha Arun Babu: Amritha is an accomplished Product Leader with over a decade of experience building and scaling products across AI platforms, supply chain systems, and enterprise workflows in industries such as e-commerce, AI/ML, and marketing automation. At Amazon, she led machine learning platform products powering recommendation and personalization engines, building tools for model experimentation, deployment, and monitoring that improved efficiency for 1,500+ ML scientists. At Wayfair, she managed international supply chain systems, overseeing contracts, billing, product catalogs, and vendor operations, delivering cost savings and optimizing large-scale workflows. At Klaviyo, she drives both AI infrastructure and customer-facing AI tools, including recommendation engines, content generation assistants, and workflow automation agents, enabling scalable and personalized marketing workflows. Earlier, she worked on enterprise systems and revenue operations workflows, focusing on cost optimization and process improvements in complex technical environments. Amritha excels at bridging technical depth with strategic clarity, leading cross-functional teams, and delivering measurable business outcomes across diverse domains. Connect with Amritha on LinkedIn. All views and opinions expressed are those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect their employers or anyone else.  Join the conversation on LinkedIn.  Apply to be a guest or nominate someone that you know.  Do you love what you're listening to? Please rate and review the podcast, and share it with fellow practitioners you know. Your support helps us reach more listeners and continue providing valuable insights! 

Ritu Bhargava is xPresident and Chief Product Officer of SAP Customer Experience (CX/CRM) & Consumer Industries. Prior to that she was SVP of Software Engineering at Salesforce for Sales Cloud (CRM) and held various engineering leadership roles at Oracle. Ritu is a sought-after advisor, investor and has also served as a Board Member at Qualtrics.   In this conversation, Ritu is disarmingly honest and candid as she narrates stories about her experiences rising up in the organization, balancing getting visibility and being a team player, and learning from people six levels down in the org chart.Key takeaways:1. COMMUNICATING WITH STAKEHOLDERS- A boss is also a human with a job, not just a title. - Surface real issues and what they need to move forward.- Ask “What would help you?”2. SAYING NO TO MANAGEMENT- Earn the right to say No- Avoid the temptation to please- Cover No's in Yes's3. BEING A TEAM PLAYER- Play the long game instead of little wins- Be selfless, its not about you- Can you give up the limelight when you could have claimed victory?4. RISING UP IN THE ORGANIZATION- Raise your hand and put yourself out there- If you want to grow, make yourself redundant- Earn the trust of peers who may report to you- Hire people smarter than yourself without feeling threatened- Build “OrgIQ”5. DEALING WITH STRESS- Apply five Why's - Have a growth mindsetConnect with Ritu Bhargava:https://www.linkedin.com/in/ritubhargava/Connect with Rahul Abhyankar, host of Product Leader's Journey:https://www.linkedin.com/in/rahulabhyankar/For previous episodes:https://www.productleadersjourney.comhttps://youtube.com/@ProductLeadersJourney 

In Episode 11, of Season 5 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom is joined by Darren Wood, Data Product Leader at BBC, and they talk about the benefits of Data Product Management, in which they talk about:The helpfulness and collaborative nature of the data community How the BBC is advancing digitalisation and personalisation Understanding the user journey through touchpoints and insights Why data products are about structuring data and extracting value The key role of organisational understanding in maximising data product value The three critical stages in the data product lifecycle The four phases that follow the creation of a data product are introduction, growth, maturity, and decline The challenge for data product managers in pre-empting decline and making tough decisions Why speed to value is critical in data product success The key differences between data teams and product teams Why a roadmap is essential for prioritisation and decision-making How splitting a roadmap into reactive, proactive, and strategic elements enhances focus How understanding value can help quantify business impact Why adopting a business mindset means treating colleagues as customers The importance of ‘eating your own dog food' in data product teams Why treating the data team as a mini business changes how they operate The four phases of an effective discovery process: discovery, definition, development, and delivery The key difference between data product management and traditional product management—why MVPs in data often don't reach end users before they are fully functional The ongoing debate between domain-oriented, centralised, and decentralised approaches The varying responsibilities of a data product team, and why alignment with business value is key Why stepping into a data product manager role requires conscious awareness of its challenges and opportunities Thanks to our sponsor, Data Literacy Academy.Data Literacy Academy is leading the way in transforming enterprise workforces with data literacy across the organisation, through a combination of change management and education. In today's data-centric world, being data literate is no longer a luxury, it's a necessity.If you want successful data product adoption, and to keep driving innovation within your business, you need to start with data literacy first.At Data Literacy Academy, we don't just teach data skills. We empower individuals and teams to think critically, analyse effectively, and make decisions confidently based on data. We're bridging the gap between business and data teams, so they can all work towards aligned outcomes.From those taking their first steps in data literacy to seasoned experts looking to fine-tune their skills, our data experts provide tailored classes for every stage. But it's not just learning tracks that we offer. We embed a deep data culture shift through a transformative change management programme.We take a people-first approach, working closely with your executive team to win the hearts and minds. We know this will drive the company-wide impact that data teams want to achieve.Get in touch and find out how you can unlock the full potential of data in your organisation. Learn more at www.dl-academy.com.

Welcome to another episode of Supra Insider. This time, Marc and Ben sat down with Yue Zhao, a former product leader at Thumbtack, Instagram, Meta, and Fuzzy, who now thrives as an executive coach and author. Yue shares her story of moving to Barcelona, exploring new career paths, and writing a book that reshaped her outlook on work and leadership. They dive into key topics like navigating career pivots, staying energized through curiosity, and learning to reframe limiting beliefs.Whether you're a product leader considering new career paths or someone seeking actionable tips for personal growth, this conversation is packed with insights.All episodes of the podcast are also available on Spotify, Apple and YouTube.New to the pod? Subscribe below to get the next episode in your inbox

Kristina Gibson most recently was the CPO at Dott, accelerating their growth to over 100M rides annually. She led the merger with TIER to form Europe's largest e-bike and scooter operator. She is a former Director of Product at Booking.com, where she pioneered user growth strategy across global markets. As an early product leader at Lyft, she architected the company's expansion into new cities and innovative verticals. At Eventbrite, Kristina transformed the business from a US-only operation to a powerhouse platform across 20+ markets, founding and scaling teams throughout Europe and Latin America.  Kristina began her career at Intuit, building international payments that transformed how small businesses pay vendors across borders. When Mint.com was acquired by Intuit, she drove their expansion into new markets. She holds five patents. In this episode, we explore: When to rely on A/B tests compared to taking bigger strategic bets The hidden psychology behind last-minute purchase decisions Why showing unavailable options can drive more conversions The unexpected power of surfacing micro-details in product listings How to balance user preferences with innovation risks This episode is packed with insights from a trailblazing product leader who has run thousands of experiments at top product growth companies. It's essential listening for teams looking to shape user behavior through thoughtful product decisions. Enjoy this episode? Rate it and leave a review. It really helps others find the podcast.Learn more about Kristen and Irrational Labs ⁠here⁠.

Fred Koopmans is Chief Product Officer at BigPanda, an AIOps company. He is someone who has managed to ride the tech waves being at the right place at the right time - mobile video optimization on wireless networks, cloud, data platforms, open source, and now AI. Prior to BigPanda, Fred was SVP of Product Management at Cloudera, and Sr. Director Product Management at Citrix, and in engineering roles at Bytemobile. In this episode, Fred shares his approach of writing a reverse job description that tells recruiters exactly what he is looking for. Here are some key highlights and the topics we cover: * What is the flavor of conversations with customers around AI, especially with IT people * How writing can help one become a high-intention person * What is a reverse job description and how to write one * Why it is paramount to have an answer to the question - "Where do you see yourself in five years?" * How does a PM do an effective job in "engineering-led" or "sales-led" companies * What do engineers wish product managers know and what do product managers wish engineers know * How to build deep relationships with customers * How to steer a product org away from doing only what customers want * How to have good skip level 1:1s Connect with Fred on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fred-koopmans/ Connect with Rahul Abhyankar, host of Product Leader's Journey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rahulabhyankar https://www.productleadersjourney.com

