How goals create illusionary progress

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Productized in Lisbon is exceptional: thoughtful programming, a warm international community, and practical ideas you can use Monday morning. We’re honoured to partner with Productized for the third year running and proud to bring you this special Talk-in-Ten series thanks to Bobcats Coding.

In this short, sharp episode recorded on the balcony at Productized, we dig into a mindset shift with Radhika Dutt champions: stop obsessing about rigid goals and start framing work as puzzles—curious, solvable, and energising.

Key topics discussed

• Why reframing goals as puzzles increases curiosity and engagement
• The mismatch between traditional OKRs and complex product work
• How puzzle-setting supports transparency and real learning
• Practical three-question approach: How well did it work? What did we learn? What will we try next?
• Radha’s upcoming book, the OHLS toolkit and how to contribute

[00:00:00] - Live from Productized: Quick intro and why Lisbon matters: A snapshot of the conference vibe and our gratitude to partners.

[00:01:10] - Why puzzles, not goals: Radha explains how puzzles invite curiosity and reduce the perverse incentives of rigid targets.

[00:05:30] - The limits of measurable goals: When measurement creates illusionary progress and hides the real problem.

[00:11:00] - Puzzle-setting in practice: Three guiding questions to diagnose and iterate product work.

[00:15:20] - Book, toolkit & next steps: Radha on her forthcoming book, the OHLS toolkit and how listeners can contribute.

Guest bio:

Radhika Dutt is a seasoned product thinker who challenges conventions in product strategy and org design. She helps teams move from mechanical goal-chasing to curiosity-led problem solving. Radha is authoring a new book on puzzle-setting and maintains practical toolkits at radicalproduct.com.

Thank you to our Sponsor: Bobcats Coding — Budapest-based digital product studio specialising in AI engineering and end-to-end product development. Download their free AI economics guidebook at bobcatscoding.com. We’re honoured to partner with Productized and grateful to Bobcats for making this Lisbon se

Host Bio

Ben is a seasoned expert in product agility coaching, unleashing the potential of people and products. With over a decade of experience, his focus now is product-led growth & agility in organisations of all sizes.

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Ben Maynard

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Product Agility Podcast

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Listen & Share On Spotify & iTunes

• Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0lkwAYJzVSuk5zfJ1vIDZq?si=4c691fb12f124a56
• iTunes - https://apple.co/3YvTX8p

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