The Data Product Management In Action podcast, brought to you by Soda and executive producer Scott Hirleman, is a platform for data product management practitioners to share insights and experiences. In this special minisode celebrating the podcast's 25th episode milestone, hosts Michael Toland and Amritha Arun Babu reflect on their journey so far. They share the key lessons they've learned, moments they've enjoyed, and their excitement for the future of data product management. From insights into AI and ML to the importance of building strong data communities and infrastructure, this episode highlights the most impactful themes and sets the stage for what's to come in 2025. About our Host Michael Toland: Michael is a Product Management Coach and Consultant with Pathfinder Product, a Test Double Operation. He has worked in product officially since 2016, where he worked at Verizon on large scale system modernizations and migration initiatives for reference data and decision platforms. Outside of his professional career, Michael serves as the Treasurer for the New Leaders Council, mentors fellows with Venture for America, sings in the Columbus Symphony, writing satire posts for his blog Dignified Product or Test Double, depending on the topic, and is excited to be chatting with folks on Data Product Management. Connect with Michael on LinkedIn. About our Host Amritha Arun Babu Mysore: Amritha is an accomplished Product Leader with over a decade of experience building and scaling products across AI platforms, supply chain systems, and enterprise workflows in industries such as e-commerce, AI/ML, and marketing automation. At Amazon, she led machine learning platform products powering recommendation and personalization engines, building tools for model experimentation, deployment, and monitoring that improved efficiency for 1,500+ ML scientists. At Wayfair, she managed international supply chain systems, overseeing contracts, billing, product catalogs, and vendor operations, delivering cost savings and optimizing large-scale workflows. At Klaviyo, she drives both AI infrastructure and customer-facing AI tools, including recommendation engines, content generation assistants, and workflow automation agents, enabling scalable and personalized marketing workflows. Earlier, she worked on enterprise systems and revenue operations workflows, focusing on cost optimization and process improvements in complex technical environments. Amritha excels at bridging technical depth with strategic clarity, leading cross-functional teams, and delivering measurable business outcomes across diverse domains. Connect with Amritha on LinkedIn. All views and opinions expressed are those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect their employers or anyone else.  Join the conversation on LinkedIn.  Apply to be a guest or nominate someone that you know.  Do you love what you're listening to? Please rate and review the podcast, and share it with fellow practitioners you know. Your support helps us reach more listeners and continue providing valuable insights!  .

Curious about the illusions and realities of corporate culture? Join us as we chat with Keiji Adedeji, an experienced product leadership coach with deep insights into the world of product management. Keiji shares her fascinating journey from software tester to product manager, driven by a relentless curiosity and a knack for problem-solving. With over 18 years in tech and extensive experience in B2B sectors, including her recent work with the International Baccalaureate Organization, Keiji brings to light the humorous and perplexing behaviors of large companies and the illusion of control that often drives their decisions.In our conversation, we unpack the common pitfalls of adopting agile methodologies without truly grasping their essence, drawing from Keiji's firsthand experience with teams attempting to mirror Spotify's squad model. We highlight unusual practices, like the need to move physical cards, emphasizing the necessity of trust and focusing on outcomes rather than getting lost in the process. As our world shifts towards virtual and hybrid work environments, Keiji questions the relevance of traditional tools and underscores the importance of adaptable, outcome-driven work practices.We also explore the challenges that come with setting strategic goals and how organizations can sometimes lose sight of their brand and mission in pursuit of metrics and revenue. By discussing the value of clear boundaries and the dangers of excessive bureaucracy, we aim to equip listeners with strategies to empower teams and drive meaningful change. From setting effective guardrails to navigating organizational complexity, Keiji offers a wealth of knowledge on building a culture of experimentation and tackling inefficiencies to enhance productivity and engagement.Featured Links: Follow Keji on LinkedIn | Watch Keji's talk at #mtpcon 2023 | The Spotify Squad ModelOur 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.

On today's episode of LaunchPod, Jeff Wharton talks to Arman Javaherian, CEO & Co-Founder at Homa, about how he went from leading product at Shortcut, Zillow, and Crunchbase to then pivoting to a founder role at Homa AI. In this episode, we cover: Why product people should always be selling Why he says investors should only invest in founders that are product people Where AI can help product people today - and where it's a dangerous distraction And A framework to avoid falling into a world of bad product decisions Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/armanjavaherian/ Homa AI: https://www.tryhoma.com/ Leadership Spotlight: https://blog.logrocket.com/product-management/leader-spotlight-arman-javaherian/ Follow LogRocket on TikTok! Love LaunchPod and the rest of LogRocket's great content? Follow us on TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@log.rocket) for interview clips, UX tutorials, and more! What does LogRocket do? LogRocket combines frontend monitoring, product analytics, and session replay to help software teams deliver the ideal product experience. Try LogRocket for free today. (https://logrocket.com/signup/?pdr)

Assaph Mehr is an Australia-based product & people leader as well as a published fantasy author, who also uses his writing chops to produce a newsletter, "Rise of the Product Leader". His hot take? That LLMs and other generative AI tools are the equivalent of an angle grinder. For those who don't know, angle grinders have big, spinning metal discs that make them ideal tools for certain use cases (like cutting up concrete) but are terrible for anything else. Assaph believes that LLMs have a large number of use cases where we should use them, but that there's still an inevitable need for human decision-making and a sense of taste that AI will never have. Find Assaph on LinkedIn or subscribe to his newsletter. If you're interested in fantasy novels, check those out too. If you'd like to appear on Hot Takes, please grab a time!

In this episode, Luke Freiler, CEO of Centercode, which provides user testing solutions to leading tech companies. Luke shares his journey from hardware engineering to founding a company that revolutionizes product testing. He discusses the importance of continuous user testing, the shift from waterfall to agile methodologies, and how Centercode has established itself in a new market category. Luke emphasizes the significance of community building, demonstrating value through metrics, and the evolution of pricing strategies. He also explores the impact of generative AI on product testing and shares valuable leadership lessons learned throughout his entrepreneurial journey. Luke is a tech idealist who wants technology to just work, to be simple, and friendly. He mission is to connect product builders and their audiences to actualize this vision at scale. In this episode, Luke talks about creating a brand new category in the market, and all the fun challenges that go hand in hand with that. How do you get your first customers, how do you price your offering and value-based pricing, convincing customers about the ROI of your offering. He also shares lessons learnt about PLG or product led growth motion. This is an incredibly candid and transparent conversation and I enjoyed it immensely. I hope you do as well. Key takeaways: - The Importance of Continuous Testing in Agile Development - Establishing a Common Vocabulary for Early Customers - Demonstrating the Value Proposition with Key Metrics - Adapting Pricing Strategies in a New Category - The Importance of Value-Based Pricing - The Impact of AI on Product Testing - Treating the Company Like a Product - Building a Great Culture by Designing the Company Connect with Luke Freiler: https://www.linkedin.com/in/freiler/ Connect with Rahul Abhyankar, host of Product Leader's Journey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rahulabhyankar

Curious if your product team is caught in common traps that limit success? Join Brian and David Pereira as they explore how to simplify workflows, make smarter bets with prioritization, and shift from output-driven thinking to delivering real value. Overview In this episode of the Agile Mentors Podcast, host Brian Milner chats with David Pereira, author of Untrapping Product Teams. Together, they dive into the common traps product teams face, the differences between project and product management, and practical strategies for prioritization. David shares insights from his book, offering advice on building healthier backlogs, creating adaptable roadmaps, and moving beyond a feature-obsessed mindset to focus on delivering true value. References and resources mentioned in the show: David Pereira Untrapping Product Teams by David Pereira Certified Scrum Product Owner® Training Advanced Certified Scrum Product Owner® Mountain Goat Software Certified Scrum and Agile Training Schedule Subscribe to the Agile Mentors Podcast Want to get involved? This show is designed for you, and we’d love your input. Enjoyed what you heard today? Please leave a rating and a review. It really helps, and we read every single one. Got an Agile subject you’d like us to discuss or a question that needs an answer? Share your thoughts with us at podcast@mountaingoatsoftware.com This episode’s presenters are: Brian Milner is SVP of coaching and training at Mountain Goat Software. He's passionate about making a difference in people's day-to-day work, influenced by his own experience of transitioning to Scrum and seeing improvements in work/life balance, honesty, respect, and the quality of work. David Pereira is a seasoned Product Leader with over 15 years of experience guiding Agile teams to deliver real value faster. As CEO of omoqo GmbH and a top writer on product management, David is passionate about helping teams overcome challenges, unlock their potential, and simplify their workflows to drive meaningful outcomes. Auto-generated Transcript: Brian (00:00) Welcome back Agile Mentors. We are here for yet another episode of the Agile Mentors Podcast. I'm with you as always, Brian Milner. And today I have Mr. David Pereira with us. Welcome in, David. David Pereira (00:12) Let's be here. Brian (00:14) Very excited to have David here with us. David is the author of a new book called, Untrapping Product Teams. So product owners, this is going to be a discussion that I know you're going to find very interesting. We're going to be talking about a lot of things that have to do with product teams and sort of the ins and outs of working with your products. So David, just for starters, what inspired you to write the book? What was the main problem you were trying to address when you sat down to write this? David Pereira (00:42) pain. I have worked as a product person for many companies throughout the years, different countries, different sides. And one thing that I realized is that there many things going wrong. And sometimes we just don't know that it's wrong and it hurts. Then when we realize the question is, what are we going to do about it? So I started writing about untrapped products. From this perspective, Brian (00:43) Ha ha ha ha. David Pereira (01:12) of there's something wrong, we might not see, but let's start from this and then maybe we can transform how we work for the better. Brian (01:23) Awesome. Yeah, that's a great take on it. Cause I agree. There's certain times when as a product owner, know I've, you you're kind of chugging along and things are going okay, but then something happens and it's sort of like, wow, this is painful. I don't know where it's, I can't put my finger on what's going wrong, but there's something happening here. And you you try to push through it and just get past it sometimes. And it's, that's not always the best strategy. I know you talk about there being sort of these dangerous traps that are kind of typical traps that product people fall into. Can you share any of those with us? What are some of the dangerous traps you identified here? David Pereira (02:01) Sure, there's the classic one called the gigantic backlog. So the team looked at it and we're talking about product owners, but sometimes product owners get demoted to backlog owners and they don't even notice that. So that's one of the most classic traps, but there's also another I call the calendar driven framework. You may think you work with agile, but then you realize that you only do what is in your calendar. So that digitates what you're doing and so on. And you fall prey to what I call as a meeting marathon. Brian (02:38) Yeah. I want to go back a little bit to your, to the big backlog kind of, idea there, because I, I know that's a issue I've talked with people about in class a lot. And, I just want to get your take on this. Cause I, one of the things, you know, we'll, we'll discuss in classes sometimes just the idea of having too big of a backlog and, and kind of wrestling with it and trying to get it in shape. But the question always comes up, you know, you what's the. the right number. We ask a question in class and say, how big is your backlog? And you'll see different reactions from people. Some people, less than 50, other people 250, other people 1,000 plus items. Is there a number? Is there a number that beyond which it's all of sudden now too big? David Pereira (03:24) Yeah, for sure. So for me, first is understanding what is the backlog about. It is a vehicle to drive whether when you look at the backlog, should be able to tell a story. You should know where you're heading to. But when you look there, if you see a 60 year old Christmas wishlist that has everything in but you cannot connect anything, that's when it starts smelling. So for me, a good backlog will have no more than I would say two, three things ahead of us. There might be some things that are directions that we will continue refine and get it better and so on. But if we would have something that takes us like six months of work to get it through, maybe we are doing project management. Brian (04:12) So that's an interesting distinction. if we're moving into product, how would you define that then if we're saying project management versus product management, how do you define that difference? David Pereira (04:23) So project management in general, we assume we know what needs to happen. So we start planning on when we do what and how long we're gonna invest in this and so on. Product management is more about starting what is value, what do we want to achieve? And then we start embracing the unknown, facing reality, learning from it. And then the backlog will emerge from our learnings. So it means we know where we want to land, but how we're gonna get there. We know where to start, but not the next 3, 4, 5 steps. Brian (04:56) Love that. So that gets us kind of into talking about road mapping a little bit because I know that's one of the things you talk about in your book and kind of the idea of trying to plan a little bit far in advance. So if we have a backlog, it's really more two to three sprints versus six months. Do you recommend the product owners roadmap for longer than two to three sprints or is the roadmap just a two to three sprint roadmap? David Pereira (05:24) Sure. So the roadmap for me, it is about a different flight level. So the backlog is the now. What are we doing right now in the next two sprints as we talked about? The roadmap, we're looking at what is the overarching goal we are pursuing. So that could be, for example, a milestone that we aim to achieve for the next two, three months. And then the backlog will march towards that. But for the roadmap, I think it's still important to have something like, what is the direction for six months that maybe we are considering. But the farther we go, the more I would say blurry it becomes. It's more like a direction and we can feel free to adapt that. Brian (06:13) So help me understand here, because one of the things I think that I hear a lot of questions about in class is, since 2020, the Scrum Guide has added this idea of a product goal. And we've always traditionally thought about having a vision for the product. So now we have sort of this nested nature of having a vision, a product goal. And of course, we've always had sprinkles. How do you see those things related? relating to some sort of road mapping. David Pereira (06:45) Let's take a company here as an example. I like looking at the SpaceX. What is the vision? The vision is something audacious, inspiring, that people can connect with. Might be very hard to achieve, but it gives us guidance. For SpaceX, would say two words, populate Mars. That's the vision. It's very far. And what would be a roadmap goal? For example, something they achieved already. It's a step to get closer to the vision. Build a reusable rocket. That's something they spent a lot of time doing, and that could be a roadmap item. Then when you go to the sprint ghost, it's just a smaller step towards that. Brian (07:35) Gotcha. Yeah, that's great way to put it. I like that idea and I appreciate you using kind of a real world example. I think that kind of drives it home for everybody. I think it's obviously one of the things we talk about quite a bit in Agile is that idea of that we don't have any problem with planning. Planning is a good thing. What we have a problem with is plans that are so concrete that they're inflexible. So when we... I've always thought as a product owner, when we try to create these roadmaps, the further we get out from today, the looser, the less defined it is, the more rough the idea is, and the less people should count on there being any date that's going to be met based off of that longer term horizon. Of course, there are exceptions to this. You mentioned SpaceX, mean, SpaceX has a multi-year goal. I mean, they have something that's kind of further out to the future. So I think that there are some exceptions that we probably could make in there. But I think you're right. Think about them in that steps as far as vision to product goal to sprinkle. One of the other things that I found kind of interesting in reading up and thinking about your book is you talk about the difference between coordinated and collaborative workflows. Can you define those? Tell us a little bit about what you meant by that, the difference between those two. David Pereira (08:31) Yeah, of course. I start with a question. When we are talking about coordinative development flow, step back and then reflect. Do you talk more about work than you do it? Or you just go and do work on it? If you feel like you are all the time talking about work, everyone is talking about it, you have so many meetings discussing and so on, but then you wonder who is doing the work, then there's a chance you are in the coordinative development flow. The collaborative development flow, it's a little bit chaotic. There are many things happening. Teams are looking at what can we do right now? What can we do next? They are adapting all the time and so on. Plans are actually means to an end. They are not reached. They point a direction. Teams may have a plan, but it's very simple. It is not a predictive thing. When you are in the coordinative development flow, things take long. For example, you may have a lot of ideas in the beginning, then that means you need to find the most promising idea, speculation. So you may use frameworks to have the best scoring and understand what is the idea most promising. Then you invest time and crafting high fidelity prototypes and so on. There's a lot of coordination back on Perf. But if you go to a collaborative, you say, all right, I have all of these ideas here. Which ideas are worth? That's the first question. Then you say, how do they meet our, for example, product vision? How do they relate to our strategy? How do they contribute to our goal? And if you don't have answers to that, you use your friend called trash bin. So you put the things in your trash bin and then you start moving forward. And you say, all right, how do I know this has desirability? It's viable from the business. How do I know we can do it? then start running experiment. And then some things you realize, actually customers don't need it, then you don't pursue. So that's why it looks like chaos because you don't know what will get to the end, because things will fall apart on the way because you learned they don't make sense. On the coordinate, you know what gets to the end. You just don't know if it's the right thing. Brian (11:18) That's a great point. And you're right. If we think of this from an experimental mindset, the product development game here as more experimentation, think you're right. There's going to be things that don't, the experiments that don't turn out the way we expected, just like there is in any kind of experimentation. that can be some of the most productive moments actually is when you have those experiments that turn out differently than you anticipated because that can lead you in areas that are surprising and new and have value that you might not have otherwise recognized, I think. So yeah, I love that. I think that's a great way to talk about it. It makes me think a lot about prioritization as well because I know that's a big area for us as product owners and... You know, someone sent me an article the other day that, that I share sometimes with people that's, it's a blog post that someone put out there. was like 127 different ways to prioritize your backlog. It's just, they're all methods, right? They're all the things that you probably, all of us have probably heard and, you know, things like Moscow and, and other things like that, that people are typically use, to prioritize their backlog or rice or. relative weighting or something like that. But one of the things that I find kind of interesting with that, and I want to get your take on this David, is sometimes when I will use something like relative weighting, for example, or rice, very much more of an analytical approach, right? And we're trying to try to analyze it based on several factors and see what the score comes out at the end, which one's higher than the other. but one of the interesting kind of a sideline effects that I've noticed in myself as a product owner is sometimes I'll find that I'll run that kind of a process on several features and I'll get to the end and you know, I've got three features and know, a feature, a, and C and, you know, I'll take a look at the results and look, you know, it looks like feature B is number one feature C is two and, and a is three and Sort of in my head, I kind of feel this dialogue happen where I think, huh, really B is number one. Wow. would have never thought that would have been the case. That's surprising. I can't believe B came out as number one, but maybe I answered those questions incorrectly. Maybe I should go back and change my answers in doing this analysis because that can't be right. B shouldn't be one. B should maybe be two or three. And I kind of call it the the gut instinct, you know, it's kind of that gut instinct moment where you look at the results and it feels wrong, right? And I know you talk in your book kind of about, you know, opinions without evidence and kind of the idea of, know, it made me kind of think about that scenario where sometimes you'll run it through some kind of a prioritization technique and there'll be a definitive answer, but you kind of have that instinctual moment that feels like maybe this is not right. How do you handle those moments, David? Do you have any problem overriding results or do you always take the results of some kind of a prioritization technique that you've tried to use? David Pereira (14:44) Mm-hmm. So prioritization is something quite interesting. What I see is many companies search for certainty. We need to ensure that we find what drives value. So we take some time analyzing that. The problem is that we start injecting a lot of speculation. We think what it's right, but we don't. What I see is prioritization is a bet. So I think about placing bets. Say, all right, so there are all of these cool ideas here. I try looking, for example, at potential. As of now, what do we know about it? How many customers would care about it? How much would they care about it? Can we deliver something of that? I say, all right, let's invest one day and see what we can learn about it. Then we can move to the next. And then we can invest maybe two days. And if we don't like what we learn, then we just stop. And if you like what we learned, then we say, let's invest another week. And then we keep going to the point we say, this looks cool. And then we can do something about it. So I say like, let's have a bias toward actions. We can face reality as fast as possible. Then we can learn what makes sense and what doesn't. And I give you a concrete example. When I started about the book, I was thinking, Does it make sense for me to write a book? How do I know that? I got invited to give a keynote. I said, I'm going to speak about something that I would write and I will see how it resonates. I gave this talk 10 times. And then what happens after each talk? Few people would come to me and say, Hey, I like this thing. I like this. I like this. And everything you didn't mention, I started questioning. And then what they like to explore. And after the 10th talk, someone said, when are you writing a book about it? said, aha, now it's coming. I said, I need you to do another experiment. I posted on LinkedIn. said, I'm writing a book. And I had in my mind, if at least 200 people show interest in that, I'm going to interview people to understand their challenge. So I did that. When I decided to write a book, I didn't write the book. I explored. where to write and so on and all of this. Because I was placing bets, small investments that give me information that I can use as evidence. And that's the same what I do with digital products. It is about learning from reality, not from a meeting room. Brian (17:25) I love that. Yeah. I think we've, I know that I've heard that language used quite often, the idea of making small bets or making bets on things, but it really is a revolution. And you're worried way to think about it. like your, your concept of, of thinking, is it worth a day? Right. Is it worth a day to do this? Is it worth me betting a day on, on trying to find out more information about this? is that really how you look at prioritization then is, is, is you prioritize it? Is it, is it kind of, Is it worth the effort to do what it's gonna take to do this thing and think of it that way as a bet? David Pereira (18:01) Yeah, in this direction, because for example, when we explore what is the potential outcome, how many users would care, how much do they care about it? I say, let's see if that is true or not. Let's start learning about it. Then we can have a better understanding of the expected result. Because the danger is when you start talking about these things, it just do a scoring, like a rise, eyes or something else. then you get false confidence. So I want to move away from the false confidence to get closer to reality because in the end of the day, we don't know what we don't know. Brian (18:41) Yeah, I think that's a really good point to make. I know I've run an experiment sometimes in classes where we'll have a couple of different ways of prioritization. I'll give them something complicated like relative weighting or rice. And then I'll give them something, you know, ultra simple, like stack ranking and, you know, have them compare and say how, what's the difference. I know you talking to your book about kind of how important it is to simplify the decision-making process. And so I'm just, what are some of your strategies for that, for trying to simplify that decision making process? David Pereira (19:19) So you need to know what is priority right now. So you can filter out things. For example, if your product is scaling, what matters most? Is it retention? Is it growth? Customer satisfaction? Which is the game you are playing? Because if you don't know the game you're playing, everything is a priority. Then you need to discuss everything. So that's the reason I like starting with what matters most. Because then you remove everything else. then you can look at, so if growth is what matters most, let's think about what will contribute to that. Then we go from this. Brian (19:56) Yeah, that's a great way to look at it. I think you're right. I it's the outcome that we're trying to drive, right? I mean, we're rebuilding features or we're proposing to build something so that we have this outcome. And if we're not really driving that outcome, then we're wasting our time. We're not really doing what we're trying to do. Yeah, that's a great point. I know one of the other points you talked about in your book is kind of this idea of periodically doing product health checks. David Pereira (20:12) Exactly. Brian (20:23) And that was kind of an interesting new concept for me. I not heard that really spelled out in any way. Can you help the listeners kind of understand what you mean by a product health check? David Pereira (20:34) For me, it's a falling. We may start doing things without challenging them. We don't know if they are good, we don't know if they are bad. We know how to do them. And then that becomes our routine, our habit. On Monday we do this, on Tuesday we do that, on Wednesday we do the other. And we keep doing, and they give some results. But the problem is, is it the right thing? So I like stepping back. and looking at a few aspects so we can say, where do we stand? And then you may uncover something that is, I'm not doing it or something that I'm doing that contributes to a bad result. I always ask teams, when was the last time you retired a feature? And sometimes I hear only crickets. And then I say, when was the last time? I say, we never retired a feature. Said, what is your definition of a good product? And some people tell me, well, a good product is the one you have all features you need. There's nothing else to add. We're not there yet. And then I asked them, can you open Google? How many features do you see in the homepage? For me a good product is the one you have nothing else to remove. It's a bit different. So when you have these health checks, you have the moment of challenging, having a different perspective. And then you have the chance of saying, I want to change. I want to do different. Then you can improve how you work. Brian (22:10) Yeah, that's a great way to look at it too, because you're right. we're, you know, I think about this oftentimes when I talk to people about, you know, kind of their vision or even their customers and users. And really, if you can't understand or you can't really define who it is you're targeting or what it is you're trying to achieve, we shouldn't be doing it, right? We should stop and understand those things first before we move forward. I know one of the other things that you'll you talk about in the book is kind the feature obsessed or feature focused mindset. And just kind of wondering, you what kind of practical advice could you give to different product owners, product managers that are struggling in some way with that feature focused mindset? David Pereira (22:57) Ask more questions. That's where I start. Whenever you come with a feature, you say, what is that for? What does it enable the user? What would be the other options? Let me give you an example. In one of the places I worked, we realized that we had trouble with signup. And then someone came with an idea. Of course we have a problem. Because, let me do this again. Of course we have a problem. Because... We have to create a login all the time. If we have social login, then it's amazing. And then we put the Google login there. And we said, with Google login, we will simplify the sign up process. Nothing happened. Sign up rate remained the same. Then I started interviewing people who came to our website, but didn't sign up. What I learned from them was, I don't understand your value proposition. And then you asked me to create a user, you're going to load me with emails. Why am I going to do that? I'm not going to do it. And then I realized that the friction was something else. The value proposition was unclear and they didn't want to give their data. So we could put whatever login method, it would not help. We started with the wrong question. Brian (24:17) Yeah, that's a great example. I appreciate you sharing that because I think that's a common problem I think we have in the product area is kind of we see a response or we see that something's not going the way that we thought. And I know I can have the inclination at least to jump to what I think is the reason behind it. without actually verifying that that's the reason behind it. And that's a great example, right? mean, hey, we thought if we add a sign up and do it through Google, that's going to remove friction. It'll make it easier for people to sign up and we'll get more signups. Well, not if they don't really understand what your value is and why would I come back to this site? Why do I want to get emails from you? I'm not clicking on the button to go through giving you my Google information if you haven't sold me. Right? Yeah. Yeah, that's a great point to make. Well, the only other thing I'd say is I know one of the kind of time-honored discussion topics here when we talk about this stuff is really people who focus more on the output and getting distracted by outputs versus really focusing on value. What kind of advice would you give to people who either don't really understand the difference or find themselves kind of slipping back into being more focused on output versus value. David Pereira (25:53) Talk about assumptions. We all assume something is gonna happen. Sometimes it's just in our subconscious. We need to bring to our conscious level. For example, we say, this feature is gonna be a success because, then come your assumption, because customers want, because customers will understand how to use it, because the business can collect value. These are assumptions. And then you can say, How can I test these assumptions before I invest time into creating the feature? Then you learn. Brian (26:29) Yeah, I agree. That's so important. Honestly, that's one of the biggest paradigm shifts I think I went through as a product owner is that kind of shift in understanding these things in my backlog, they're assumptions. They're not requirements. They're not things that have to happen. They are things that could possibly happen. And the idea is to determine if they're the right thing to happen or not. And if not, then we should move on. Well, this is awesome. I think the books, the topic of your book sounds really fascinating and I hope everyone goes to check that out. It's called, Untrapping Product Teams. And again, David Pereira is the author here. We're put links to all this into our show notes. So if you wanna click on that and find out more, we'll put you in the right place so you can find out more. just, I'll give you kind of a sampling here just so you kind of understand my... My own boss here, Mike Cohn, has a quote here about it that says it's his new favorite product management book. So it's just, he's got people like Marty Kagan, Martin Dalmigeon that's kind of weighed in on this. Petra Willie has given quotes about this. So there's lots of big names that have read this and given it good reviews and said this is a really important work in the product area. Really encourage you to check that out. David, I can't thank you enough. Thanks for making time to come on the show. David Pereira (27:59) Glad to be here.

Mike Dosch has served as the CEO of Telos-Omnia-Axia, and is the Founder of Angry Audio. But his passion is audio circuit design and manufacturing. Mike joins us to talk about solving some vexing audio problems, and getting the best performance from analog audio interfaces. Isolating audio circuits from the noisy data circuits that connect them was a challenge - one that is solved in the USB Audio Gizmo from Angry Audio. Mike also discusses Common Mode Rejection Ratio (CMRR) and how this figure of merit is important in real audio facilities. Josh Bohn joins us to announce a new wireless data connection path for remote sites. And we meet Mike Hutchens, the new DIrector of Technical Services at MK Technical Services. Show Notes:Mike described a “gotcha” when muting a condenser mic. His Mic Drop Gizmo solves that, and here’s the manual & schematic diagram.Mike described how the USB Audio Gizmo’s design eliminates audio whine and dirty power & ground from computers’ USB connections. Here’s the schematic diagram.Josh Bohn announced a new satellite data connection service from MaxxKonnect Wireless, using 4G LTE as a backup data path. Guests:Mike Dosch - Founder at Angry Audio & Product Leader at Triple HelixJosh Bohn - President/CEO at MaxxKonnectMike Hutchens - Director of Technical Services at MK Technical Services Host:Kirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, Star94.3, & South Seas BroadcastingFollow TWiRT on Twitter and on FacebookTWiRT is brought to you by:Nautel and the HD Digital Radio Test DriveBroadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc. Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, and social media tools at Bionic.radio.Angry Audio and the new Rave analog audio mixing console. The new MaxxKonnect Broadcast U.192 MPX USB Soundcard - The first purpose-built broadcast-quality USB sound card with native MPX output. Subscribe to Audio:iTunesRSSStitcherTuneInSubscribe to Video:iTunesRSSYouTube

Mercedes Chatfield-Taylor, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Artico Search, Inc. and a top recruiter specializing in leadership roles for scale-up companies, returns to chat with Melissa Perri on this episode of Product Thinking. Together, they discuss the evolving CEO landscape, particularly the increasing importance of collaboration across functions in lean organizations and the growing demand for leaders focused on profitability and sustainability. Mercedes shares insights into the typical paths to becoming a CEO, including from product leadership roles, and the skills needed to transition successfully. What is the path to CEO from CPO? Tune in to find out.

 In the latest episode of our podcast, we sit down with Gokul Rajaram - a Product Leader, Operator and Board member who has helped build seven of the largest tech companies globally - Google, Facebook, Square, DoorDash, Coinbase, Pinterest and Trade Desk. He is popularly known as the 'Godfather of Google Adsense', here he grew it from zero to over $1 billion in revenue. Later, he founded an NLP company which was acquired by Facebook, where he then led the Ads Product team as Product Director, helping grow revenues from $0.75 billion to $6.5 billion, and helped Facebook transition its advertising business to become mobile-first. He helped Square, DoorDash and Coinbase go public (IPO) as management team and board member, additionally he is a prolific Angel Investor for 300+ startups including Airtable, Airtable, CRED, Curefit, Figma, Learneo, Pigment, Postman, Whatfix and more. In this episode, Gokul shares invaluable insights on how to grow from startup to scale-up quoting stories from his rich experience. He stresses the importance of product-market fit (PMF), exploring its critical link to monetization and sound unit economics.He also addresses the formidable challenges startups face in the fiercely competitive AI sector and how can young entrepreneurs build in this exciting sector. In this podcast, below are the topics covered:0:00 - Journey from India to Silicon Valley8:10 - Three Stages of a Company: Start-up, Early-Growth, Scale-up13:41 - Discovering Product Market Fit and Monetization23:23 - Challenges for Startups in AI28:20 - Vertical SaaS and Indian Tech InnovationGokul offers a masterclass in entrepreneurial excellence - his experiences and strategies provide a roadmap for navigating the complex and ever-evolving tech landscape, making this episode a must-listen for aspiring entrepreneurs and seasoned professionals alike.Enjoyed the podcast? Please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts and subscribe wherever you are listening to this.Follow Prime Venture Partners:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/primevp/Twitter: https://twitter.com/Primevp_inThis podcast is for you. Do let us know what you like about the podcast, what you don't like, the guests you'd like to have on the podcast and the topics you'd like us to cover in future episodes.Please share your feedback here: https://primevp.in/podcastfeedback

Welcome to another episode of Supra Insider. This time, Marc and Ben sat down with Melissa Chi, COO and former head of product at Pathpoint. We explore Melissa's transition from a product leader to COO, the importance of maintaining user empathy in a remote, operations-heavy environment, and how she continues to support and coach her team. Melissa also shares insights on managing time effectively, fostering cross-functional collaboration, and prioritization in a growth-stage startup. This episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to grow their career in leadership while maintaining a user-centered approach.All episodes of the podcast are also available on Spotify, Apple and YouTube (video).New to the pod? Subscribe below to get the next episode in your inbox

Jeremy Kirouac is a "Pan-Canadian" product leader and former startup founder who has thrown himself headlong into the world of fractional product leadership, as well as helping advise companies in all things product-related. His hot take? That startup founders live in information bubbles that concentrate solely on revenue and don't spend enough time teaching them good product management fundamentals. This impacts their chances of building a good product company and impacts their relationship with product management teams as they scale. Find Jeremy all over Canada, or on LinkedIn. If you'd like to appear on Hot Takes, please grab a time! Related episodes you should like: Moving Beyond Founder-Led Product Development & Setting PMs up for Success (Jennifer Yang-Wong, VP of Product @ Contrary) Build Products Businesses Want with the Lean B2B Pyramid (Étienne Garbugli, Author "Lean B2B", "Find your Market" and "Solving Product") Your Product is a Joke - How to use Improv Comedy Principles in Product Management (Amogh Sarda, Co-founder @ Eesel) Chris Locke's Hot Take - Product Leaders Need to Adopt a VC Mindset (Chris Locke, CEO @ Aspire) Upping Your Odds of BEATING the LinkedIn Algorithm (Ivana Todorovic, CEO @ AuthoredUp) Greg Prickril's Hot Take - AI is going to change everything for Product Managers (Greg Prickril, B2B Product Management Coach, Consultant & Trainer) May Wong's Hot Take - Product Management is a Team Sport (May Wong, Product Operations Consultant & Coach) Dean Peters' Hot Take - There's More to be Said About the Instagram-ification of Product Management (Dean Peters, Principal Consultant & Trainer @ Productside)

This week's episode is quite the unorthodox one! In the spirit of our friends over at the Friends Per Second podcast, we've split this episode between our usual news coverage and a fun interview the Dukes has the opportunity to conduct! Joining us this episode are Gabriela Leskur and Brian Stone. Gariela is the Narrative and Experience Lead at Oxide Games and Brian serves as Product Leader and Head Of Engineering at Xbox Game Studios Publishing. Together, these two answer our burning questions about the upcoming historical turn-based strategy game. Furthermore, we dive into the thick of Starfield's Shattered Space preview which gives us nearly ten minutes of gameplay to understand just what this is. Fortunately, it appears to be a direct response to much of the criticism laid at Bethesda's feet last fall. We also get into what may be going on with Tony Hawk, Marathon possibly being $40, more layoffs at Xbox, their strong dependence on Call Of Duty, and much more! Level up your game and get 10% off @TurtleBeach with code DUKE at https://wwwturtlebeach.com/DUKE! #turtlebeachpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kick off Season 2 of Productside Stories with a special episode featuring Marilyn McDonald, SVP of Commercial Digital and Innovation at Moderna. With a career spanning Fortune 500 companies like Citi, MasterCard, and StubHub, Marilyn shares her incredible insights on product management across industries. Learn how to solve complex customer problems, drive innovation, and lead high-performing teams. This first episode of Season 2 is packed with actionable takeaways to help you excel, no matter the sector. 

In this episode, of The Product Podcast, we chat with Tomer London,Co-founder and Chief Product Officer of Gusto, the leading HR platform for small and medium-sized businesses in the US. Tomer shares his journey from coding his first inventory management system for his dad's clothing store as a teenager to building Gusto into a comprehensive payroll and HR platform serving over 300,000 small businesses. He opens up about the challenges of evolving his role as CPO, transitioning from hands-on coding to building product teams, and scaling the company while staying deeply customer-focused.In this episode, Tomer dives into the importance of embedding compliance into the core of Gusto's product, why he believes product management should be data-aware but not data-dependent, and how he fosters a culture of intuition-driven decision-making. He also shares how Gusto integrates AI to streamline processes, from payroll automation to enhancing customer support, all while maintaining the human touch that defines their success. CONTENT(00:19)

In this episode, I'm joined by product and leadership expert Shreyas Doshi to dissect Founder Mode, why it's appealing, and how to activate it. We dive deep into Paul Graham's recent essay which struck a chord in the tech community and resonated strongly with many founders and leaders.We also discuss:Why founder mode is a mindset, not a titleWhether founder mode is good or badBalancing detail and delegationThe importance of product sense and good judgmentMastering founder mode as a product leaderOperational insights from Meta and StripeReferenced:Crafting a compelling career story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Reh9wTUIYc&t=928sPaul Graham's "Founder Mode": https://paulgraham.com/foundermode.htmlShreyas' Tweet on founder mode': https://x.com/shreyas/status/1830767630917214318Six superpowers of product managers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnsSwHP3d-cShreyas' previous appearance on the podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_TnXtnY3QM&t=23sThe 3 types of product leaders: https://x.com/shreyas/status/1375491623308550144Where to find Shreyas:Twitter/XLinkedInYouTubeWhere to find Nikhyl:Twitter/XLinkedInFind The Skip:WebsiteSubstackYouTubeSpotifyApple PodcastsTikTokDon't forget to subscribe to The Skip to hear me coach you through timely career lessons. If you're interested in joining me on a future call, send me a note on LinkedIn, Threads, or Twitter. You can also email me at nikhyl@skip.communityTimestamps(00:00) Teaser: Unpacking founder mode(02:47) What Shreyas has been up to(04:04) Shreyas' take on founder mode(08:59) Why judgment and product sense is critical(13:04) Don't confuse founder mode with micromanagement(20:57) The key question for founders about ownership(23:01) Not every company needs a CPO or Head of Product(28:07) When product people should prioritize detail(31:32) What everyone gets wrong about Steve Jobs(34:22) Shreyas' observation about John and Patrick Collison(38:17) Nikhyl's observation about Mark Zuckerberg(40:05) Founder vs manager mode(43:40) Should leaders avoid manager mode?(48:17) Chase impact, not optics(57:00) The 3 types of product leaders(60:46) Aligning your environment, opinion, and superpower(63:10) Shreyas' non-consensus view on building product(67:52) Mastering founder mode as a PM(72:58) Getting in touch with Shreyas(74:49) How to find Nikhyl

Hello listeners, I am Rahul Abhyankar, your host. Welcome to Product Leader's Journey. In today's episode we talk about B2B Product Marketing, Sales Enablement, and AI with Lara Shackelford. Lara is a veteran Chief Marketing Officer many times over, and has led marketing teams to create impact at companies such as Oracle, Intel, Datastax, Looker (both before and after the acquisition by Google), and has also led global demand generation at Microsoft. She is currently senior vice president of marketing at iCapital. In this episode, Lara talks about how the B2B buying experience has changed, what is a good blueprint for sales training, coming up with a good ROI analysis, how to assess the ROI of AI, and what does a good partnership between product marketing, product and sales teams looks like, and much more. David Packard, the cofounder of HP, is believed to have said, “Marketing is too important to be left to the marketing department,” so I wanted to see what Lara had to say about that. Enjoy listening!

Rina Alexin is the CEO of Productside, a leading product training and consulting company (formerly known as The 280 Group). Rina is passionate about furthering the craft of product management around the world. Her hot take? Product managers complain about stakeholders, but they're just doing their jobs and we need to spend some of our energy on understanding them and properly collaborating rather than treating them as annoyances. Find Rina on LinkedIn or check out Productside If you'd like to appear on Hot Takes, please grab a time!   Related episodes you should like: May Wong's Hot Take - Product Management is a Team Sport (May Wong, Product Operations Consultant & Coach) Untrapping Product Teams and Getting Rid of Bullsh*t Management (David Pereira, Author "Untrapping Product Teams") Dean Peters' Hot Take - There's More to be Said About the Instagram-ification of Product Management (Dean Peters, Principal Consultant & Trainer @ Productside) John Cutler's Hot Take - The Instagram-ification of Product Management is Driving us Crazy (John Cutler, Product Educator & Author @ The Beautiful Mess) Build Better Products at Scale with Product Operations (Melissa Perri & Denise Tilles, Product Consultants & Co-authors "Product Operations") Knowing your Customers, Seeking Evidence and Sticking up for Continuous Discovery (Hope Gurion, Product Leader and Team Coach @ Fearless Product) Transforming your Organisation to the Product Operating Model (Marty Cagan, Author "Inspired", "Empowered" and "Transformed") Applying Product Management Principles to Life (Miloš Belčević, Author "Build Your Way")

In this insightful episode of Rocketship.fm, host Mike Belsito sits down with Bruce McCarthy and Melissa Appel, co-authors of "Aligned: Stakeholder Management for Product Leaders." The conversation delves into the often challenging world of stakeholder management, offering practical advice for product managers and leaders looking to navigate complex organizational dynamics. Throughout the episode, McCarthy and Appel share valuable strategies from their book, covering topics such as understanding organizational structures, building rapport with stakeholders, and managing roadmap changes. They emphasize the importance of treating stakeholders as individuals, aligning goals, and fostering trust through effective communication and collaboration. This episode provides listeners with actionable insights to enhance their stakeholder management skills and drive product success. This episode is sponsored by: Virtual Edition of INDUSTRY: The Product Conference: Join hundreds of Product Managers and Product Leaders from all around the world for a day-long virtual conference experience -- including keynote sessions, interactive discussions, virtual networking and more. Purchase your pass before September 15th, and you can register for just $99 (saving 50% off of the day of show rate). Gigantic: Upskill your team with real-world, practical video-based training on topics like Product Strategy, Product Leadership, AI for Product Managers, and more. Rocketship.FM is brought to you by Evergreen Podcasts.

Join us as we welcome Adrian Corral, the business and technical product manager at Avalara, to discuss their Salesforce connectors and comprehensive tax solutions. Adrian also highlights the complexities of taxability across different industries and how Avalara's sophisticated tax engine simplifies these challenges. In this episode, we explore the future trends in composable architecture, particularly focusing on Salesforce and its compatibility with headless architecture. Learn about the advantages of using APIs over traditional SDKs and how KPIs drive executive buy-in for cutting-edge technologies.  We discuss the benefits of hybrid composable architecture and its competitive edge in hiring developers. Additionally, Adrian shares insights on AI-powered note-taking tools and their impact on enhancing user experiences. Tune in to gain a comprehensive understanding of Avalara's role in ensuring tax compliance and supporting the infrastructure of an effective e-commerce storefront. Show Highlights: Future trends in composable architecture and the advantages of using APIs over SDKs Simplifying taxability complexities in industries like manufacturing with Avalara's sophisticated tax engine Competitive edge of hybrid composable architecture and hiring Node.js developers The role of KPIs in driving executive buy-in for new technologies The potential of AI-powered note-taking tools to revolutionize user experiences and streamline tasks Follow and Review: We'd love for you to follow us if you haven't yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast. Supporting Resources: Join the Commerce Cloud Community: http://sforce.co/commercecrew Learn more about Commerce Cloud Innovations here: https://www.salesforce.com/commerce/innovations/  Avalara AppExchange Listing: https://appexchange.salesforce.com/appxListingDetail?listingId=a0N3A00000FMiPDUA1 B2B & D2C Commerce, Payments and OMS Roadmap Webinar on August 8th at 11am ET: http://sfdc.co/B2Broadmap B2C Commerce Roadmap Webinar on August 21 at 1pm ET: http://sfdc.co/B2Croadmap  *** Episode Credits If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com. Let them know I sent you.

DescriptionThis episode explores creative leadership techniques that drive outcomes as well as the pitfalls of survivorship bias in building a product. Kelsey Nichols discusses her unconventional path into product management and building a product way of thinking that focuses on failure patterns and how to adapt.Show Notes (0:05) - Introduction to the podcast and hosts(0:57) - Welcome to Kelsey Nichols, CTO at Landing(1:07) - Kelsey describes her career journey from PE teacher to engineer to product manager and back to engineering(3:36) - Kelsey talks about her transition from engineering to product management(8:14) - The benefits of having a diverse background in product development(9:33) - The event that led Kelsey to focus more on the "why" of product development(10:57) - Areas where product leaders might miss the mark according to Kelsey's experience on the engineering team(13:19) - Challenges of integrating a new product team and common friction points(14:36) - Building a product department from the ground up and how it's similar to building a product(16:33) - Initial challenges and concerns about the success of the product department at Landing(17:40) - Why looking at failures can be just as valuable as looking at successes (concept of survivorship bias)(21:15) - The importance of embracing failure and creating a safe space for experimentation(23:34) - Kelsey's experience as the longest-standing product leader at Landing (in jest)(24:29) - The importance of creating a safe space for product development(25:12) - The reality of failure and success rates in product development(25:28) - Transitioning from Engineer to Product Leader(28:34) - The Danger of Saying No in Product Management (29:03) - Creative Strategies for Handling Feature Requests (32:18) - Building Relationships with Stakeholders (34:33) - The Importance of Business and Customer Focus(36:09) - Problem-Solving as a Core Skill (36:58) - The Value of Customer Research (38:21) - Learning from Mistakes

Himanshu Palsule is CEO of Cornerstone, which provides a workforce agility platform to identify skill gaps and development opportunities within organizations. Himanshu joined as CEO in Jan 2022, bringing more than 35 years of diverse experience leading global organizations. Prior to joining Cornerstone, he was President of Epicor where he was responsible for managing vertical businesses and overseeing product operations. Palsule was previously CTO and Head of Strategy at Sage Software. Key highlights: Learning to live within your own skin and recalibrating yourself Concentric circles of evaluating ideas - Control, Influence, Interest Key trait when you have a seat at the table: Humility What is important when you have to say “I don't know” Going beyond the cliche and making customer obsession real What does it really mean to have a flat organization What does a future-ready Product Manager look like Connect with Himanshu Palsule, CEO of Cornerstone: https://www.linkedin.com/in/himanshu-palsule/ Connect with Rahul Abhyankar, Host of Product Leader's Journey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rahulabhyankar/

Matt interviews Paul Yuknewicz, Product Leader for Azure Serverless. They discuss Azure Functions, Dapr, WASM, and security. Plus, Matt explains rhyming Australian slang in the aftershow. Show Links Serverless Days Sydney (https://sydney.serverlessdays.io/) dapr.io (https://t.co/4skLywNAZq) Dapr integration with Azure Container Apps (https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-apps/dapr-overview) Paul is hiring a Principal Product Manager (https://jobs.careers.microsoft.com/global/en/job/1703452/Principal-Product-Manager) Contact Paul LinkedIn: Paul Yuknewicz (https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-yuknewicz-50a91125/) Twitter: @paulyuki99 (https://twitter.com/paulyuki99) SDT News & Hype Join us in Slack (http://www.softwaredefinedtalk.com/slack). Get a SDT Sticker! Send your postal address to stickers@softwaredefinedtalk.com (mailto:stickers@softwaredefinedtalk.com) and we will send you free laptop stickers! Follow us: Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/sdtpodcast), Twitter (https://twitter.com/softwaredeftalk), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/softwaredefinedtalk/), Mastodon (https://hachyderm.io/@softwaredefinedtalk), BlueSky (https://bsky.app/profile/softwaredefinedtalk.com), LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/software-defined-talk/), TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@softwaredefinedtalk), Threads (https://www.threads.net/@softwaredefinedtalk) and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi3OJPV6h9tp-hbsGBLGsDQ/featured). Use the code SDT to get $20 off Coté's book, Digital WTF (https://leanpub.com/digitalwtf/c/sdt), so $5 total. Become a sponsor of Software Defined Talk (https://www.softwaredefinedtalk.com/ads)! Photo Credits Header (https://unsplash.com/photos/man-wearing-blue-suit-dgOJDAv96s8) Special Guest: Paul Yuknewicz.

Key takeaways from our guest, Pricing Strategist & Product Marketing Leader, Robert Campbell: Start by understanding how generative AI models work. There are two main types of prompts used for generative AI: imperative and declarative. Imperative prompts provide step-by-step instructions, while declarative prompts ask for a specific output. Understanding these distinctions will help you get the most out of generative AI tools.Don't replace human creativity and judgment entirely with generative AI outputs. While generative AI can be a valuable tool, it's important to remember that it is still under development. Be aware of potential biases in the training data and the limitations of the technology.Focus on several metrics when using generative AI:Engagement metrics: Track how well different content performs (human-created vs. generative AI-created) to measure effectiveness.AB Testing: Use generative AI-generated content alongside human-created content to see which performs better.Traditional marketing metrics: Keep focusing on revenue generation, churn rate, and other important marketing metrics. AI tools and resources mentioned in the episode:Runway.aiDall-EConnect with Robert Campbell:linkedin.com/in/robertwcampbell/ For more support on navigating the disruption of Generative AI:Go to: themarketinghelp.co/genai to access:A free excerpt from our recently published book : CMO Disruption Playbook: Generative A.I.Your Gen A.I. Transformation checklistComprehensive list of Gen A.I. tools every marketer should be testing dailyHaving trouble navigating marketing disruptions, a job search, or building and developing your marketing team? Let us help!Just email me directly  ->  erik (at) themarketinghelp (dot) coor Schedule a call with us here -> themarketinghelp (dot) co (forward slash) #schedule Thanks to our Presenting Partner : 6sense.comEliminate the costs of missed opportunities and mistimed deals by pinpointing the accounts that matter most.The only ABM platform powered by Revenue A.I.See 6sense in action and schedule your demo now: themarketinghelp.co/6sense

This week's guest is Mike Bassani, Partner and Product Leader at Microsoft. Despite starting in Finance, Mike is no stranger to supply chains having worked in supply chain roles for Best Buy, Nike, Amazon, Convoy, and currently, Microsoft where he was the General Manager of the Supply Chain Platform. His role has changed over the last year to lead the integration of Copilot and other LLMs into the  Power Platform. In our conversation, we talk about how a finance background can help a supply chain professional, the difference between traditional and generative Artificial Intelligence, whether generative AI will be centralized or decentralized (and why that matters), as well as what it is like running very large, diverse, and geographically dispersed team. Mike has a solid grasp of not only supply chains but also how this new emerging technology might be leveraged. There is no wonder why he was named one of the top 10 Most Influential People in Supply Chain by CIO Magazine in 2023.

Have you ever wondered how the digital marketplace keeps up with the lightning-fast changes in consumer behavior? Join us as we sit down with Olga Kostina of Adyen to discuss the future of composable payments and their seamless integration with Salesforce Commerce Cloud. With Olga steering the conversation from her telecom roots to the heart of fintech, we uncover how the mobile e-commerce explosion during the pandemic has transformed the payment landscape. We also dive into the Adyen formula, revealing the company's dedication to innovation and customer satisfaction and how they're constructing scalable payment solutions that can adapt to the ever-shifting desires of shoppers. Transitioning from the big picture to actionable tactics, we lay out the revolutionary payment integration solutions Adyen offers for merchants on Salesforce, simplifying global payment acceptance. Hear firsthand about the unprecedented flexibility Adyen's Composable Storefront solution provides for brands to customize their payment experiences and how e-commerce accelerators are slashing the timeline for brands to make their mark online.  Show Highlights: The shift to mobile e-commerce and Adyen's approach to innovation and customer care. Adyen's pre-built payment integration solutions for global expansion on Salesforce platforms. Exploration of e-commerce accelerators and cost-saving strategies for brands adopting Composable Commerce. Details on Adyen's unique offerings for Composable Storefronts, including flexibility and control over payment experiences. How brands can integrate Adyen payments, with options for tech-savvy brands and those preferring third-party service providers. Follow and Review: We'd love for you to follow us if you haven't yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast. Supporting Resources: Join the Commerce Cloud Community: http://sforce.co/commercecrew  *** Episode Credits If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com. Let them know I sent you.  

How can product leaders build a product culture within their organization?In this episode of the Product Leaders to Watch series hosted by Cognizant Product Director Chenny Solaiyappan, Life Cycle Engineering Product Leader Tara Holwegner speaks on building a product culture. Tara discusses investing in people and developing future leaders. She expresses interest in learning about new industries and how products apply human-centered design and AI. Tara also highlights examples of using digital technologies for remote coaching and predictive maintenance in industrial operations. Tune in to the 400th episode of Product Talk to learn what makes great products, product managers, and a strong product culture within an organization!

This week, Dan Neumann and Justin Thatil are joined by their colleague, Mike Guiler. In this episode, they explore how a Product Manager shifts from just management to leadership and how this transformation influences the role. Dan, Justin, and Mike discuss tools and strategies, including OKRs, Story Mapping, and Hackathons, among others.   Key Takeaways Product management must study the market and users, becoming customer-centric and ensuring it is still viable for the business at the same time. It takes more than one individual to effectively perform the discovery function. It's a Team effort (Product Designer, Product Owner, and a Technical member). Discovery and design sessions are opportunities for Teams to unlock the art of the possible. The Team has to learn from rapid feedback while ensuring steps are taken to not hurt organizational reputation. A Product Manager must first understand how to help the Team approach a particular problem. A great way is to identify OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) and focus on the target market the Team is going after. Once the Team is aligned, the job can be done. A Product Manager sets an objective for the Team and allows them to work autonomously toward reaching it. Story Mapping: A Product Manager's ally on the journey to product discovery. Story Mapping is an easy way to frame what the Team is trying to achieve and the tool that might be the most efficient for that purpose. Story Mapping can also help identify the target persona for which the Team is building a particular feature. There is tremendous value in having the Team involved in Story Mapping and, as a result, immersed in and knowledgeable about the problem at hand. Hackathons are a great way to keep a Team motivated. Allow the engineers to explore; you will keep them engaged and motivated.   Mentioned in this Episode: Fall in Love with the Problem, Not the Solution: A Handbook for Entrepreneurs, by Uri Levine Inspired: How to Create Tech Products Customers Love (Silicon Valley Product Group), by Marty Cagan   Want to Learn More or Get in Touch? Visit the website and catch up with all the episodes on AgileThought.com! Email your thoughts or suggestions to Podcast@AgileThought.com or Tweet @AgileThought using #AgileThoughtPodcast!  

How can product leaders drive business reinvention? In this episode of Capgemini's Leaders in Innovation series with Capgemini Americas Portfolio Lead Lisa Mitnick, Altria CPO & CIO Olivier Houpert shares insights from his 31 years of experience at Procter & Gamble and his decision to take on a new challenge at Altria. He speaks on Altria's transformation journey to launch reduced-risk smoke-free products through a focus on consumer needs, partnerships, and a test-and-learn approach to innovation. Olivier emphasizes the importance of remaining consumer-centric and optimistic about driving change in the tobacco industry to transition consumers to safer alternatives.

In this episode of Learning with Leslie, I share a panel discussion I was a part of at Google. Michael Levinson, Product Leader and GM at Google, speaks with three entrepreneurs to discuss the benefits of visibility for people of color. Dara Cook, Leslie Samuel, and Kareem Cook recount their entrepreneurial journeys, emphasizing the impact of their businesses. Discussions center on cultural identity, community influence, and the importance of representation and mentorship for aspiring entrepreneurs. Strategies for business growth, leveraging technology, and advocating for diverse role models are explored, highlighting the significance of bold actions, overcoming fear, and personal growth in driving success. Mentorship and sponsorship are underscored as pivotal for professional development, echoing a sentiment of responsibility in inspiring future generations. This episode is brought to you by Ecamm Live - the all-in-one video production app that helps you create professional videos without the need for editing. Save 15% by using the promo code "Leslie" at https://ecamm.com/leslie

Vidya Dinamani and Heather Samarin spark an inspiring conversation with Yue Zhao, a seasoned product leader who has left her mark on marketplaces, social media giants, and healthcare tech. From scaling Thumbtack to leading product teams at Meta and Fuzzy, Yue shares her journey of fostering innovation, empowerment, and customer obsession. Don't miss Yue's insights on navigating complex challenges and her mission to empower women and minorities through her new initiatives, including releasing her book, "The Uncommon Executive". 

Ali talks about what he and other early stage investors look for in companies who are raising money for their early stage companies.ABOUT ALI JAMALAli Jamal is a Venture Investor, Product Leader, Growth Expert, Data Scientist, and Corporate Strategist. He is the Founder of First Check Ventures, a venture capital firm that invests in early stage startups across the globe. First Check Ventures has supported and invested in more than 130 startups from more than 30 countries including the US, Pakistan, India, Singapore, Venezuela, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Nigeria, Turkey, Peru and Colombia.Before starting First Check Ventures, he was the Director of Growth and Performance Marketing at PayClip, Mexico's First FinTech Unicorn.  Previously, Ali was the Head of Performance Marketing at Rappi, leading 80+ people on 7 teams across 8 international offices and responsible for generating over $1 billion in total transaction value per year globally. Prior to joining Rappi, he was the Head of Marketing Innovation at Agoda, where he led 3 teams across 3 international offices and was responsible for expansion into the China market. Ali also held Product and Analytical leadership roles at RockYou, Zynga, and Maxim Integrated Products. He began his career as an investment banker specializing in mergers and acquisitions in the software and internet sectors. Ali has a Bachelors in Economics and a Masters in Statistics from Stanford University.EPISODE LINKSFirst Check Ventures CONNECT WITH US Claim Your Weekly EDGE Newsletter. It's FREE.Written by Brandon with insights giving you an edge to win in your business and your life. Over 24,200 readers and counting! OTHER GREAT PODCASTS ON THE THE BEST PODCASTS NETWORK PRODUCTIVITYDaily productivity tips in less than 4 minutes a day. Business PlanHow to write a business plan, the modern business plan way. Danielle & Brandon Show All about owning a business MARKETING PodcastMarketing science revealing successful marketing. 401k Plans PodcastSet up and run your company's 401k retirement savings plans correctly. Car Accident Lawyer PodcastBest lawyer advice. podcast for entrepreneurs

How can product leaders guide teams to success? In this episode of the Product Leaders to Watch Series with Cognizant Product Director Chenny Solaiyappan, Unity Product Leader Marc-Andre Ferguson speaks on his diverse career path from filmmaking to product management roles at companies such as Autodesk and Unity. He emphasizes the importance of clear communication, teamwork, and understanding different perspectives to build trust within cross-functional teams. He discusses the potential of generative AI and the importance of user experience, security, and lifelong learning for product managers.